It’s been a while since I was lucky enough to have an Oliso iron to play with. (You can find the first review here.) They are quite expensive so quite an investment and, after using it for a few months now, I thought I’d let you know how it has performed.
In my initial review I said that I found the iron a little heavy and I did wonder how this would be with regular use over time. Well, I can say I needed’t of worried. It is a little heavier than my normal iron but this has the effect of helping with the flattening action. The fact that you don’t need to stand the iron upright, as it lifts itself, means that this isn’t a problem. In fact I do need to be careful when I do my normal ironing as I find it’s become natural to just let the iron go. (I’ll have to get another one to use in the house!)
Another thing which I feel has really worked well with this iron is that I use a wool pressing mat. The heat from the iron passes into the mat and is reflected back outward. The Oliso iron seems to partner the wool pressing mat fantastically. I know they are both an investment but it takes your pressing to the next level… Makes it so much easier to get a perfect press. I used to use a few tricks to get a really good press but now, this is so much easier. The Oliso iron seems to provide a really crisp finish with the wool mat – it could be the weight having an impact here.
The extra long cable is good in the Strictly Quilting workshop as it gives plenty to move around but I could understand this this might be a little long for domestic settings. Our British houses are smaller than our American counterparts. There is a water tank for steam and I wondered if I would actually use this much. I don’t tend to use steam a lot, partly because I never remembered to empty it and I didn’t like the fact that there was a chance it would go a bit mucky. This hasn’t been a problem at all. It’s not a large tank so I’ve found that the water has been used up before I leave it. Having said that, it’s not had a fill for some time now and the results are still brilliant.
This iron has certainly been worth the investment and has proven to be a valued tool in the workshop environment. If you had asked me would I spend that much on an iron before trying one, then I’d have probably said no but if it broke, I would certainly replace it. As Christmas is coming it might be worth popping on your list for Santa. (It’s the only time I’d put an iron on my list!)
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