I’ve had this set of Dritz pressing tools for close to a decade now. They’re fine – they make pressing things easier for sure, but they aren’t pretty, they’ve developed some hollows, and I’m pretty sure the plaid side is a pilling polyester blend (just looked it up and, yes it is).
After perusing Etsy and Ebay for vintage hams and sleeve rolls, I finally bought one of each and was pretty surprised when they showed up.
Firstly, the shape and size are different. These old things are significantly larger and rounder than their newer versions.
Secondly, they weigh more. They are super packed with filling and even at their age, show no hollows.
Thirdly, the materials seem to be of higher quality. The woolen side especially, feels like it’s made of all natural materials. There’s no pilling either.
And lastly, they just look nicer. I think if the newer versions were heftier and made from better materials, the appearance wouldn’t irk me as much, but now that I’ve seen what Dritz used to offer, they just look cheap.
I think the tools of old are better quality, at least for the brands often sold in chain stores. They used to be made to last & get used daily. Older tools from at least 20-30 years ago are a bit heavier and nicely finished. Your vintage hams are probably stuffed with well-packed sawdust. My older velvet boards have needles very closely spaced, the new version they are about 1/4″ apart, IIRC.
Everything from sewing machines to hand sewing needles seem to have gone down the path of cutting quality, and relying on people replacing things. Even new Dritz snaps seem to be a crap-shoot wether they stay closed.