So, have you guessed that I love vintage shopping? I would much rather hit the vintage district, than the mall, any day. So much interesting stuff.
While on vacation this summer, my kids and I went in to every vintage and antique shop in town. We played the game "what do you think this is for?" several times. I would find something that really wasn't in use in modern times and pose the question. Oh, the answers were hilarious at times. And all three kids agreed that that game was one of the highlights of our trip.
My son found a stack of old Popular Mechanics magazines. I'm kicking myself for not buying a couple of issues. These magazines had ingenious ideas. One had directions for laying wires under the rug to turn your entire house into a TV antenna. Okay, so that one is a bit dated with digital now. But you get the idea, people thinking outside the box to solve problems.
My favorites are always the dishware and kitchen items. I really wanted a butter churn that I saw. But practically speaking, that would be the biggest dust-collector in my kitchen, as I have neither a cow, nor goat, nor yak to milk here. (I hear yak butter is quite good!) What I did find, that just had to come home with me, is an old hand-crank, applesauce mill. My guess is it's 1960s. Not ancient, but made when quality was a manufacturer's CEO's primary concern.
When I got it home, I did a little online research about applesauce mills sold today. Here are some reviews I found about a current model sold in stores:
"Poorly built, not like your grandma's Foley"
"got one of these because it's what my mother and grandmother used to make applesauce. Boy was I disappointed! It didn't make it through one day of applesauce! My mom then gave me her ancient one, and what a difference! I'm able to grind a batch of applesauce in half the time! They don't make them like they used to."
"We bought this to replace an older Foley Food Mill that has seen better days. Unfortunately, this is nothing like the older product it replaced - although it looks the same. The product is very poorly made. Don't get me wrong. It looks great - just doesn't work."
"Does not compare to the old original Foley's of my grandmother and mothers time!!"
"Foley might have made a great mill at one time but the ones they make now are junk."
This is sad, don't you think? A company once known for it's exceptional quality in kitchenware has been reduced to producing junk.
Why buy vintage kitchen implements?
In the shop, I was able to hold it, work it, press, push, try to bend, and all but press apples, to test to see if it was durable. It had withstood a couple of decades of use already. My guess is it will withstand another decade or two (maybe more).
This older model had another improvement, over the newer version that I found at Amazon. It has a covered handle. The newer model has a looped, wire handle. A few reviewers of the product stated that this handle was uncomfortable to work with for long periods of time. Well, when making applesauce, that is what I'd likely be doing, working with it for long periods of time. The old, covered-handle model will be more comfortable than the loop handle, I'm predicting.
Some reviewers also stated that the legs came off the mill on day one. When this happens once, we all agree that it was bad luck. But when several reviewers have the same experience, it makes you think twice about how well or poorly something is crafted. The legs on my vintage mill appear to be welded on very well. Welded-on parts are something I play with to check to see if they're secure, when vintage shopping. I also manipulate any moving parts, to insure it still runs smoothly.
The least expensive applesauce mill I found online was about $29 plus shipping/handling. I got my vintage mill for $14 plus tax. Half the price.
And, as I bought this while on vacation, this was my souvenir. It will remind me of the fun I had with my family, playing the "what do you think this is for" game, in the many antique and vintage shops we visited.
I like to picture in my mind, the people working together to make a batch of applesauce for canning. A 1960s, happy, jovial family enjoying a Saturday afternoon of work. My own kids and I will make many batches of applesauce with this mill. And perhaps, another mother, someday, will acquire this mill, and imagine my family, gathered in the kitchen, cooking apples, running them through the mill and filling the jars -- and our family today, will be the vintage family of tomorrow. It's a thought that makes me smile.
