Tools

1900-1949

US-Southwest

Americana

Wood

Original

Small (Up to 14'')

Signed

Dealer or Reseller

Hand-carding was an age old method of preparing fleece for spinning soft, lofty yarns of varying fiber lengths. Some people actually still do it. The purpose for carding is to separate and straighten wool fibers. The result is a batt or rolag of lofty wool that makes spinning easier. Hand-carders are a pair of wooden paddles with wire faces.

This is an AUTHENTIC antique pair of Carders. They are each MARKED..."THE ONLY GENUINE OLD WHITTEMORE PATENT IMPROVED No 8 WOOL.....L. S. WATSON & Co. LEICESTER, MASS. These must have been sold through the Sears Roebuck company because one of them still has the "SEARS AND ROEBUCK AND COMPANY" Scripted Logo!!! These ARE old too! Here's a little tidbit about Leicester taken from Wikipedia. "As early as the 1780s, Leicester's mills churned out one-third of American hand cards, which were tools for straightening fibers before spinning thread and weaving cloth. By the 1890s when Leicester industry began to fade, the town was producing one-third of all hand and machine cards in North America.

These carders I believe would date anywhere from the mid 1800's to the VERY early 1900's as most of the information I can find on this company (which was created in 1842) and its' employees is in this timeframe. Interesting to note that the raised metal pieces are actually mounted onto a thick piece of leather which was THEN mounted with the old peg nails to the wooden carders. Each measures 9" tall & 9 1/4" wide. The carders (paddles) themselves are 9 1/4" wide and 4 1/8" wide.

They're in great condition considering their age. Of course, the coolest thing about them is that they're both Marked AND that one of them still has the Sears and Roebuck and Company logo.