Antique spinning wheels, looms, and fiber tools

This blog documents a collection of antique fiber tools, from spinning wheels and reels, to tape looms and flax processing equipment. I hope it well help others in researching their wheels and tools and I encourage questions and comments at the end of each post. It is fine to use my photographs for educational purposes, but I would appreciate it if you would attribute the photo to me or to this blog.

The gallery below helps to identify wheels and tools. Each photo is the subject of a blog post, the name of which is in quotes underneath the photo, along with the maker’s mark (if present), maker’s name (if known), and place of origin. Search the name of the blog post to find more details and photos.

GREAT WHEELS

“Mercy”
J. Platt, Connecticut
“Big Bear”
S. Barnum (Silas), Connecticut
“Mag Reiver and a Finger”
H Thomson (Hannibal), Maine
“Theodosia Bunce (Dosia)”
E. Spencer (Elizur), Massachusetts
“Experience (Prance)”
MP (Marlboro Packard), Maine
“Woody Hill” Marked “JC” probably from Rhode Island
“Betty M.” Love & Whitelock, Frankford (near Philadelphia), Pennsylvania

NEW ENGLAND FLAX WHEELS

“Katherine the Witch”
J. Platt, Connecticut
“Mindwell Pond”
SP (Solomon Plant), Connecticut
“Sweet Cicely and Chancey”
S. Cheney, New England
“Louisa Lenore”
Unmarked, likely Connecticut
“Julia”
SC, likely New England
“Jerusha”
unmarked with stars, likely New England
“Patience”
SRAL, Samuel Ring Alfred Lake, Alfred Lake Shaker Colony, Maine
“Clarry”
MP, Marlboro Packard, Maine
“Phoebe”
unmarked, likely Maine
“Henrietta” Marked “D.S,” double flyer wheel, likely from Connecticut

PENNSYLVANIA WHEELS

“Snow Molly” marked “IAM 1827” and “P Wealand,” probable Pennsylvania or Ohio

“Olive Peck” S. Barnum (Silas), Connecticut
“Scarlet” unmarked, but probable Phineas Wood, Dover, Vermont
“Jocasta” worn mark, looks like “Cheney,” probable James Cheney, St. Johnsbury, Vermont

“Ester” Jacob Fox, Berks County, PA

“Elizabeth” no lable, likely Danner body and Landisville/probable Berg drive wheel, PA

WHEELS FROM CANADA

“Zinnia Rue”
Ferdinand Vezina, Quebec
“Zotique”
Vezina family, Quebec
“Fleur” Elie Laporte, Quebec
“Olympe” Quebec screw tension
“Hortense” Quebec screw tension, unmarked but likely made by Paradis family
“Adelaide” Quebec screw tension, unmarked but likely made by Bisson family
“Pierre Lapin” Quebec accelerated wheel marked “PR”
“Rosanna” Quebec tilt-tension wheel, no mark, likely made by Laurence family
“Angelina Baker” Flat-rim wheel, unknown maker
“Granny Ross” unmarked, probably from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

EUROPEAN WHEELS

“Green Linnet” thought to be from England, early 18th century
“Hermione” an extremely small wheel thought to be from England, northern Europe, or eastern Europe, probably 19th century (possibly older).
“Handsome Molly” unmarked, probably from Ireland
“Truus” unmarked, almost certainly Dutch, double-flyer wheel

SCANDINAVIAN WHEELS

“Impi” Hannes Rantila, Keuruu, Finland
“Kikkan” Unknown maker from Kiikka, Finland
“Tuulikki” Unknown maker, Finland
“Ulla” marked CGWB, Swedish, likely from Dalarna
“Astrid” marked ACSS on table end, 1818 BAS on table top, Swedish, likely from Hyssna
“Amalia” no marks, probable Swedish
“Torvi” marked APJS or AGJS, Swedish, likely from Dalarna

PATENT WHEELS

“Jack”
George Hathorn patent wheel, Maine

REELS, BOBBIN WINDERS, AND SWIFTS

“Beatrix”
Squirrel Cage Swift, unmarked, likely Maine
“Two Reels”
Kniddy knoddy and click reel, unmarked, likely New England
“Polly and a Skarne”
H. Thomson (Hannibal) bobbin winder, Maine
“Judith and Prudence”
J. Platt bobbin winder, Connecticut (Judith)
“Lazy Kates”
“Judith and Prudence”
J. Platt clock reel, Connecticut (Prudence)
“Rose” Marked “JC” probably from Rhode Island

FLAX TOOLS

“A Ripple and Breaks”
Flax Ripple, possibly from Pennsylvania
“A Ripple and Breaks”
Flax breaks, likely New England

“Free Standing Distaff”
origin unknown
“Scutching Knives”
“Flax Hackles”

TAPE LOOMS

“Jo” Probably from New England

Latest from the Blog

Sif

Imagine coming up with this design. It looks like a combination of two Norwegian styles, with the small table from a double-table style grafted on to a slanty with decorative bits in between. It is brilliant, actually, giving the stability of a flat table and a small footprint. The design requires struts, which makes for…

Sissel

This robin-egg-blue Norwegian wheel is (to borrow from Max Verstappen) simply lovely. As with the OAP wheels in the previous post, this style comes up for sale with some regularity in the US midwest and even Canada. In fact, the man I bought this wheel from had found it in Ontario, where he said they…

Solveig

These petite Norwegian wheels turn up regularly in this country, mostly in the Midwest. Because they are light and small, they must have been relatively easy to transport to this country from Norway. Because wheel makers often were scarce in the Midwest, “Norwegians who had emigrated earlier strongly recommended in letters to friends and family…