Gadget Thimbles - Thimbleselect Catalogue

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THERE ARE 22 PAGES OF THIMBLES & OTHER ITEMS TO BUY
aluminium 1 - books 1 - brass 1 - china 6 - display cases 1
gold 1 - needlework tools 2 - other collectables 1 - pewter 1 - plastic 1
silver 3 - steel & metal 1 - unusual materials 1 - wood 1

Click on a photo to see a bigger picture

[Johnson]
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT:
ILES'S PATENT, WITH FOUR HOLES ROUND THE SIDES AND ONE IN THE TOP
BRASS THIMBLE WITH A THREAD-CUTTER ATTACHED TO THE SIDE
A CUPRONICKEL ADJUSTABLE THIMBLE, ROSINA DURHAM PATENT, POSSIBLY 1892
ANOTHER TYPE WITH A DIFFERENT STYLE OF THREAD-CUTTER
ANOTHER BRASS THIMBLE WITH THREAD-CUTTER
AN ELABORATELY DECORATED EXAMPLE WITH A BLACKBERRY PATTERN - "VENTILATED ILES PATENT" AROUND THE RIM

A collection of gadget thimbles would form a niche within a collection. It would not be a large collection, judging the number of identical gadget thimbles repeated throughout the thimble literature, but it would be of great interest. Some sources list these as gimmick thimbles, but the usual terminology is gadget.

Most of the gadgets are made of cheaper materials - i.e. brass and metals - as they were meant for sewing. Where the country of origin is known, the USA predominates. It is so difficult to tell what most of these gadgets are made from, so I have placed grouped those together with a similar function.

A lot of the gadget thimbles are also patented, but this article is not about patented thimbles, only those that John von Hoelle describes as "A category of thimbles which have an ability to do some other feat besides protecting one's finger." It does not include tailor's thimbles, finger guards, fingernail-shaped thimbles, peeps, thimbles that have ridges to fit within sewing kits, nor quilter's thimbles in general. There are also those whose purpose is not sewing - sail maker's, ophthalmologist's, dentist's, wigmakers, potato picking, thatcher's, for tobacco stemming, clerk's rubber etc - these too are excluded here.

There are 4 general groups of gadget thimbles - grippers, threaders, thread cutters and a combination of any of these functions. There is a small selection where the gadget thimble has another function. What does the term gripper mean? The gripper would aid the sewer to get the needle through thicker fabric.

Bertha Betensley's booklet makes fascinating reading, with line drawings of 52 US thimble patents - the inventiveness has to be seen to be believed.

GRIPPERS - THREAD CUTTERS - THREADERS - COMBINATION - OTHER

Grippers

Gilded brass thimble with a needle gripper or pusher horizontally on the band. Mathis names this as the 'Magic Thimble'. The paperwork that comes with the thimble identifies it as such. According to this certificate, there is a spring end of the gripper. It was patented [no 193257], in the USA on 25 December 1962, by Henry Burbig [Burig] of New York. The picture in von Hoelle's book [#450] shows this thimble holding the needle.
Some examples have © 'Vernon' on the band. This is not the maker's name, rather the name of the retailer in New York. There are diamond patterns on the gripper.

This is an Austrian nickel thimble with a needle gripper attached vertically to the side of the thimble. The needle would be secured into the top of the gadget. The thimble is more ornate in its band patterning than most other gadget thimbles.

This patented thimble's details appear in Greif - the patent was taken out in Germany by Walter Schultz, the patent no. is 577590. "It is a thimble with a device to pull the needle. A small spring, double barred, rough on one side, about three millimetres wide, is attached to the side of the thimble. A needle is clamped lightly between the spring and thimble. This aids in withdrawing the needle from tough material".

[Greif]

This is the Needle Grabbing Clamp which Zalkin describes. It was patented [no 562,730 of 1896] by Uriah Knauss of Pennsylvania, USA.

[Zalkin]

GRIPPERS - THREAD CUTTERS - THREADERS - COMBINATION - OTHER

Thread Cutters

Alexander Gibson of Rosebrook, Port Fairy in Victoria Australia applied for a provisional patent on 31 December 1915. The application number 18,302 related to "improvements in and relating to thimbles". The patent was for a thimble with thread cutter, housed between the lining and the outer casing. According to the patent details and drawings, the cutter is a knife for cutting thread. There is a slot in the outer face of the thimble and the knife exits at the apex edge. The thimble design has an inner lining that protects the finger from any contact with the blade. There is a knob that slides the blade up and down the slot. The thimble is indented all over and there is a rolled rim.
No other details exist about this patented thimble, nor has an example been sighted. Alexander Gibson went to a considerable amount of trouble to register this patent in three countries and it is not even certain whether the thimbles ever went into production or what they were made of. It is quite regular that thimbles that were patented never reached production. Being patented during World War I, they may have been difficult to produce.

