Tools from the Past

I was reading a newsletter from the Miami County, KS. Historical Museum. They also had a column called "Tools from the Past: Whatisit?" A couple caught my eye, because they look like tools we presently use in paper arts. I wondered how many of our craft tools we use today started life in another form?


Click to enlarge

Embosser

Embossed image from embosser tool above

What's dis? It's wooden, slides forward and back, looks like it has a long metal needle at the end and is labeled "TRU-GYDE by Wilson Brothers, Springfield, Missouri." I think I know what it's for, but can you guess?

On a recommendation from a lady I talked to at a thrift store in Blue Springs, my hubbin and I visited The Brass Armadillo Antique Mall in Grain Valley last weekend. We were there all afternoon and only got through perhaps 2/3 of it. It's huge and packed to the rafters with all kinds of goodies.
Each aisle has a "street name" hanging above it and each booth or showcase has a number so navigation is no problem. I saw this old spinning wheel and had to take a pic. Sorry for the fuzzy photo; phone camera not so good. Saw several of the rug-hooking shuttles in smaller versions there also. Looked for other ladies crafting tools, but mostly saw woodworking tools like planes, etc. 

My husband & I stopped at the Keeper’s Antique Mall off 71 Hwy in Harrisonville, MO. last Saturday and we found these wonderful antique display cases. The first one is a Corticelli Silk Cabinet for Sewing and Knitting. The last few drawers still had the wooden separators for the tiny balls of silk thread. 

And then, hubby uncovered this clever ribbon display case in the back of the antique shop. It was a circular wooden case on a turntable at the base of it. The sales clerk could open each side to change the galvanized metal spools of ribbon as needed. The ribbon was inserted into slots cut into the sides and if you wanted to purchase a length of ribbon, all the sales clerk had to do was to pull out the little stop knob to release the specific spool and pull on the ribbon until you had the amount you wanted, then she released the little knob and it sprung back into place to hold the spool still while she cut it. I have an up close photo so you can see the knobs and slots below.

You know, I was drooling! I love ribbon and laces and could imagine my ribbon & laces which are currently housed in shoeboxes fluttering in the air as I twirled the cabinet around to select one in my studio, but the bubble above my head burst when I saw the price tag. It was not to be! Sigh!