[Bonetools] "linen smoother"?

[Annabel Médard]

Hello David,
Exactly! I agree with Sonia. I know this kind of tools as being used by
sailmakers in the Netherlands (mostly from Friesland) in the 17th-19th
century (of course more or less similar objects might have been used before
that but I do not have any example). They were made of bone or wood (and
sometimes even ivory, like this one
http://www.geheugenvannederland.nl/?/indonesie_onafhankelijk_-_fotos_1947-1953/items/FSM01:J-062-E/&p=2&i=3&t=83&st=zeilmakerijen&sc=subject%20all%20%22zeilmakerijen%22/
).
There was an important (hennep) sailmaking industry in the villages of
Krommenie and Assendelft (a bit north west of Amsterdam) and I am doing
some research on bones that were found at different sites there that were
probably used to smoothen the seams in sails. Those have different shapes
than the ones above though, might be some local variation / adjustment to a
specific way of working. But doing that research I came across several sail
smoothers that resemble yours, as Sonia posted.
Regards,
Annabel Médard


On Mon, Jun 16, 2014 at 11:32 AM, S O'Connor <S.Oconnor at bradford.ac.uk>
wrote:

> Dear David,
>
>
>
> I have seen objects just like this in cetacean bone and wood, but of much
> more recent origin. These are sailmakers tools for smoothing seams in sails
> and are sometimes called seam rubbers.
>
>
>
> See Hull Museums Collections
> http://www.hullcc.gov.uk/museumcollections/collections/search-results/resultsoverview.php?keywordsorig=&titleorig=&personorig=&placeorig=&dateorig=&materialorig=&accessionnumberorig=&collectionorig=&museumorig=&keywords=seam+smoother&SearchSubmit.x=0&SearchSubmit.y=0&SearchSubmit=Search&title=&person=&place=&date=&material=&accessionnumber=&collectionall=all&museumall=all&location=any
>
> If this URL does not work go to
> http://www.hullcc.gov.uk/museumcollections/collections/ and search on
> seam smoother.
>
>
>
> All the best,
>
>
>
> Sonia
>
>
>
> Dr Sonia O'Connor PhD FSA FIIC ACR Honorary Visiting Fellow, University
> of York
>
> Post-doctoral Research Fellow
>
> Archaeological Sciences
>
> Division of AGES,
>
> University of Bradford
>
> Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, UK
>
>
>
> tel 01274 23 6498 (office) 5210 (lab)
>
> fax 01274 23 5210
>
>
>
> *From:* Bonetools [mailto:bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu] *On Behalf
> Of *Dave Constantine
> *Sent:* 16 June 2014 09:40
> *To:* bonetools at listserv.niif.hu
> *Subject:* [Bonetools] "linen smoother"?
>
>
>
> Hello,
>
>
>
> I was forwarded the attached image by a friend who had seen this object in
> Lincoln Museum where I believe it was labelled as a “Linen smoother”. They
> asked if I had ever come across anything similar as they thought linen
> smoothers are normally glass slickers. Having never seen anything like it I
> thought I would pop it up here to ask if any of you have come across an
> item like this. It is dated as “Anglo-Saxon” and is approximately "5” long
> (about 125mm)
>
>
> Regards,
>
> David Constantine
>
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