A thimble is a cover that fits over the finger to protect it when pushing a needle when darning or sewing. The word, comes from Old English, literally means "thumb shield".
The thimble has a long recorded history. The oldest existent thimble is Italian, found in the ruins of Pompeii. It is bronze. Still, the Etruscans, who pre-date the Romans, are known to have made other thimbles. Rough thimbles of bone and leather possibly also existed because thimbles have been employed by every known civilization. These thimbles did not survive the centuries.
Throughout history, thimbles have evolved 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. Pioneer thimbles had to be sturdy because handmade fabric was coarse and needles were rough and imperfect. It was difficult to push the thread through the fabric so a strong, thick bronze or iron thimble, called a "skep", was required to prevent injury.
By the 15th century, material became more finely woven and needlework became more refined. Thimbles became thin walled. These thimbles were generally made of brass and imported from Germany, a brass-making center. At this time, innovative methods of producing thimbles were introduced. Thimbles were made from sheet metal. This new style of thimbles also contained decorative 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 centuries Holland became the new center of thimble manufacturing. However, in the late 17th century, John Lofting moved thimble production toEngland where the brass-working industry was now established. He began to manufacture thimbles in a scale unheard of before. Then, he moved his manufacturing plant to Great Marlow, and used water power to and doubled production.
By the early 18th century, he was producing 2 million thimbles each year. But he too succumbed to progress and thimble manufacturing moved to Birmingham, England by 18 hundred. The fashioning of brass also modernized during this period. A completely new formula made it more malleable and suitable for a different manufacturing procedure called "deep drawing" that used less metal. This lowered the cost.
We are all aware that sewing is the primary use of the thimble. But did you know that a insignificantly 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 generally 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 elaborate design. New 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 extremely popular hobby worldwide. Most thimbles are reasonably 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 unpretentious 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 down-to-earth tools ever invented, born of necessity.
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