A different (ironing) iron

M ELEY · 9th August 2015, 09:14 PM

It really is amazing when you start to research some of the tools that we take for granted today. Awhile back, I picked up what I thought might be a rough colonial spontoon blade with corrosion and patina much like your iron. After I purchased it, I looked more closely and noticed bits of concretion on the tip of it and realized it was a plastering trowel. Not being a collector of tools and thinking it not too old, I gave it to a friend of mine who collects such. It was only later that I found out that it still probably dated to colonial America! Here in Winston Salem, we have the town of Old Salem, founded in 1759. The buildings are brick and I can now imagine that trowel being used to build them. Your iron has a history all its own, even if it is not of a military use. I think it has character!

BTW, Fernando, glad you get to keep your hand!

9th August 2015, 09:14 PM	#11
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,152	It really is amazing when you start to research some of the tools that we take for granted today. Awhile back, I picked up what I thought might be a rough colonial spontoon blade with corrosion and patina much like your iron. After I purchased it, I looked more closely and noticed bits of concretion on the tip of it and realized it was a plastering trowel. Not being a collector of tools and thinking it not too old, I gave it to a friend of mine who collects such. It was only later that I found out that it still probably dated to colonial America! Here in Winston Salem, we have the town of Old Salem, founded in 1759. The buildings are brick and I can now imagine that trowel being used to build them. Your iron has a history all its own, even if it is not of a military use. I think it has character! BTW, Fernando, glad you get to keep your hand!