I do not know how I get these things running through my mind. Today I was driving down to San Diego from where I live, 90 miles away and on the way I remembered my feelings when I first saw a flat iron that had a chamber for charcoal. Now, that was a really new one on me. You know, you go through nearly 30 years of life before you realize that the electric appliance to which you have become so accustomed is actually the parvenu. I was in the Philippines when I first saw my first charcoal iron in action. The lady using it was only about 24 years old. Imagine, being that "old" and not ever having used an electric flat iron. That aside, I have come to know that there are still people using the charcoal iron because they are convinced that it does a better job than the electric one that they have been given by their children who live in the 1st world. Today, I was shocked that I was remembering that. This evening, when I was looking for a photo that would show you what I am talking about, I found the picture of the Chinese women using a copper pan full of charcoal to take the wrinkles out of a piece of cloth back in the "BC" days. Now that is a long time. Of course, if it is old, more than likely it was found by the Chinese. The one I am talking about looks somewhat like this, on the whole. I have seen some that are more aesthetically designed, but essentially they are all the same.They all had the same weakness. If the charcoal happened to contain a hard knot, it could pop because of the air pocket that could for between the soft wood and the harder knot. That could, and would on several occasions, cause a spark to fly on to the expensive shirt, dress or pants and burn a hole in the material, and that would ruin the whole thing. That happened to some of my clothes while I lived in the Philippines. It is a way of life and because it is science, you can't blame the maid. The tradition is that you blame the vendor, who, it is presumed, was careless in choosing the wood. Besides, he is also presumed to be more economically able to bear the burden of blame than the maid.
We here in the United States have moved along the road of technological improvement. I often wonder what our children will remember as being "primitive."
Well Paul, this is a new one on me. I never heard of such an iron although I do remember the ones my mom used to use. They were single unit irons that she would leave on the back of our wood stove in the kitchen on the days she planned to iron the clothes. If the iron was too hot it would burn the clothing so she had to moniter them as she used them. Naturally she had 2 or 3 irons in the waiting. Ahhhhhhhhhh, the old memories.
ReplyDeletePatrick
I am afraid with the global warming, we may not need all that invention. Back to the
ReplyDeletefig leave. Heeee. What were those Chinese doing with silk tilma. Heee. Trying to be funny. That metal iron looks heavy. Why do I feel like I seen one of them at my
aunt during my earlier childhood. Thought they were using sumi. Japanese equal to coal. I'll ask the ancient one.
Justa
You know, now that you say that, I remember my grandmother had a cast iron stove in her kitchen that she used to cook and to heat the house. It was very inconvenient in the summer time. She also had the same ironing system as your mother. Thanks for the contribution.
ReplyDeletePaul