Vintage Thread Chart & Photo Gallery
Spool Sizes & Shapes
|
Large bow ties — American Thread’s Twist DeLuxe 1930s, American
Thread’s Star DeLuxe 1930s, Coats 1950s-60s, unknown. |
|
Assorted bow ties medium — Belding Corticelli 1950s-60s, Max
Pollack’s Knight Brand 1940s, Belding Corticeli 1950s-60s, Coats 1930s, unknown. |
|
Assorted bow ties small with 1 large guest: Cortecelli 1950s,
John Clark’s Mile End, 1940s, unknown, Clarks ONT marking cotton 1940s. |

|
Assorted bow ties smallest — Clarks ONT 1930s, Clarks ONT early
1900s, John Clark’s Mile End, notice hard rock maple. |

Standard size spools, larger size
|

Standard type spools smaller sizes. While standard spools may look to be same
size and style, there are slight variations by manufacturers. This is most noticeable in
rim shape and thickness.
|

|
 |
Sometimes bobbins are overlooked as spools. Here is an
assortment of sizes and substances ranging from wood to plastic to foam to waxed
cardboard. Side view shows difference in bobbin thickness.
|
By early 1970s other substances began
to replace wood for spools — Talon American‘s black plastic that defies
black-painted wood, Max Pollack‘s cardboard cylinder, Belding Lily’s foam and
Clark’s ONT early plastic. All spools date late 1960s-early 1970s.
|
Colored spools played an important part
for recognizing thread categories other than dressmaking. Most companies dyed their spools
brilliant colors to denote heavier and stronger threads such as carpet and heavy duty.
Shown here are Erin’s Pride [linen] orange, Aunt Lydia’s red, Clark’s ONT green, Clark’s
ONT navy and an unknown black which appears to be from a sewing kit.
|
Many thread companies took pride in the appearance of
their spools. They were and are valued as much as the thread wound on them — Belding
Corticelli’s stained and waxed maple, Fleischer’s High Test maple, Belding’s waxed maple,
an unknown British brand with milled and beveled rims, J & P Coats hard rock maple
with scrollwork at both ends, and John Clark’s Mile End beautiful hard rock maple with
scrollwork at one end as
shown in inset.
|

|