Asbestos irons were heavy, non-electric "sad irons" popular before electricity, featuring a removable asbestos-lined hood that fit over a heated metal core, designed to insulate the heavy wooden handle, keeping it cool while trapping heat in the iron's base for efficient ironing, with the asbestos preventing heat transfer and allowing longer use between reheating. Made by companies like Dover, these antique irons are recognized by the "Asbestos" marking and their distinctive hoods, though the asbestos itself posed health risks if fibers were released, notes Kevin Talks Irons #40: Asbestos - Dover and related old irons and History.

Key Features

Two-Part Design: A solid, heavy cast-iron base (the "shoe") that was heated on a stove, and a detachable handle/hood assembly.

Asbestos Insulation: The hood lined with asbestos cloth acted as insulation, "bottling up" the heat and channeling it into the iron's surface, keeping the handle cool.

Cool Handle: Advertisements claimed handles stayed significantly cooler (e.g., 15 degrees cooler than blood temperature), making ironing less fatiguing, says The Dover Manufacturing Company in early 1900s USA, and the Dover Saturn Company was established and The Asbestous irons have a shoe marked "Asbestous".

"Sad" Iron: "Sad" comes from an old English word meaning heavy or solid, describing these substantial irons, notes “Sad” comes from the old English word meaning “heavy” or “solid.” These irons contained asbestos in the lining of the handles and hoods that encased the cores to contain the heat and keep it from burning the person using the irons.