Another Iles gadget is a very simple idea. It acts as a thread cutter and has a notch cut into the rim.

[von Hoelle]

This is one of the most attractive of the gadget thimbles. It has a sliding mechanism, with a small cutting blade. It is marked 'Pat Pend', from the USA. The maker's mark is for 'S T'. Notice the good indented knurling, the vertical herringbone and the pretty patterned rim. It looks sturdier than other thimbles with a sliding mechanism.

[Mathis]

This metal gadget has a very practical idea as a thread cutter - with a curved slit in the body of the thimble. It is marked 'Pat Apl' 396 36' on the band. There is also a hole in the band that seems to have no allied purpose.

This gadget has half of the apex open, with a thread cutter that protrudes as a hook on the apex. There is a 'D' in the remaining half of the apex. This brass USA thimble is the Howco thimble that is also useful for the sewer with long nails.

There seem to be several versions of this gadget thimble with a cutter. It protrudes vertically from the band. There are no maker's marks. This example also has striations around the band that help in preventing the needle from slipping. One version was patented by W P Slensby in 1885.

[Mathis]

Austrian made nickel. There are four cutters at the rim of the indented apex, where 'Patent' is lettered. From the 1920s. Unmarked.

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There are two identical pieces to this thread cutter, on the band. There are no marks.

[Mathis]

There is a cutter affixed to the side of thimble. The cutter seems to be scissor-like from the illustration. Unmarked.

[Mathis]

This modern 'Ring Thing', from USA's Quilt House, is a tailor's ring shape, with a piece of metal at right angles to the thimble, with a cutting groove.

South African patented plastic gadget thimbles are known as 'Snicks'. Made in Cape Town, there is a plastic thread cutter jutting from the rim. There is a small blade between the cutter and the thimble. The name is lettered in the apex. Thought to be made in the 1950s.

A smooth green plastic [available in other colours] with a cutter blade screwed on to the finger-shaped apex.

[Thimble Society]

A brass thimble with what looks like a cutter blade. The edges are not sharp enough tho to cut. The lettering is 'Greenaway's Patent'.

[Thimble Society]

This adjustable cutter looks quite lethal and not very practicable for sewing.The cutter is mounted on the apex.

Another thread cutter that looks as lethal as the gadget above.The metal cutter is mounted on the side of the thimble extending well above the apex and has two bevelled edges for cutting thread, but how would one sew with it, wearing it on the finger?

This is a metal thread cutter thimble from Japan.

This is a patented thimble with a registation date of May 15th 1900. The aluminium thimble has a small disc embedded into one side of the apex, which acts as a cutter.
The lettering around the base has 'Duke' with 'Pat May 15 1900' plus a size number.
There is no country of manufacture.
This thimble has a thimble box which is intriguing and the answers lie on the box - the price is 10cts - if it were English-made it would have the price in pennies or shillings. The name on the box is "Duke's Scissor thimble" to 'cut the thread'.

This is the oldest thread cutter known. It is made from steel and has a Patent date 1860-1.

This dagger-like cutter is affixed to a brass thimble.

This cutter that stands at right angles to the thimble is a concave blade, and is lettered with 'Scowens Pat' on the blade.

This cutting device is really simple - a curled cutaway piece on the rim - serves as the cutter, on a steel thimble.

This example of a metal patented thimble with a cutting device, lettered 'PATD' vertically on the band. There is a size mark as well.

Here is another example of a silver metal patented thimble with a cutting device, lettered 'PAT PEND MADE IN U S A' on one side, with the name of the maker 'TRAUM' on the other. On the original packaging, the thimble is advertised as a fingerguard for the left finger, with a thread cutter (see advert, back and front)

GRIPPERS - THREAD CUTTERS - THREADERS - COMBINATION - OTHER

Threaders

It is rare to find gadget thimbles in silver. This Gabler thimble from Germany is similar to its metal counterparts that has a sliding mechanism with a fine wire threader. The thimbles have the Gabler eight-point star on the apex and are marked '935'. The threader is damaged in this example.

