If These Shirts Could Talk: The Tantalizing Tales Behind Used Clothes
The mysterious packages kept arriving, some from eBay, others from the Home …
Jockeying for Position: How Boxers and Briefs Got Into Men's Pants
Just as underclothes are shielded from public view, the evolution of men's most intimate apparel is shrouded in secrecy. But the story of men's underwear is about more …
Gloriously Grotesque 19th-Century Pipes
The meerschaum pipes carved in Eastern Europe at the end of the 19th century are among the most bizarre and improbable concoctions in decorative art. Some feature …
In the Hot Seat: Is Your Antique Windsor a Fake?
While researching her book, "Killer Stuff and Tons of Money," Maureen Stanton came across all sorts of characters. For years, she shadowed her antiques-dealer friend …
Love at First Kite: How Pizza and Pente Led to One Oklahoman's High-Flying Obsession
Vintage kites from all over the world hang from the ceiling and walls of Richard Dermer’s popula…
Blood, Sweat, and Steel: My Afternoon with the Ace of Swords
“When I got this sword, it was completely covered in blood rust.” Sword maker Francis Boyd is showing me yet another weapon pulled from yet another …
'The Great Gatsby' Still Gets Flappers Wrong
Have you heard? There’s a new swell in town named Gatsby, and he’s bringing flapper flair back into fashion. Baz Luhrmann’s latest cinematic spectacle—his take on “Th…
Say Ahhh: An Oral Surgeon's Quest to Reimagine the Garage-Band Guitar
It’s not unusual for men of a certain age to have a soft spot in their hearts for the look of vintage guitars and the sound…
Forget TV Pickers, Meet the Real Mavericks of the Antiques World
Long before Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz swaggered into the spotlight with "American Pickers," writer Maureen Stanton …
Coveting The Craziest Cat-People Collectibles
The memes are endless—Grumpy Cat, Nyan Cat, Keyboard Cat, Maru, and all the Lolcats. Last year even witnessed the first ever Internet Cat Video Fe…
OLD SPOOL OF TWINE, CORD, STRING? | Rugs and Textiles183 of 317 |  |  |
Posted 1 year ago
mizjane
(7 items)
I found this spool of string over 50 years ago in an abandoned house in Laurens County, SC. I know that this is textile country because I was raised in SC. This string is AMAZINGLY strong even to this day. Anyone have a clue what it is? It's also very rustic and pretty.
Help us close this case. Add your knowledge below.
Create an account or login in order to post a comment.
Rugs and TextilesMany of the objects we think of today as decorative pieces for the home, or…
It looks like twine used by stores to wrap purchases in butcher paper or brown paper. What does the spool look like?
I just posted a new photo of the spool It is 6 1/2" long and appears to have been crushed.
Thanks, Jane
Sewingfool, I think you are right! As a matter of fact, that ties in to another item I found at the site--an old awl. I didn't post this as I knew what it was (from where, I don't know). Shoes perhaps?
No wonder shoes lasted longer when they were made "back when". The cord is as strong, I believe, as it was the day it was made. New mystery. What could it be made of? It ISN'T cotton. Hemp, perhaps? I wish I could just share a piece of it with you and those who are interested.