Name/Title
Wooden Cotton Hand CarderEntry/Object ID
1996.L.032Description
Wooden hand carders or hand combs with pins set in leather and nailed to wood paddles. The handles are rounded on the outside and the inside is flat, the handles are nailed to the paddles.
1996.L.032A: Labeled "No. 7 / COTTON." on the back of the paddle. Paddle is slightly shorter and wider than the other.
1996.L.032B: Not labeled.
Before wool is spun into yarn, the fibers are untangled and aligned, making it easier to produce a smooth, consistent yarn. In this process, called carding, clean wool fleece is passed between small, bent wire teeth to align the fibers. Hand cards, like this pair, were used in 18th and 19th century American homes to card wool prior to spinning. Younger children were often given this necessary, but monotonous, task. https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/expert-sets/105673/Dimensions
Dimension Notes
1996.L.032A: W 10.25" x L 9.5" x D 0.75"
1996.L.032B: W 10" x L 10.5" x D 0.875"
