Antique hem gauge? And something else?
 

Just bought a vintage sewing lot and found these two things. Anyone know what they are? I think the Webster metal piece might be a hem gauge. It has tiny pins when you open it sideways.

Welcome to the boards.

You might be right about the Hem Gauge. I did a search & found these but they don't look like yours. The ones on the site have actual "measurements" so your gadget may be used for something else. I have no idea what the other thing is but sure does look old. Does the bottom section have a hinge (or clamp). It looks like it might be a little clamp of some sort & maybe the hole at the top is so you can hang it on the wall. Just guessing here but they look like nice antique pieces.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Anti...yeiLOBAUe6dpM:

Welcome.

Many times there are items found in sewing machine drawers that don't have anything to do with sewing. However, according to Webster's patent 116378 it is an "improvement in button-hole guide-plates." According to the patent, there was another piece to fit on the other side of fabric, but it seems to indicate that they could be used separately.

Based on what I believe the size of the the BH guide plates, I'm wondering if the other item may be a belt buckle of some sort. It reminds me of the clamps used on adjustable web belting. I've also seen it used on elastic belting. The opposing end of the belt would have a hook to fit in the hole. Just a guess.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

Just for fun, I cropped and edited picture to show that if you put webbing or elastic end in 'mouth' of item where the white zigzag lines indicate the end of webbing and the arrows show where the tabs that would be folded over to clamp webbing.

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Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

Thanks for the welcome. Very excited I found this forum. I have always randomly been drawn to sewing “stuff” I find at junk stores and thrift stores. I found a bag of goodies at the bottom of a bin. Very excited. Thanks for the feedback. Took another photo to get different view and show you what else came in the bag. But what you both said makes sense. The “folder” is NR and Co.[ATTACH=CONFIG]617290[/ATTACH]

I love the quarter for scale!

Great finds!

The black object nearest the quarter looks like a huge tatting bobbin. This has been fun.

Ok, now I’m thrilled I wrote in. I was under the assumption that the black object was used to press or edge seams. I have been using another one that I found to fold seams on a book I was making/ remaking. The tatting tool makes sense! The ones I have found have always been with vintage thread used for tatting. Thank you so much!!

I agree with leonf -- the black thing is a tatting shuttle.

Thank you for the additional pictures. Especially the side view of the BH guide plates. Looks like it is for horizontal buttonholes. The patent looked like it could be either, but since the plates are connected maybe not.

I finally found patent #114598 for the button-hole cutter.

I've thought that some of the tatting shuttles would make nice creasers, too.

Nice find.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

The black tatting shuttle, may be silver, my mother had one.

Thanks Janey and all who replied. Again, makes perfect sense now. My last bit of ignorance was that the red cased object was a needle threader. It’s a bad pix but it said “button whole cutter”. At least that was labeled. Turns out it was money well spent. Also had some vintage large Bakelite buttons and some lovely small mother of pearl buttons on the original card.

After I posted, last night, I found out that "N.R. CO." is "Novelty Rubber Company" and that they also made rubber buttons based on Charles Goodyear patent for "hard rubber" process. I found a couple of tatting shuttle sites that mention Novelty Rubber Company. http://pages.suddenlink.net/tatmeist...rubber-co.html and about two thirds the way down the page of https://tattingcollector.weebly.com/...-shuttles.html

Thanks for some bait for more "bunny trails"

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

Holy cow! That’s amazing. Ironically enough I also found what I think is an NR and Co. rubber button as well. After these posts I took a relook at some of the buttons from this lot. I really think I have some with quite a bit of age. I cannot thank you enough. I think I’m a good researcher but I’m paling in comparison to you! I saved that tatting page in my favorites. Ridiculously helpful. And to think, I had that bag in my hand and was ready to put it down because it was 10 dollars. Never leave anything behind!!!! You think I would know this after years of scavenging...

Years ago I wanted to learn to tat. I think it is neat. Never did learn to do it. I have a couple of tatting shuttles that use round bobbins. I just found a picture of a long bobbin tatting shuttle at http://needlebar.org/cm/displayimage..._display_media I was actually looking for something else :shock:

I think it is interesting about "rubber" items that aren't somewhat soft - like tatting shuttles, buttons and pipe stems.

That is looking like quite a "find" with not often seen items.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

OurWorkbench -- buy a Coats & Clark "Learn How Book" from ebay or Amazon. There are photos/pictures in the book showing how to tat.

I'm sure I have at least one of those, plus a Reader's Digest craft book that has how to tat. I think I may have done one picot and that was it.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

OurWorkbench, it took me 25+ years of trying before Tatting clicked one evening. Keep trying.