I just received this in the post, eBAY as usual, and cheap as chips. The seller even emailed me afterwards to check that I had seen the chip out of the horn!

Well... that's the least of the problems sir!

As you can see the handle is completely broken in a number of places and "repaired" in one. That last "repair" is the most difficult part of the restoration.

I am keeping as much original as possible and over the next few weeks I shall be posting some of the tips and wrinkles I've picked up over the years so that others may feel confident to restore a treasure back to working condition.

This is no collector's piece but it is quite an early example but it sure as heck ain't gonna work as it is. Especially as the blunt iron was jammed in with the cap iron on the bevel side of the beautiful old Marples "Three Shamrocks" iron.