Hazard A Guess: Week of March 4, 2004.

Hello from Hazard!

The sunshine must have motivated you to run to the mailbox. Hazard a Guess received a slew of correct responses on Item No. 702.

The gadget is a “hand fluter” used to iron those crisp pleats or ruffles in dresses, skirts or curtains. The bottom was heated to an ironing temperature, then the lace or fabric was rolled with the smaller, top part.

Sharp-eyed readers who correctly identified it include: Doc Ford of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, who adds the one shown in our photo illustrates a removable handle to use when removing the fluter from the stove or heating area; first-time Hazard guesser Ellie Kornbau of Lisbon, Ohio; Kodi Stebner, Streetsboro, Ohio;

Don Ringer, Cambridge, Ohio; Les Howell, Beach City, Ohio; Myrta Litman, Washington, Pa.; Milton Lorens, Amherst, Ohio; Don DeVolld, Belle Valley, Ohio;

Ira Cornell, LaGrange, Ohio; Heidi Pfeil, West Jefferson, Ohio; Shirley Neiswonger, Beallsville, Ohio; Gailey Henderson, Williamstown, W.Va.;

Joan Bilek of Norton, Ohio; Jeff Graves, Olmsted Township, Ohio; and Bill Takacs, Bainbridge Township, Ohio.

Both Ira Cornell and Doc Ford mention the name of a manufacturer, the Shephard Hardware Co. of Buffalo, N.Y. Ira says the patent date ran from about 1878 to 1880.

How you’d manage to work the contraption without burning the fabric to pieces is beyond me. I’d hate to think of the “pleats” I’d form with that thing!

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This week’s item, Item No. 703, is another from the grab bag of Randy Winland of Prospect, Ohio.

Any ideas how the item is used? Write us at: Hazard a Guess, P.O. Box 38, Salem, OH 44460; or via e-mail: editorial@farmanddairy.com.