What Is It ?

Rope Making Tool

The product produced by this item elicits much interest because, frankly, few people think about where rope comes from, how it was made or, for that matter, that almost every working farm or community had one of these things. Rural living meant that one had to have on-hand repair items that allowed for work to be completed. Rope was an important and versatile tool around the farm.

What Is It?

In the early 1960s, there was a surge in tool collecting primarily due, in my opinion, to the demise of the apprentice system for traditional trades where skills were passed from generation to generation. Rapid industrial growth post Second World War meant that many were trained on the job, and there was no need to spend a long period learning all the intricacies of a particular trade. This change meant a difference in how tradespeople approached their tools. No longer did one have a tool chest full of items to cover any aspect of work one might encounter. In some toolboxes, these tools could have been apprentice pieces or owner-made interpretations of more costly items or perhaps a gift from a master who was passing on the craft to a deserving individual.