The Lonely Thimble: An Introduction
A thimble is a cover that fits on the finger to guard it when pushing a needle during quilting or sewing. The word, comes from Old English, literally means "thumb shield".
The thimble has a long history. The oldest existing thimble is Latin, found in the city ruins of Pompeii. It is made of bronze. However, the Etruscans, who came before the Romans, are known to have made other metal thimbles. Rough thimbles of bone and leather certainly also existed because thimbles have been used by every known civilization. These thimbles didn't survive.
Through the years, thimbles have changed in many of ways. Both the the means of production and the materials used have changed. Thimbles have gained new uses and become essentially decorative and collectible rather than merely practical. Early thimbles had to be sturdy because homespun 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 fifteenth century, fabric became more finely woven and sewing became more refined. Thimbles became thinner and lighter. These thimbles were generally made of brass and imported from Nuremberg, a brass-making center. Simultaneously, innovative methods of manufacturing thimbles were introduced. Thimbles were being made from sheet metal. The new thimbles also contained fancy motifs. The cap was sometimes separate and attached to the cylinder later. These new thimbles were taller and the top was flatter.
During the 16th and 17th century Holland became the new seat of thimble manufacturing. However, in the late seventeenth century, John Lofting moved thimble making to Islington, England where the brass-making industry was now established. He began to manufacture thimbles in a scale unheard of before. Later, he moved his assembly plant to Great Marlow, and used water power to and doubled production.
By the early eighteenth century, he was producing around 2 million thimbles annually. But he too succumbed to change and thimble producing moved to Birmingham, England by 18 hundred. The fashioning of brass also improved during this period. A brand 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 principal use of the thimble. But did you know that a slightly larger thimble, usually two ounces, was used to measure spirits? And did you know that nineteenth 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 in great measure decorative, collectorscuriosity in modern thimbles has not waned. Thimbles originally created in silver are being reproduced in pewter thanks to new processes, developed in the 1950s that allow more detailed design. New series of thimbles are being issued to commemorate everything from football teams to Disney characters. Every tourist destination offers memento thimbles to tourists.
Thimble collecting is an very established hobby worldwide. Many thimbles are inexpensively priced and easily attainable. Men, women and children collect them. Some collectors are interested in the history of thimbles while others collect them for their decorative value. The lowly thimble has become a star. Some admire its humble origins and some its new found incarnations. It is still one of the most versatile and down-to-earth tools ever invented, born of necessity.
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