# Bobbins for spinning wheels



## featherbottoms (May 28, 2005)

Yesterday I was looking through the booths at an antique mall and there were 3 bobbins on a shelf for $10 each (I think that was the price). They *looked* like spinning wheel bobbins that had been handpainted to make them more decorative. Each end also had a tin floral leaf tacked over the hole. And I'm sorry to say that I don't have pictures - it didn't really register with me at the time what I might be looking at.

What would I need to know to know if they were *real* spinning wheel bobbins and if they would be worth getting and turning back into serviceable items? I will be making a trip back to that town in the next few days and could go back and get them.


----------



## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

a bobbin that would fit your wheel's flyer is really rather specific - chances are these were more likely "pirns" or bobbins that came from a commercial spinning mill. 

These bobbins are serviceable and useful if you don't mind winding singles off of your wheel's bobbins and onto these bobbins/spools/pirns. You can ply off of them or store unused singles or plied yarns on them. That being said, you can also use toilet paper tubes for the same purpose.


----------



## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

> That being said, you can also use toilet paper tubes for the same purpose.


For some reason that tickled my funny bone.


----------



## featherbottoms (May 28, 2005)

No, I am pretty sure these weren't pirns - at least not what I call pirns when weaving. I have some of those for my end feed shuttles and they look like this, although I also have paper ones that look like tapered toilet paper rolls.









I worked for several years in a textile mill as a spinner, winder and all around helper person in twisting and carding where the material, mostly cotton, was blended into roving. We had many different sizes and types of bobbins. Most I've seen in the last year in my weaving adventures, and now I'm seeing some in spinning articles and discussions. That's why I thought these looked commercial, until I saw the ones below on eBay. 

They looked like these only stained and varnished a dark color (or maybe just hand oil from use) with flowers painted all around and that *tin* floral piece covering the ends, and I don't remember if they had the groove like this one and the bobbin may not have been as deep.​









Or they may have looked like this, only thicker and not poly, they were wood.


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

They sound like they were a decorative piece especially if they had something covering the opening on the ends.


----------



## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

I used to work at an antique store/craft/home decor store and we bought cast off commercial mill wooden bobbins and pirns and decorated them to sell. I stuck candles in the hole on one end, wrapped them in rafia and ribbon and hot glued silk flowers here and there. I still have some around here somewhere.


----------



## featherbottoms (May 28, 2005)

WIHH, that's what these looked like. I was just curious though and wondered what the difference really was in the commercial bobbins and say the Ashford bobbins since they look so similar. I've never seen spinning wheel bobbins in person except once and I wasn't really looking then.


----------



## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Ashford bobbins fit my Wee Peggy. I think any bobbin one can find would be a good one to snatch up, save for "just in case". I have never seen any in all my antique shopping days. When I bought My Reeves wheel, I bought every bobbin I could find,calling all over. I don't think you can have too many.


----------



## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

A brand new bobbin for an Ashford traditional (probably the most common spinning wheel on the planet) is about $13. Maybe less if you buy a quantity of them. So unless you're certain the decorated bobbins fit and can be made to work, there's not all that much savings involved. Take a bobbin from your wheel with you when you go back to the store, if it matches and it looks like the bobbins can still be used as bobbins, then a little decoration never hurt anyone.


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

You would be far better served putting the money toward a ball winder. IMHO!


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

You would be far better served putting the money toward a ball winder. IMHO!


----------