A cupronickel gadget [pictured left] is attached by a screw and was made by Charles Iles of Birmingham. Though it looks like a cutter, the fine arm that moves has a fine hook and it used as a threader, when in the position as shown. The patent is 227313, dated 1924 and the patent was shared with three other patentees. The threader is very fragile and one may find thimbles with only the screw remaining where the threader has broken off. The threader appears on several different patterned Iles thimbles, including these examples of the Greek Key pattern. This example shows a stopper to the left of the base of the threader.
The example in the centre, shows 2 tiny stoppers in brass at the top of the threader, to prevent the threader from moving. The patent number 227313 is lettered on this brass thimble.
Any doubts about the use of this thimble will dispelled when shown in its original box. The shell-shaped thimble container is also made by Charles Iles and closer inspection shows the threader on the thimble.

[Holmes]

This gadget thimble with a small attachment on the band comes in various sizes, which attests to its popularity. It was produced in brass [some with patterned bands], steel or zinc, the latter made in Germany. The gadget has an opening for helping blind sewers to thread a special needle, which would have been supplied with the thimble. It is not a bulky attachment and would not interfere as much as other gadgets, when sewing. Believed to have only been made between 1920 and 1937.

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There is a fine wire threader attached to this aluminium thimble, in a sliding gadget atttached to the side of the thimble. Some have advertising slogans. The photo shows "CWS Congress Soap".

Norma Spicer lists this registered design thimble, RD 711917. It is the first brass thimble I have seen that is hexagonal. I don't believe its shape has anything to do with the attached threader, which is the push-up wire loop type. The design was registered on 23 March 1923 by Jeremiah Williams of Bridgend, South Wales.
The advertisements in the trade journals of the time list it as silver-plated, but surviving examples are of brass. The name Dextra is used in the adverts of the time, but this name does not appear on the thimble.
Maybe the registered design is for the hexagonal shape, not the threader?

GRIPPERS - THREAD CUTTERS - THREADERS - COMBINATION - OTHER

Combination

This thimble has two gadgets - one is a needle threader that protrudes beyond the rim of the thimble and the other is the cutter on the rim. There are no marks, tho some examples have 'PAT'D'. These examples date from 1904.

[Mathis]

This threader-cutter thimble is of brass.

This is another combination gadget thimble. It has a vertical attachment, which combines a sliding mechanism with a small cutting blade, and a fine wire attachment for threading a needle. It is USA-made. Some variations of this thimble exist and some of are of brass. Bertrand and Zalkin name this gadget thimble 'The Magic Thimble', from 1926, with patent number 1,585,936. The thimbles are marked 'M.T. PAT'D' and "Made in the U S A" on the band.

[Mathis] [Zalkin]

The Bionic Finger is of sturdy green plastic. There is a needle puller in plastic on one side of the apex. This is on a spring that can be activated by the index finger to open the device. There is also a thread cutter hidden away in the rim. Made in the USA.

GRIPPERS - THREAD CUTTERS - THREADERS - COMBINATION - OTHER

Other

Milward Knitter's thimble. Made of blue sturdy plastic, this tall thimble has five nipples vertically down the thimble. A metal moving arm covers the protrusions, but can be moved to thread the yarn when knitting fairisle.

The plastic Aero crochet tension ring.

American Bead-nabber. There is a small patch of Velcro affixed to the finger-shaped cut away thimble.

According to Nakayama, no examples of these patented thimbles with hooks for tatting have yet been found.

1918 E M Gourlay; 1920 L L Bauman ; 1921 M C Mouser
[Nakayama]

This American gadget helps in quilting. There is a brass raised guard rim above the edge of the apex, to prevent the thimble from slipping. No marks. The English thimbles may have been made by Charles Iles - as they are sized.

[Mathis]

A modern Iles & Gomms anodised aluminium thimble has a magnet in the apex. Ideal for picking up pins, but disastrous for sewing as the needle keeps becoming unthreaded as the needle adheres to the magnet!

Gilt metal, made by Iles & Gomms of Birmingham, has a magnetised-apex thimble. This is a large size, so there must be demand as they come in various sizes
The other is a silver-plated, German magnetised-apex thimble.

One of the magnetised nickel thimbles. The wording on the magnetised portion on the side of the thimble that is riveted on has 'Magneto' - lettered twice on the magnet. According to Betensley, this is the patent of Theodor Weigle of Schorndorf, Germany, patented in 1909.
According to Aldridge, in June 1908, there was a patent taken out by W P Thompson, on behalf of Gebruder Gabler of Germany. So there are 2 versions of the Magneto thimble.
Unlike the modern thimbles with magnets in the apex, the magnetised piece does not interfere with sewing. It is recessed into the thimble so that it lies flush with the side of the thimble. The lettering around the band is 'PAT.in U.S.6.22.09.Germany'.

