The mid 1900's, with its relentless technical advances, was a sad time for wooden bobbins.  With the introduction of open-ended spinning and plastic bobbins, traditional spinning and wooden bobbins quickly became a thing of the past.

Unfortunately, wooden bobbins had become far too commonplace to be valued, and whole mill stocks were destroyed.  Bobbins were not even valued as firewood, as their high oil content created hazardous fires that burned out of control.  So, millions and millions of wooden bobbins were thrown away or burned in landfills.  While no one can be entirely sure, it has been estimated that three quarters of the wooden bobbins made, many of which were still in use in the 'fifties, have been destroyed.

Fortunately, collectors have begun to appreciate bobbins as objects of character and interest from a time of true craftsmanship, and are busy harvesting these relics from the few remaining mills as they either modernize or close down.

Wooden bobbins and shuttles are becoming increasingly valuable as they become increasingly rare.

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For millions of years animal skins were man's only protection from the cold.  It was later in human development that people turned to wool for warmth and, in fact, wove with plant fibers long before weaving with wool.

To make the wool fibers stick together, they were twisted and pulled.  The production of a continuous piece of thread is known as spinning, but fibers have first to be cleaned and carded, and arranged so that they are all pointing in the same direction.

Reference Credits
The World of Wooden Bobbins, The Story of Old Wooden Textile Bobbins, Their Place in History, In the Hands of the Collector, and in the Home

Workers near a 'Flyer Spinning Frame'

Worker at a 'Blocking Saw'