What's A Thimble

A thimble is a cover that fits on the finger to guard it when pushing a needle during darning or sewing. The word, derived from Old English, literally means "thumb shield".

The thimble has a lengthy history. The oldest existent thimble is Latin, found in the city ruins of Pompeii. It is bronze. Even so, the Etruscans, who pre-date the Romans, are known to have made bronze thimbles. Crude thimbles of leather and bone almost certainly also existed because thimbles have been employed by every known civilization. These thimbles didn't survive the centuries.

Through the years, thimbles have evolved in a number of ways. Both the materials used and the means of production have changed. Thimbles have gained new uses and become principally decorative and collectible rather than merely practical. Early thimbles had to be sturdy because handmade fabric was coarse and needles were rough and crude. It was difficult to push the thread through the cloth so a strong, thick bronze or iron thimble, called a "skep"�, was required to prevent injury.

By the 15th century, cloth became more finely woven and needlework became more refined. Thimbles became thinner. These thimbles were commonly made of metal and imported from Nuremberg, a brass-making center. At this time, original methods of manufacturing thimbles were introduced. Thimbles were being made from sheet metal. These new thimbles also contained decorative motifs. The cap was separate and attached to the cylinder later. These new thimbles were taller and the top was flatter.

During the sixteenth and seventeenth century Holland became the new center of thimble manufacturing. However, in the late seventeenth century, John Lofting moved thimble making to Islington, England where the brass-working industry was already established. He began to manufacture thimbles in a scale unprecedented before. Later, he moved his manufacturing plant to Great Marlow, and used water power to and doubled production.

By the early eighteenth century, he was producing two million thimbles per year. But he too succumbed to progress and thimble making moved to Birmingham, England by 1800. The makeup of brass also improved during this period. A completely new formula made it more malleable and suitable for a different manufacturing method called "deep drawing" � that used less metal. This dropped the cost.

We are all aware that sewing is the prime use of the thimble. But did you know that a ever so little larger thimble, usually two ounces, was used to measure spirits? And did you know that 19th century prostitutes used them to tap on their clients windows and Victorian schoolmistresses used them to knock recalcitrant students on the head?

Although they have become as a rule decorative, collectorscuriosity in modern thimbles has not decreased. Thimbles originally created in silver are being reproduced in pewter thanks to new processes, developed in the 1950s that allow more detailed design. New thimbles are being issued to commemorate everything from football teams to Disney characters. Every tourist destination offers memorial thimbles to tourists.

Thimble collecting is an very established hobby worldwide. A great number of thimbles are fairly priced and readily attainable. Men, women and children collect them. Some collectors are interested in the history of thimbles while others collect them for their decorative significance. The lowly thimble has become a star. Some admire its beggarly origins and some its new found incarnations. It is still one of the most versatile and sound tools ever invented, born of necessity.

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