Sunday, February 2, 2014

The Coat hangers One of Man’s best friends.

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Coat hangers were a big part of my life. Early on, mama had a rough time keeping enough for her ironing and dad’s shirts because Little Jackie could find so many uses for these wonderful things.

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The made great brake arm supports for the old bikes with New Departure Rear ends. They made great fish stringers. Big hooks to hang stuff.  Any time I needed some stiff wire, there went another coat hanger.  They always made good “reachers” for a little guy. The plastic hanger “weren’t worth nothing.Surprised smile

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Remember when the Dry cleaners placed the heavy stiff paper with non-skid strip for pants? They were really good to keep pants from getting that hanger crease but were very good about keeping them from sliding off to the floor of the closet. They were ok, I had to leave the paper strip behind when I took one, they could be used on another hanger.

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BUT some smart aleck come up with that paper tube across the bottom to hang the pants on, they were of little use to a handy-boy. The first one I took to use, I was disappointed that the wire did not go thru the little tube. (They were okay for this cat to sleep on thought) The didn’t last as long as pants hangers either, especially for a kid who grabbed the pants and drug them off the hanger, they broke down in the middle. As I grew older more and more were made like that.  At sometime in my life they quit doing that, probably because little boys fussed so much.

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(Wooden coat hangers and  cheaters with no pants rack were only good to hang clothes on, mama said that was what they were for!)

I once made us a little decorative fence around our ‘small’ flower garden. I would hold it in the center of the flat part and the hanger and pull it into a diamond. Straighten the hook and stick it in the ground then over lap them making smaller diamonds all around the little garden.

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No matter the object, an artist can make something useful, beautiful or unique from it.

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To display a decorative plate OR

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make a Gorilla!

Other than hang clothes, how do you use the all important coat hanger?

Thanks for stopping by,

Nite shipslog

PS:

The common coat hanger has Hung mufflers and tailpipes several times they have also cleaned a few stopped drains.…

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1939-Delage-D8-120S-Saou-Sonya

the 1939 Delage sent to me by Sonya. You know, Sonya is so neat, I bet Sonya’s coat hangers all match!

12 comments:

Helen said...

I have used a few to straighten out, leave a hook and used them to reach things my arms could not. Great for hanging clothes on also LOL.

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

Clothes hangers are another thing we often take for granted and have proven useful in so many different ways. Most I have now are plastic but thankfully I still do have some of the wire ones. They do come in handy. I remember using one to slip through a crack in the window to try to unlock my car when I left the keys inside. I didn't succeed but someone else came along and got the job done. There are endless uses for them it seems. More snow here today. Thankful there are ONLY 6 more weeks of winter.

Jackie said...

Roast marshmallows on....
Read an article that one can use a metal coat hangers to run across one's hair in the wintertime to get rid of that static charge. Haven't tried that one because I don't have that many (if any) metal coat hangers left.
Alas....we have replaced all of ours with plastic ones. (Don't run a plastic coat hanger across one's hair to get rid of static. If you do, send pictures.)
Hugs,
Jackie

Paula said...

We use hangers for a lot of things. stretch them out, hang the hook part on a nail and then use a little S thing to hang the hummingbird feeder. Stretch one out to clean the bathroom sink drain out then follow with a cup of baking soda and a cup of vinegar, the pour some boiling water down. John used one with his riding lawnmower to keep the little flap up so the grass can fly out easier. I've been involved in trying to get locked in keys out of a car and that is frustrating. I like hangers, they are handy.

~mel said...

Make a gorilla ~ why didn't I think of that! I like the heavy metal hangers of old; but hate the flimsy metal ones that most places sell now. I've pretty much converted over to the hard plastics.

betty said...

My gosh people can be so creative! Cute gorilla! Also didn't realize how many different hangars were out there until you included pictures of some of them, Jack. Honestly, I must be a boring person, I've only used a hangar as a hanger (oh wait, I think we used them growing up to roast marshmallows over a campfire for s'mores :)

betty

shirl72 said...

I use then to dry clothes. I have
one on a hook in the bathroom to pin my socks on with clothes pins to dry. I use them to hang my different season wreaths when not in use.
I have straighten the wire ones out when I needed wire for something.

I give things to the Kidney
Foundation the last time they called to see if I had anything to
pick up they ask me did I have any
wire hangers I couldn't figure that one out.




Louis la Vache said...

WOW! You made «Louis» remember all the things he has used coat hangers for... They are quite a tool!
What a hoot - that cat sleeping on the hangers!

The body on that beautiful Delage was designed and built by Figone et Falaschi in Paris.

The gorilla reminds «Louis» of his former father-in-law...

TARYTERRE said...

What an interesting topic. I have used wire hangers to secure Christmas decorations to the ground.

Anonymous said...

Yep, I've slipped a hanger through a car window a few times. Bending the end into the shape of one of the old Church of God-style hairpins makes grasping that door lock a cinch.
When we were teens, we might have used a hanger as a wreath form with running cedar as a Christmas wreath. My brother and sister made the cutest little toy-horse ornaments which they had cut out on the band saw. The axles for the little wheels were little snips of a wire hanger. I still have one of those ornaments to this day. So cute!
Jack, I like the flower bed fence you described. That's very creative.

bonnie k.

DD said...

I have a little collection of wire hangers that I am going to "build a little Christmas Tree" of, or planning to do it...lol.
That gorilla is something!

Unknown said...

J.S. Hanger Deluxe Wooden Pants Hangers from Bizarkdeal

these hangers are absolutely the best i have gotten. i love the wood and the metal clasp on them , it has made it so easy for me to hang all my slacks and the jeans and keep them nice and neat. the hangers are very lightweight and they are not bulky like i have come to find with others i have purchased so you are able to use more of them and save lots of room in your closet. i like to usually air dry my jeans and with the wooden hangers they can hold the weight of damp jeans and keep them firmly grasped to where you will not have them slipping and falling to the floor and you having to launder them again. the metal hooks on the top of the hangers also will not bend allowing you to hang your garments and the hangers breaking and you having to purchase even more . they will save you a bunch of money because they are very durable and if you have clothing of different sizes the awesome metal grasp freely move on the rod allowing you to find the perfect fit for your garments. they will not become dirty but if so you can simply wipe them down, and the wood on the hangers will not break or wear out. i use these not just for pants but skirts and i have found they are perfect for all my scarfs . these are the best .