In message <clmenr+llvr_at_...> "Oliver D. Bernuetz" writes:
>
>
>> AIUI metal needles were not inexpensive prior to the industrial
>> revolution. They don't contain a lot of metal but do reflect a
>> lot of work by a skilled craftsman. Indeed while your average
>> clan redsmith will be able to make an adequate knife or spearhead
>> he probably can't make a useful needle. The average hunter could
>> make a needle out of bone simply because bone is much easier to
>> smooth.
>
>Some interesting websites on needle making.
>
>http://www.sealedknot.org/knowbase/docs/0010_PinsNeedles.htm
>
>http://www.kingtutshop.com/freeinfo/Ancient-Egyptian-Clothes.htm
>
>http://www.stringpage.com/viking/needles.html
>
>> True, but I think metal needles are a luxury item mostly made in
>> the cities for the rich. In most clans a metal needle will be a
>> treasure of Ernalda not something used by all and sundry.
>
>I don't know, it could go either way. Link number three is about the
>Vikings so it could apply to the Heortlings. A needle's a pretty
>important tool so they may get warrant some time and effort from a
>redsmith. Never having smithed anything in my life I can't attest to
>how difficult it is/was. Like anything you'd get better with
>practise.
Thanks for the interesting links. Both the Sealed Knot and Viking
pages confirm my point that metal needles are expensive items and
the Viking one details the process. The Sealed Knot one mentions
a separate craft of 'needler' which indicates that it wasn't
something an ordinary smith would make.
>From my (very limited) experience of smithing a separate skill
makes a lot of sense. A smith's tools are designed to work with
fairly significant pieces of metal and something the size of an
eating knife is about as small as they can handle. As far as
difficulty is concerned the main problem seems to be creating
the eye but most of the work goes into the rest of the process.
Manually drawing wire is a slow process and sharpening and
polishing the finished needle takes up a lot of time as well. I'd
be surprised if a skilled needler could average much better than
one an hour from the drawn wire to finished needle.
Of course tattooing needles (which is where the discussion started)
don't require an eye or have to be as well polished so would be
easier and quicker to make.
--
Donald Oddy
http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/