Any idea what these are?

The Sewing Bird thread got me wondering if maybe you folks would know what these things are. I inherited them from my mother's next door neighbor. In the first photo, I know the thing on the right is a tatting shuttle. I have no idea what the thing on the left is. In the second photo, I know the thing on the far left is a tiny crochet hook and I suspect the thing on the right is some sort of needle to use with yarn but I have no idea what the other two things are. Any thoughts?

Top left, I'm not sure. From this angle, I'm going to take your word for it, that the top right is a tatting shuttle(hard to know for sure, without seeing the center).
Bottom left might be a crochet hook or a diz hook, next looks like it might be an orifice hook, next to last looks like a fid of some sort, and the far right looks like a bodkin/lacing weight.

Carla Burke wrote:Top left, I'm not sure. From this angle, I'm going to take your word for it, that the top right is a tatting shuttle(hard to know for sure, without seeing the center).
Bottom left might be a crochet hook or a diz hook, next looks like it might be an orifice hook, next to last looks like a fid of some sort, and the far right looks like a bodkin/lacing weight.

Thanks!

My guess would be that the one on the top left might have something to do with darning.

The first one on the bottom right I would use to pull ribbon or elastic through an enclosure like a waistband.  I would put thread through the hole and sew it to the ribbon or elastic.

I found the middle bottom ones on eBay:

Antique WOODEN CARVED FID Nautical Sewing NETTING Faceted CIVIL WAR Tool

https://www.ebay.com/itm/115105898654?hash=item1accd8a09e:g:0uAAAOSw1gVete2W

ANTIQUE WOODEN HANDLE 3 1/2 INCH SEWING LOOP TOOL

https://www.ebay.com/itm/353690844874?hash=item52599dfeca:g:sOgAAOSwRn1hRKxY

Anne Miller wrote:My guess would be that the one on the top left might have something to do with darning.

The first one on the bottom right I would use to pull ribbon or elastic through an enclosure like a waistband.  I would put thread through the hole and sew it to the ribbon or elastic.

I found the middle bottom ones on eBay:

Antique WOODEN CARVED FID Nautical Sewing NETTING Faceted CIVIL WAR Tool

https://www.ebay.com/itm/115105898654?hash=item1accd8a09e:g:0uAAAOSw1gVete2W

ANTIQUE WOODEN HANDLE 3 1/2 INCH SEWING LOOP TOOL

https://www.ebay.com/itm/353690844874?hash=item52599dfeca:g:sOgAAOSwRn1hRKxY

Thanks! Now to figure out what they are used for and how to use them. I know how to use the crochet hook, tatting shuttle & bodkin but the nid and the hook -- no idea.

Howdy,

Carla, "next to last looks like a fid of some sort"  got it right.

Fids, are used tor untying knots.

This is a book for knotters

https://www.liendoanaulac.org/space/references/training/Ashley_Book_Knots.pdf

Looks like randal is correct about the "fids".  It seems they are used by sailors:



all-about-nautical-fids

Misty May wrote:

Thanks! Now to figure out what they are used for and how to use them. I know how to use the crochet hook, tatting shuttle & bodkin but the nid and the hook -- no idea.

The fid, as mentioned, is for untying knots, and doing other things that you just can't get your fingers into.

The orifice hook is a very specific tool, used with a spinning wheel, to pull either a leader or yarn/ thread through a tiny tunnel-like hole, to get hold of it, to add fiber and spin.

These are weaving tools.  The top left is for tamping down your yarn when a shuttle is not enough to get the weave as tight as you want.  Like for a tapestry or rug.  You will open the shed and lay down the weft with your shuttle, then tamp it down with this tool.  

The top right has a similar purpose but for much finer work.


The hooks are for reaching through the "Mother of All" on a spinning wheel to retrieve the yarn from the bobbin and bring it back so you can spin.  On a bulky spinner you can use your finger or the bigger hook.  On a spinning wheel that is meant to make finer yarns the Mother of All will be too small for fingers and you will need the little hook.  

The hooks and pokers are so useful for reaching in to do things on your loom when your fingers are too big or clumsy.  I little problem can be fixed with ease when we have the right tool.


My mom was a master weaver.  I watched and helped and learned from her my whole growing up time.  Now I have all her tools and looms.    I have sheep too!  I am actually making my own permaculture clothes!  Is is such a total joy to weave and spin.  

Just re: the hook (bottom picture, second from the left) - I know the hook might be an orifice hook, but I thought I'd mention another possiblity.

I inherited a few hooks that look just like this from my great grandmother. They turned out to be vintage buttonhooks, used for clothing (or shoes) where there were a lot, and often much tighter fitting, buttons to close. (I've seen Victorian era and Edwardian era that look similar, but the one I have isn't nearly as old).

They look very similar to orifice hooks, with just some slight differences, but the hook you have looks nearly identical to one of the ones I inherited from my Nana.

(here's some Edwardian ones for sale for an example of how they look: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1050356064/edwardian-era-shoe-button-hook-victorian )

I'm not sure how one can tell the orifice hooks apart from buttonhooks, honestly, but maybe someone else does?

EDIT: I stand corrected on how to tell them apart, LOL.  My eldest kid owns a spinning wheel and tells me that, based on the assumption of the size of the hook compared to a crochet hook, that from what they can tell, the orifice hooks they have seen are usually made of thinner metal/wire (like, not too hard to bend it by hand), and the curve for this is common for buttonhooks, but seem to be less common for an orifice hook (in their experience - they are not an expert in spinning), and the orifice hooks they have seen usually have a longer shaft before it hits the handle.

The buttonhook tool they had, the widest part of the hook part was maybe 1/2" -ish, but the orifice hooks they have were smaller than that, at the widest point of the hook.

But scale is a bit hard to tell from the picture, but if the crochet hook is 'average' size, they are thinking maybe buttonhook as well.