The royal "Crown Jewel" antique Fluter / Fluting Iron - 1869
with Heating Rods and Table Clamp

It was 1869, Ulysses S. Grant becomes president; Wyoming is the first state to give women the right to vote; and the Cincinnati Red Stockings become the first professional baseball team.

Also, in 1869, Henry C. Sergeant secures his fluter patent, then turns to the Lowerre & Tucker Company of Newark, New Jersey to produce your "CROWN JEWEL" – a hand-cranked, laundry-day device to add pleats and ruffles on dress hemlines, sleeves, cuffs and collars.  Sergeant also used his 1869 patent to produce another fluting machine with a counter-balanced iron disk to adjust fluter tension.

Your ‘Crown Jewel’ is a special fluting machine / crimping iron with a decorative base that attests to its Victorian-era pedigree.  It has a unique rear, lever mechanism to raise and lower the upper fluting roller.   The scalloped-edge base showcases the name Crown Jewel. Pat. Nov. 23, 1869 and the manufacturer.  This fluter model never had embossed cast-iron letters to hallmark its name and manufacturer.  Rather, details were artistically stenciled and still faintly appear.  During our country’s Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this fluter earned the highest medal/award for the design of a superior machine. (According to “The Evolution of the Sad-Iron” by A.H. Glissman, page 123, figure 253). 

This fluter has only been dusted after being on display in multiple Atlanta-area museums.  There are faint traces of original paint and stenciling.

PROMINENCE: “Irons by Irons,” page 60, figure 162-R; “A Collector’s Guide to Pressing Irons and Trivets” page 53, figure 101-A   

Securing your lovely fluter to a work surface is a powerful TABLE CLAMP.  This clamp is bold and blends well with the rich design of the fluter.  It fits comfortably into the front-center notch of the fluter base plate. With its deep throat, it allows the fluter to sit back from the table edge offering a setup area in front for the garment. Also, its original HEATING RODS are included with this auction making the set complete.

On top of the fluter is a crown-shaped knob used to adjust the tension on the leaf spring above the two brass fluter rollers. Thin fabric required more pressure; thicker fabric required less.  BEFORE the fluter rollers were separated by depressing a convenient lever in the back, the tension needed to be removed from the top leaf spring to allow free movement. The fluted barrels are brass.  Iron rods were heated on a stove or fireplace, and were inserted into the brass fluting barrels. Damp, pre-starched fabric was then clamped between the (heated) barrels and hand-cranked to crimp pleats on collars and ruffles on dress hemlines.   

Fluter Dimensions (approx. without handle attached): 8 1/2" tall, 8" wide and 7" deep.

Fluting irons are one of the most interesting types of antique pressing irons ever invented. They were developed to crimp, ruffle and press pleats into starched fabric. Fluters were used for collars, cuffs and trim. These vintage tools were an invention that saw their heyday in America from the 1860's through to the turn of the century.

Collectively, this uncommon 157-year-old fluter is in fine operating condition, and will be a show stopper in any collection, or to showcase a piece of Americana from the Civil War era.

If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Thank you for viewing and good luck bidding.