Wood Thimble
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This particular article is about the wood thimble
and the different types of cultures who have used them from the Native
Americans and ancient jungle village tribes all the way to their use in
the modern day.
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Thimbles
Although thimbles made entirely of wood are
uncommon these days, they have existed for ages, and were probably
amongst the first types of thimbles ever made. Today they have become
more of a highly sought after collector’s item, as a thimble made of
wooden is usually decades old and has been passed down through
generations. Use of a wooden thimble is the same as any tin or plastic
thimble you may already be used to – you simply slide it in place on the
tip of your finger before you sew to prevent sticking yourself with the
needle.
The wooden thimble or even just thimble
in general, is without a doubt a very basic object that fulfills a very
basic need and has done so successfully and without major alteration for
hundreds if not even thousands of years. And there is no doubt that the
thimble will stick around, as an important part of any serious sewing
kit. But thimbles are not strictly for sewing – some people have become
fascinated with thimbles over the years and have taken up a hobby of
collecting them. These people spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars
on their collection just as anyone else would, visiting trade shows and
buying, selling and trading amongst other people who share their
passion. These kinds of atmospheres are ideal places to find plenty of
wooden thimbles.
Some wooden thimbles are painted,
stained or otherwise adorned with beads, semi precious gem stones or
other fancy materials to increase the beauty, collectability and price
of the piece. These decorated wooden thimbles are the objects that
serious collectors lust over and will pay some very pretty pennies to
call their own. Wooden thimbles have been used by everyone from our
Native American ancestors, the village tribes found in the various
jungles throughout the world, through the Civil War and Wild West eras
and even into World War I and II.
Today they have been for the most part,
replaced by either tin thimbles or perhaps even one that is made out of
plastic. But for some people, no kind of thimble can ever replace the
original thimble made of wood – and indeed they really do have a
different kind of feel and style that you will have to adapt too if you
actually intend to use your wooden thimble while you sew. But it can be
a fun and innovative way to do things for a while.