Thread Winders

[J. Donaldson]

I've searched the forums and haven't quite been able to find an answer, so if I may, I am looking for some information about reproduction horn thread winders. I recently visited a local 19th century living history museum, and when in the General Store I purchased two round horn thread winders to use in a housewife. I've looked online and found these for sale on 18th century merchant sites, and I am now wondering if these items are too early for the mid-nineteenth century and therefore unwise to use in my kit. The short way around the path...are horn thread winders accurate for an 1860s impression, or were they a thing of the past by our era?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[VMurphy]

Re: Thread Winders

Bob..

I'm not certain when thread started to appear on spools, very probably as sewing machines became more prevailant. But there were always thread winders used in sewing kit and other small sewing boxes, etc. I've seen reproduction wood and bone ones so I should think the horn would also be very appropriate.

Perhaps someone else will chime in here that has seen an original. Although I have a few original sewing tools, a thread winder isn't one of them :(


Regards
Vivian Murphy

http://www.themantuamaker.net

[ElizabethClark]

Re: Thread Winders

Is there any way to share a link to the item?

Thread winders can be quite accurate for the era; the actual material they're made of can be as basic as pasteboard (which doesn't hold up long), to more stable materials, so long a they don't stain the thread.

[J. Donaldson]

Re: Thread Winders

Here's a link to a page with similar thread winders at nearly the bottom of the page. (I did not purchase the winders from this company; these are the only similar examples I can find on the internet.) The style I purchased is the round design on the left of the picture, with one winder in white/natural, the other in the dark horn color.

http://www.scarletscarab.com/horn.htm

[ElizabethClark]

Re: Thread Winders

Those are quite reasonable, in my opinion.

One place to look for reasonably-dated winder styles is any Sewing Implements or Needlework antique value guide.

[J. Donaldson]

Re: Thread Winders

Thank you very much for your help with my question.

[Drygoods]

Re: Thread Winders

Well, according to my book Sewing Tools & Trinkets, they show thread winders as late as 1890. Book two, might have more examples, but they seem to run all throughout the 19th Century.
I have a Coats and Clarks sewing box with a mauchline tartan cover, lined with velvet, and mirrored interior lid top and it has ivory thread winders, and the date on that is 1870s-1880.
My personal opinion is that why wouldn't a soldier carve his own thread winder to carry in a housewife?:wink_smil

[J. Donaldson]

Re: Thread Winders

Laziness and the lack of an artistic bent or skill of any form might be my excuse. :D