can you tell what it really is?

I have one and I think it is bone. and yes it is a stiletto.

Is it a porcupine quil or however you spell it??

That would be my guess, too!

It is a Porcupine quail, Much larger then the one I have. but looks the same.

Good Grief, Charlie Brown, that thing is lethal!

be careful

Blessings, Ruth

I don't know what it is, but it looks very interesting!! :D Where did you find such a treasure? I am sure that several of us would love to know what it is, too & what purpose it serves. I think that I am behind the times without this knowledge!! Thank you for sharing.
:D :D :D :D

Looks like a porcupine quill to me.

Dang, that thing looks lethal.

It is from a porcupine in Africa. They get much bigger there than they get here. Every once in a while I will see one at a craft shop. I'm used to seeing the smaller ones from the North American Porcupine in Native American bead work. They make great earrings. (The smaller ones that is.) :wink:

Ouch! Looks dangerous.

What ever it is, it is beautiful!

I can hear my Mother now, "Be careful you could poke someone's eye out with that." I think it is beautiful and would like to have one myself.

I use a round popsickle stick. Works real good.

It's a porcupine quill. I have 3 and I love them. Not only are theu useful, the are unique !!!

Yes it is a porcupine quill!!! I took a class from Wendy Mathson on Storm at Sea and she uses them and was selling them, too. It works great! I think it is a very unique quilting tool. She assured us that no porcupines were harmed in the procuring of their quills for quilter's stilettos!

I love it, but with my luck it would roll off my sewing table and stab one of my kitties!! :roll:

I wouldn't want to run into a porcupine that size! I use quills too (not the African size!) for earrings etc and my friend does the old time quillwork.

I thought it was a fancy chopstick hahaha

I bought mine quite a while ago from one of the major catalogs. Love it.

Don't have a guess, but I don't want to get on your bad side!

Got mine from a catalog too, works great, hard to lose.
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I'm with you burnsk! I had no idea that a porcupine quill would be that stiff! i-yi-yi! oy-vay!
looks like a great sewing tool though...thanks por-ky! lol :D

way to go Susan!! I thought it was one of those fancy hair decorations. LOL

:lol: :lol: :lol: I wouldn't mind a chopstick like that - if you can't pick up your food you can stab it.

But I was told stabbing your food is a bad thing to do, it means death or something like that.

Believe me, it I had live food on my plate ,I would stab it!!LOL

It is a porcupine quill. I use them and love it. The tiny point really grabs the fabric.

I also use sharpened chopsticks for turning corners, etc

To heck with the porcupine, were any quilters injured while gathering them?

Yes, it is a quill. I got mine from Nancy's Notions. They came two to a package. I have one at each machine and love them. Yep, they are sharp, so be careful. I prefer them to metal stilettos because if you get them too close to the needle they just pop out.

Very nice where can I get one? I use a schish kabob stick as a stiletto.

When my dogs got into it with a porcupine, the furthest thing from my mind was keeping a few.
Good idea...wish I had. :cry:

This a procupine quill! We have some that came from South Africa -- wouldn't be surprised if the porcupines there were bigger than the ones in the U.S. But the quill size depends on the age of the porcupine.

Now you can see that you would not want to run into this beast!!

KMKOkie

A PORCUPINE QUILL! I have one and it is wonderful for a lot of uses!

I have one just like it never new what it was called have had it for years don't remember where it came from either but love it use it like a stiletto and some turning projects just have to be careful that I don't poke thru with it
retiac

Too funny!

Does anyone remember, as a YOUNG lady to carry a hatpin with you? This outdoes the hatpin!

You can find quils in the fishing dept. at your local Walmart, or any store that handles fishing supplies, and I'm sure alot cheper than on line. Kinda like the rotrey cutting blades.

I use a shish kabob stick too. I often put it in my mouth when I want that hand free--wouldn't want to do THAT with a porcupine quill--ICKY!!!

Sue

Holy handbag! That is scary looking!
Having said that.... I didn't know that I needed/wanted a porcupine quill before but now I think that I must track one down. That is cool as heck!

I just use a shish ka bob scure