touching and feeling fine antique steel knitting needles

Yes , but when you don`t have alternatives you use that which you can
find ,
mirjam


That is what I thought.

I could not see cast iron needles as being pleasant to use.

Thanks for the info.

Aaron

"Mirjam Bruck-Cohen" wrote in message
...
I tried to knit with them , and wasn`t happy at all , i found them too
heavy , glitchy,cold , sure i put them away somewhere or gave them,
or ??? have no idea ,,,,, they weren`t good for me.
mirjam

Are those cast iron needles still extant? If not, what happened to them?
What was (or is) it like to knit with them?


Aaron

They are definitely steel. I tried the magnet and they jumped on to it.
In fact they stick together now. LOL
I will send you a scan of them.
Shirley


In message , Aaron
Lewis writes
Are you sure that they are steel? Have you checked with a magnet? They might
be silver with gold plated tips?
For example, coin silver would be quite firm with a slight springiness. It
would oxidize to a deep bluish black. I have some old Russian silver that is
that color. But if silver, they would be easy to plate with gold for the
ultimate in smoothness. I know Faberge did silver needles with gold tipped
ends, and I assume other makers did as well.

They are a nice set. A lady could be proud to be seen knitting with them.

Aaron

"Shirley Shone" wrote in message
...
They have a tiny bit of spring but not much, The needles are a sort of
blue mottled with gold ends,
I can scan them and send the scan in an email to you.
You would get a better picture of them.
I will also look in my books to see if there is any mention of them.
I used to collect antique needlework tools but can no longer afford them.
Shirley

In message , Aaron Lewis
writes
That is a wonderful set.

Any idea how the needles were made? (i.e., are the needles springy? )

Aaron
"Shirley Shone" wrote in message
.. .
In message , Aaron
Lewis
writes
I have just been allowed to touch and feel a set of "Superfine Knitting
Needles" made by THOs Harper & Sons', Redditch England
full set No. 17. While I have looked at them with a hand lens, I have
not
fully characterized them yet. The are basically 1 mm steel lace needles,
about 8" long. They have significant wear, but I do not see the wear
marks
of a knitting sheath on them.

They are mild steel, tempered for springiness. This tells me that old
needles were spring tempered steel - even when they were not being used
with
a knitting sheath/ knitting pouch. But no, I do not yet have a
statistically
significant basis for that theory.

They are very like the superfine steel needles that I make, and very
unlike
the steel needles that I have recently purchased through commercial
sources.

Aaron


On my website under antiques I have a red leather case with blue steel
knitting needles and bodkins in.
It is about 1860 so I was told by the vendor.
Probably used for knitting fine lace stockings and gloves.
Shirley
--
Shirley Shone

http://www.allcrafts.org.uk



--
Shirley Shone

http://www.allcrafts.org.uk



--
Shirley Shone

http://www.allcrafts.org.uk

What a great set of steel needles!

I would love to know what those "gold" tips are.

Would you mind taking them to Antiques Road show the next time it comes
around?

Aaron


"Shirley Shone" wrote in message
...
They are definitely steel. I tried the magnet and they jumped on to it.
In fact they stick together now. LOL
I will send you a scan of them.
Shirley


In message , Aaron Lewis
writes
Are you sure that they are steel? Have you checked with a magnet? They
might
be silver with gold plated tips?
For example, coin silver would be quite firm with a slight springiness.
It
would oxidize to a deep bluish black. I have some old Russian silver that
is
that color. But if silver, they would be easy to plate with gold for the
ultimate in smoothness. I know Faberge did silver needles with gold
tipped
ends, and I assume other makers did as well.

They are a nice set. A lady could be proud to be seen knitting with them.

Aaron

"Shirley Shone" wrote in message
...
They have a tiny bit of spring but not much, The needles are a sort of
blue mottled with gold ends,
I can scan them and send the scan in an email to you.
You would get a better picture of them.
I will also look in my books to see if there is any mention of them.
I used to collect antique needlework tools but can no longer afford
them.
Shirley

In message , Aaron
Lewis
writes
That is a wonderful set.

Any idea how the needles were made? (i.e., are the needles springy? )

Aaron
"Shirley Shone" wrote in message
. ..
In message , Aaron
Lewis
writes
I have just been allowed to touch and feel a set of "Superfine
Knitting
Needles" made by THOs Harper & Sons', Redditch England
full set No. 17. While I have looked at them with a hand lens, I have
not
fully characterized them yet. The are basically 1 mm steel lace
needles,
about 8" long. They have significant wear, but I do not see the wear
marks
of a knitting sheath on them.

They are mild steel, tempered for springiness. This tells me that old
needles were spring tempered steel - even when they were not being
used
with
a knitting sheath/ knitting pouch. But no, I do not yet have a
statistically
significant basis for that theory.

They are very like the superfine steel needles that I make, and very
unlike
the steel needles that I have recently purchased through commercial
sources.

Aaron


On my website under antiques I have a red leather case with blue steel
knitting needles and bodkins in.
It is about 1860 so I was told by the vendor.
Probably used for knitting fine lace stockings and gloves.
Shirley
--
Shirley Shone

http://www.allcrafts.org.uk



--
Shirley Shone

http://www.allcrafts.org.uk



--
Shirley Shone

http://www.allcrafts.org.uk