What's A Thimble

A thimble is a cap that fits over the finger to protect it when pushing a needle during embroidering or sewing. The word, derived from English, literally means "thumb shield".

The thimble has a long history. The oldest extant thimble is Italian, found in the ruins of Pompeii. It is bronze. Even so, the Etruscans, who came before the Romans, are known to have made bronze thimbles. Simple thimbles of bone and leather probably also existed because thimbles have been utilized by every known culture. These thimbles did not survive the centuries.

Through the years, thimbles have changed in a number of ways. Both the the means of production and the materials used have changed. Thimbles have gained new uses and become primarily decorative and collectible rather than merely practical. Early thimbles had to be sturdy because handspun 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"ť, was required to prevent injury.

By the 15th century, cloth became more finely woven and sewing became more refined. Thimbles became thinner. These thimbles were ordinarily made of brass and imported from Nuremberg, a brass-making center. During this time, creative methods of producing thimbles were introduced. Thimbles were made from sheet metal. These new thimbles also contained fancy motifs. The cap was separate and attached to the cylinder later. This new style of thimbles were taller and the top was flatter.

During the 16th and 17th century Holland became the new center of thimble production. However, in the late 17th century, John Lofting moved thimble production to Islington, England where the brass industry was already established. He began to make thimbles in a scale unheard of before. Later, he moved his manufacturing plant to Great Marlow, and used water power to double production.

By the early 18th century, he was producing two million thimbles per year. But he too succumbed to change and thimble making moved to Birmingham, England by 18 hundred. The composition of brass also improved during this period. A completely new formula made it more malleable and suitable for a different manufacturing procedure called "deep drawing" ť that used less metal. This lowered the cost.

We are all aware that sewing is the prime use of the thimble. But did you know that a ever so little 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 largely decorative, collectorsintrigue 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 thimbles are being issued to commemorate everything from football teams to Disney characters. Every tourist destination offers keepsake thimbles to tourists.

Thimble collecting is an extremely cherished hobby worldwide. A great number of thimbles are honestly priced and readily for sale. 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 common origins and some its new found incarnations. It is still one of the most versatile and effective tools ever invented, born of necessity.

Lord Of The Rings Figures - How To Get Started With A Collection
A passion that is rising in popularity is collecting Lord of the Rings action figures. The three part motion picture adaptation of Tolkien's masterwork has been a huge cause for the rise. Nowadays people of all ages can get pleasure from collecting Lord of the Rings action figures.

Read About Traditional Coin Evaluation: What Is It Really Worth?
There are many ways to find out the true value of an antique coin but the most popular way is to receive an an antique coin appraisal, either through a collector or an antique dealer.

Making Cash Marketing Collectible Thimbles
This article is about selling collectible thimbles. This article will step you through the process of selling thimbles. Some people may not know how to go about selling thimbles on the Internet; this step by step guide will hopefully help you get the most money for your thimbles.

An Introduction To Antique Thimble Collecting
This article is about the journey to collect antique thimbles. It is a collector's dream to find the most of their items and to make it unique to his or her needs. It tells of an author's love for thimbles and how these little items complete her life.

What Makes A Thimble Valuable?
This article focuses on answering the following questions. What is a thimble? When did thimbles originate? What are their uses? Who collects thimbles? Why are sterling silver thimbles popular with collectors? What makes a sterling silver thimbles collectible? When were the first commemorative sterling silver thimbles issued?

Trying To Find The Perfect Sewing Thimble For The Investment Collection
Here is an introduction to collecting sewing thimbles with some of the latest ways people have been improving the hobby to make it work for them. The article goes on to suggest different ideas and approaches, some via the Internet, to make money collecting sewing thimbles.

Coin Collecting Is A Pastime That Lots Of Individuals Are Getting The Most Out Of
Out of the many things that people find when they are out looking for buried treasure; we see that coin collecting ends up being one of the main centres of attraction.