Garage Sale Find

[Lee Bowen]

I hit a few local area sales today, and ran across this little jewel.  Total length including the handles :14 3/4". handles are 9 5/8", the cooking surfaces measure 2 3/8" X 5 15/16" closed (not including the hinges) and 5 1/8" open, X  5 15/16".  The unit is only 7/8" thick when closed.  The individual leaves/sides are 7/16" thick,  the four-sided pyramids inside are 3/8"at the base and 3/16" at the top. The only markings I can find at present are "No 11" with a double underscore under the lower case o.  The outer surface is partially covered with either baked on seasoning or black paint.  The No 11 is under the largest painted area, left side, outside view. I don't have my lye vat and vinegar bath set up, so all I have at this point are before pictures.  Any ideas?

[Lee Bowen]

Figured to try to bring out the markings, such as they are.  Stainless steel scouring pad and warm water.  The "No 11" (with underscores) are a little more visible, but nothing else is legible.  Went through the Purple Book, and went through the CICN section of this wonderful website to no avail.  Hope the attached photos will give a clearer picture of the mini-iron.
There are 32 pyramids/teeth on each side, 4 rows of 8.

[Lee Bowen]

Well, curiosity got the best of me, and I Googled the iron in question.  "Etsy"  has a listing by Kitty Williams, Ltd of the identical twin brother of my mini-iron. It is identified as a Miniature Dutch Waffle Iron, Salesman Sample.  Hers has a stand that looks like a handleless round griddle with a rectangular raised lip with a groove on each end to hold the waffle iron up off the stovetop. The one listed was found  in the Antwerp, Belgium area and it is dated in the mid 1800's.  There is also a larger model listed that makes a 4" X 7" waffle. Maybe I will luck into one in East Texas sometime or other in the near future.

[Tom Neitzel]

Pretty certainly European, age wise I would not put it much earlier than the 1890s, if that old.  Should be a base.

Don't think it is a salesman's sample, but really just a petite waffle iron.  Might be a child's toy, but it seems a bit large for that.

Nice little iron.

[Lee Bowen]

Per my last post, I was quoting information provided by the Etsy vendor.  All I know is that I have never seen anything similar, and what's a few decades in the grand scheme of things?  I just knew that it was old, the price was right ($2),and therefore, it needed to go home with me. There was no base available at the garage sale where I found it, but the Etsy article showed one, as described in my last post.  I agree, it is a nice little find.  Thanks for your input!