The object shown in the photos is an ancient pleating iron (reconed in English as fluting iron or hand fluter), produced at the end of the 19th century. Specifically, it is the famous model patented between 1878 and 1880 by Shepard Hardware Co. of Buffalo, New York. What was it for? During the Victorian era, the fashion of the time included collars, cuffs, ruffles and shirt finishes rich in thick decorative folds (pleats or ruffles). Since subsequent washes inevitably flatten the fabric, this tool was indispensable in the laundry to perfectly restore and iron those geometric folds. The operation was based on the combination of heat, humidity and mechanical pressure: The grooved rectangular base plate (interchangeable internal iron block) was heated directly above a charcoal or wood stove. The fabric (often cotton, linen or silk) was moistened with water and starch (or vinegar) to help fix the fold stably. Pleating: The strip of fabric was laid on the wavy base. Using the comfortable black T-handle, the top roller was rolled back and forth. The interlocking teeth of the roller and the base pressed the fabric hot, instantly creating perfectly symmetrical ruffles and rigid folds.