Well done, Sir Bruin! Couldn't describe it better meself. With the blunt end of the needle resting in the iron 'pusher' the sailmaker could put his full weight behind the needle. It's a very well thought out bit of kit.
Couldn't find any reference to B. Woolley, but in Blackmore's 'Gunmakers of London, 1350 to 1850' a Thomas Woolley is recorded as working as a gun barrel borer at the Royal Manufactory, Enfield, in 1817, who may be related.
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Found one of these among Dad Phipp's tools after he died when I was sorting stuff out for Olive. Here in the Midlands your coastwise 'sailmaker's palms' are known as 'saddler's palms' but were also used in the boot and shoe industry and for hand-stitched leather goods. The dimpled iron disc was set in a steam-moulded rawhide turret stitched onto the palm-band. I think it fetched about £10 on e-bay.
Had yours a broad arrow on it?
No Mike, it had no maker's mark nor the broad arrow symbol, I think yours is of slightly higher quality than Dad Phipp's which had seen considerable service on the family's shoes and bags.
Jude sends love.
XXXado%char avenue
Oooh, that was harsh!
Sorry Crowbard. I meant to indicate that the broad arrow usually indicates that the item carrying that mark was made for Government use, usually for one of the armed services (in this case probably the Senior Service). I quite see that this sort of basic design of an item might have been used wherever heavy duty stitching was required (although I don't remember seeing one on Jack Stittles bench when we were young- and wasn't that the perfect name for a saddler?)
I'm afraid the 'ado%char avenue' was not a secret message of Jude's obvious adoration for her Bro-in-law, nor was it an intended castigation of either us or the 'palms' or your enchanting and respected readers, merely a misplaced verification coda. (I'm getting to be a bit of a muddled old s*d these days)
Sincerest apologies to Sir Bruin for offending his delicate sensitivities... I must have stopped being a gentleman, I never used to offend anyone unintentionally!
I seem to remember variants of the broad-arrow on War Department stock and on prisoners fatigues as well as appearing frequently on ordnance and ammo.
I thought Sir Bruin was shocked at the harshness of my query as to whether your palm had a broad arrow on it; and I was so ashamed and humiliated by his response, that I apologised to you in my next comment. I find it such a relief that it was YOUR foul language (however inadvertent) that had shocked my good friend Sir Bruin rather than my unmannerly curtness. What sensitive people we chaps are!
Was the broad arrow used on the prison fatigues of deportees, Mike. I seem to think there was a connection with the phrase 'Prisoner of Mother England'... now shortened to the acronym POMs or POMiEs.
Hello Crowbard. Blackmore says The broad arrow mark used on His Majesty's stores seems to go back a very long way. The first reference I can find for it states that in 1386 Thomas Stokes was condemned to the pillory for pretending to be a King's Officer and falsely marking barrels of ale with the 'arewehede' mark.
The arrowhead mark is first recorded in 1699 as a mark (sometimes used) on his Majesty's arms, but this was not generally introduced until the reign of Queen Ann -1702 to 1714.
Prison uniforms with broad arrow marks on them are thought to have been in use since about the middle of the 19th century (.1850).
Sorry Crowbard - didn't answer the last part of your comment. Pommies...
I only know of two possible derivations:- Prisoner of Her Majesty shortened to P.O.M. and referring, of course, to English convicts.
And describing the fresh faced,pink apple complexions of the English settlers,hence pommes (apples) or pommies, although I've just read another, i.e. pomegranites, or mahogany complexions of the older English settlers. I don't think anyone knows for certain.
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