Thread Counter
Originally published at WormSpit. You can comment here or there.
I found this item on Ebay a while back, and have been finding more and more of its information. This photo isn’t of the individual piece that I got (it’s from another site that had one on offer) but it’s identical.
from the seller’s description:
“Thread Counter Micrometer for Cotton, Linen, Silk and other Textile and Fabric. This brass and steel precision instrument measures the density of woven and knitted fabrics as well as wire meshes. Made in 1910 by E. V. Cook & Co. in Manchester with 5 graduated scales on rotating silver rules as follows: 1. Inch scale divided into quarters. 2. Inch scale divided into ten parts. 3. Linen measure (L). 4. French millimeter (mm). 5. French Ligne (F), a traditional unit of distance in French speaking countries, equal to 1/12 French inch (pouce). The magnifying lens ocular (X15) can be easily adjusted. The instrument comes with a leaflet with operating instruction and a box (size: 10X8X7.5 cm) lined with purple velvet.”
I’m looking forward to using this for counting the twists in tiny threads.
What a curious instrument. How does it work?
You look through the lens, and the thumb wheel moves the pointer across as you count the threads. It’s mainly used for examining fine fabrics, where you have to count a lot of threads to make up an inch.
That is some seriously cool equipment.
Are you going to add it to your display? I think you’ll get lots of interest – but it might be too delicate for handling like that.
Nah… the box is kind of delicate. I may take it to workshops, like the silk workshop in Oregon, where it would be handled only by textile people.
Very neat! My dad has been looking for one of those. He used to work in vinyl and textiles years ago. Do you know where I can find one and about how much they cost???
Thanks!