Being able to iron a garment with a convenient is something that most people in developed countries today take for granted. But the history of the iron, or iron-type devices goes back hundreds, indeed thousands, of years.
The earliest iron type device was called a “smoothing stone,” a heavy, smooth stone shaped somewhat similar to a mushroom (so there was a part that could be held). These smoothing stones were used as far back s the 8th and 9th centuries.
The iron that is more like something we recognize has been around for just a few hundred years, first in the 17th century. As explained by the guys over at www.beststeamirons20.co.uk, The irons used in this period were first called by “irons” because that was, of course, the material from which they were made. A flat iron would be heated by being placed in a fire (either wood or coal), and it was important for the person using it to wrap the handle in cloth so as not to burn his or herself.
From there, the flat irons developed into box irons, which had a space inside for hot coals. These would retain their heat better, and were safer because they didn’t require the person to reach directly into the fire as much. Box irons were often affixed with wooden handles to also help avoid injury from burning.
In places where irons were used frequently (such as a tailor’s shop), people would not want to wait for flat irons or box irons to be reheated. For these, special furnaces were designed that could heat several irons (around the sides) at once. When one iron cooled, it was simply replaced and a hot iron picked up in its stead.
The iron as we know it today comes as a direct response to fueled irons from the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries, which were fire hazards. The electrical iron was first used in 1882 and has since developed to the aluminum plated electric irons we know today. These are more affordable, reliable, safe, and quick-heating than irons of the past, and allow people to smooth fabrics after just a few minutes of heating time.
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