Thimbles and Thimble Articles

By: Millard Hiner

The thimble has been around for centuries, the earliest being a bronze thimble discovered in Pompeii, dating around 100 CE, and iron thimbles found in China dating to the Han Dynasty, from 202 BCE – 220 CE. Early American thimbles were created primarily out of teeth and whale bone. Thimbles from early Russian times were not actually intended for sewing, but using in combat, either as weapons for grappling, or to protect an archer’s thumb from chafing on the bowstring. As these protective shields became more common, they found their way into the business of tradesmen.

Prior to the 18th century, the dimples were hand punched, although as manufacturing grew, automated machinery allowed for the rapid casting and punching of thimbles. Over time, thimbles were made thinner and out of more malleable metals, such as silver. These metals were easily punctured, and the problem was solved by inserting a steel lining in the interior of the thimble. This style is widely used in the modern era, and is widely popular amongst collectors.

Thimble collectors, known as digitabulists, inspired the creation of many elaborately designed and ornate thimbles. Rare stones such as rubies or sapphires were cast into thimbles. Less expensive but still richly designed thimbles were created using the semi-precious stones agate or amber. As manufacturing techniques became refined, more requests poured in for engraving and personalization for thimbles.

Prices for thimbles range from several cents for modern plastics, to several hundred dollars for hand-crafted thimbles. Many thimble collectors have organized themselves into societies or community groups, sharing their hobby and collections with others. The thimble has gained other uses throughout their history.

Thimbles made from rubber or soft material, known as thimblettes, are used for grasping and searching through stacks of papers or documents. During the 19th century, thimbles were used to measure quantities of alcohol, from which the phrase “just a thimbleful” is derived. The thimble has developed over centuries from a crude instrument to an ornate valuable that are merited by sewers and collectors alike, due to a wide variety of materials and styles used in its creation.

Article Source: https://www.collectibles-articles.com

Millard Hiner writes on thimbles and thimble collections and his web site has a lot of information, go see!

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