56/99

This sewing awl is a cobbling tool used by a cobbler in Slinfold, West Sussex. An awl is a type of boring tool for making marks or small holes in materials such as leather. According to the donor, tools such as this one are still in use in workshops where hand sewn work is done.

1 awl: metal, wood

MERL miscellaneous note - '(1) Sewing Awl (56/99) // Various shapes + sizes still in use in workshops where hand-sewn work is done. Found in country cobblers shops where all kinds of odd jobs have still to be done by hand. // ... // In general factory practice the work is still carried out in principle as of old but done by machines. Some of the machines are very wonderful as are the machinists who work them.', Letter, Mrs FitzRandolph to MERL, 6th November 1955 - 'Our village cobbler has just given up work and in his workshop he has left a lot of equipment which, he maintains, is mine because it all belonged to the workshop which he took over complete from the former cobbler (who was also a bootmaker). There is his work stool, with a padded seat at one end, widening out at the other end to form a table or bench with little partitions fitted to make boxes for the nails; another low bench with similar fitted boxes, and a set of tools (which this man didn't use, having his own.) I imagine that the workshop was built and equipped by the first bootmaker, perhaps between 60 and 80 years ago. Would these benches and tools be of sufficient interest for preservation in your museum? ...'

1875-01-01 - 1899-12-31

Late-nineteenth century

Metal, Wood