Is a good crease worth 3rd degree burns and torching the house? ...

[speedmaster]

You guys are in for a treat.

So last month my beloved grandfather passed away at 87. A wonderful man whom I miss dearly. My grandparents partially raised me and we've always been very close.

Okay, that's behind me. Over the last couple of weeks my grandmother has been giving me some of his things. Yesterday she handed me a small red box and told me it was his "electric pants creaser."

I opened it and what do I find? What looks like an apparatus from a 1950s sci-fi magazine for creasing trousers while you wear them or while they hang. And the little black flakes all over the box? That's what's left of the power cord's insulation. Here's the kicker, the instructions claim it should last 3-5 years! ;-)

So what do you think, should I plug it in? ;-)

 

[Foofoogal]

ummm... Good Lord. No...Put a new cord or find someone to do this for you or you may be going to visit grandpa a bit early. :eusa_doh:
http://sandysfancypants.blogspot.com

 

[Miss Neecerie]

yes...can see from the picture that the cord is no longer good.

new cord and then you can try it out.....

 

[cptjeff]

Shouldn't be too hard to put a new cord on the thing and give it a shot. (Nearly typed that as 'short', which would have worked too.)

However, I'm going to guess there is a reason this type of device never caught on. I certainly wouldn't try it while wearing the clothes.

 

[LizzieMaine]

If you do fix it up, don't try it on gabardine or serge unless you want your pantlegs to shine like twin mirrors.

 

[Feraud]

Why is that Lizzie?
Is it the material, cut, etc.?

 

[LizzieMaine]

Any tight, close weave like those will pick up a shine from too much heat and pressure -- it used to be a common thing to see a man in an old blue serge suit walking around with the backside of his pants gleaming. To properly press such fabrics it's best to use a wet washcloth or dishtowel between the hot iron and the item being pressed.

I don't see any suggestion of such in the instructions for this gadget, which suggests to me it probably doesn't run hot enough to give a good crease anyway...

 

[Jay]

I see where it says you can press without a wet cloth, and it's also guaranteed not to shine.

 

[sproily]

Looks like some sort of an electric meat cleaver

Beware.. things aren't always what they say on the cover......

 

[C-dot]

I see where it says you can press without a wet cloth, and it's also guaranteed not to shine.

It's probably wrong - I fell for that guarantee a long time ago. My dad made me buy him new trousers!

Definitely get a new cord. Exposed wires = electrocution = not very fun.

 

[Dr Doran]

I enjoy electrocution.

 

[Tomasso]

Go ahead and plug it in....I dare you!

 

[Fletch]

What looks like an apparatus from a 1950s sci-fi magazine

Naw, that apparatus is straight out of a 1930s Pop Sci magazine. So are the pamphlet illustrations, fwtw.

Don't mess with uninsulated cord, tho. Just a bad idea all 'round. I'd keep this as a souvenir, not use it.

And now Bing and the Mills Bros. will play Shine. Keep one on your shoes, not your pants.

 

[Geronimo]

I can't see clearly - are the wires still covered by a layer of insulation, or completely bare? Are both wires bare?
If both are bare, you could wrap each wire (separately) with electrical tape (pretty thin stuff, usually black). Then you'd have no problems. You could also just cut the cord and slap on a new one. If you do that, plastic wire connectors work great. Cover up the rest of the exposed wire with the electrical tape.

That item looks like a modified curling iron.

 

[Shangas]

It looks like a fine contraption, but I agree with the others - get it serviced or re-wired first! Yikes!

 

[HodgePodge]

However, I'm going to guess there is a reason this type of device never caught on. I certainly wouldn't try it while wearing the clothes.

In a moment where common sense entirely abandoned me I thought I would be 'ok' to get that one pesky crease with the iron, after I already had the pants on....:eusa_doh: The iron heat wasn't so much of an issue as was the steam heat...

My Boy Scout leader who had been a REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer) in the British Army, told me a story one time about the Gurkhas ironing each other's shorts before parades using a small board inside the pantleg while already wearing them, to make absolutely certain there were no wrinkles anywhere.