There is also a brass copy of this Magneto thimble [see photo on right]. This is lettered with the German patent no "D.R.G.K. NO 33208..." with the name of '...J Bejcek..." lettered around the rim.

Another English gadget thimble made by Charles Iles. It is the patented ventilation thimble. As the name suggests, there are holes for ventilation - one on the apex and three on the band. There is a lining of celluloid, to aid in cooling the thimble, as there is a space to allow the perspiration to escape from between the two linings. The patent is 10821 of 1908, 1909 in the USA. Betensley has a description of the patent, with drawings.

[Spicer]

Some Iles thimbles have the celluloid lining extending beyond the metal, secured by studs, without the ventilation holes. The patent 15826 dates from 1908.

[De Smet]

This cupronickel gadget thimble is an adjustable thimble - for use in different seasons, when the fingers contract or expand; or for fingers of different sizes. The patent 13605 was taken out by Rosina M. Durham in 1892 in England, as well as in France and the USA in 1893. There are six flanges with an adjustable screw ring device around that allows the thimble to be made bigger or smaller. Betensley has a description of the patent.

[Holmes]

Hem rollers seem to be the scarcest of the gadget thimbles. They were made in the USA and made of iron. Zalkin illustrates two: the one on the left was patented by Downer in 1861; on the right is Cleveland Ohio, patented thimble of 1870, no 107,420.
It is a type of fingerguard with a roller attached "By a slight movement of the thumb, imparting an intermittent rotary motion to the roller, the operator is enabled to feed forward the fabric more readily and with greater rapidity than when it rests upon the finger in the usual way". The thimble is open-topped.
John von Hoelle mentions that the rollers could be made of ivory. His example of the Spencer patent has the words "Pat. 1870" vertically on the thimble.

[Zalkin] [3 views showing opening for nail]

Thimble with vertical ridges is to prevent the thimble from rolling away.

[Dreesman]

This German made cupronickel collapsible thimble, is from the 1920s. There are gilded plastic examples of this type of thimble and I have one in a hussif from the French Concorde. Betensley has the patent details and drawings for another collapsible thimble, by Grace F. Holden for 1907.

[Holmes]

This sewing ring is sometimes used in Japan. The plate is worn on the palm side.

[Holmes]

This gadget thimble has a pointed steel 'ripper' affixed. Does anyone know if this was its purpose? It is marked 'Burke & James CHICAGO" on the attachment. The thimble is of base metal.

This interesting thimble has a spring-loaded attachment that with pressure moves back and forward towards the thimble. Within the spring device there is a gripping mechanism, which we can only presume is meant to be used to aid in hemming. Additionally there is a groove down the inside of the groove - for a pin to anchor the fabric. The thimble is of a base metal.
Any other comments would be good.

This gadget thimble is from Norway and is used for knitting. There are two flexible wire coils with two yarn guides to keep wool or knitting yarn tangle-free. 80x120mm in size

GRIPPERS - THREAD CUTTERS - THREADERS - COMBINATION - OTHER

References
Elizabeth Aldridge - Thoughts on thimbles Part IX Gadget and patented thimbles (TCI) - 1985
Christina Bertrand - Brass thimbles (TCI) - 1986
Bertha Betensley - 52 thimble patents - 1980
Cecile Dreesman - Een vingerhoedje…A thimble full… - 1981
Susan Jean Gowan - Thimbles of Australia - 1998
Helmut Greif - Talks about thimbles - 1984
Edwin Holmes - History of thimbles - 1985
Eleanor Johnson - Thimbles and thimble cases. 2nd ed (Shire) - 1999
Averil Mathis - Antique & collectible thimbles and accessories - 1986
Heidi Nakayama - Tatting shuttles of American collectors - 2002
Adrienne de Smet - De Vingerhoed in het kunstambacht - 1992
Norma Spicer - British registered design thimbles - 2003
Norma Spicer - Iles: a family of thimble makers - 2001
John von Hoelle - Thimble collector's encyclopedia. 3rd ed - 1986
Estelle Zalkin - Zalkin's handbook of thimbles & sewing implements - 1988

Contributors
Clarice Birch, Sally Buttons, Sue Christensen, Norma Files, Norma Gaffron, Penny Landry
Ro Olbricht, Di Pelham Burn, Wanda Ralston

This listing of Gadget Thimbles does not purport to be complete or accurate in all aspects. Rather it invites comment and contribution to add to our knowledge. My thanks to the other contributors.

Enjoy!

Any questions or comments?
thimbleselect@bigpond.com

Last updated 20 June 2008
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