This type of thimble is an excellent idea.. reminds me of a sailor's palm (piece of leather covering the palm to protect it from the needles used to work rope).

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Originally Posted by ardchoille

This type of thimble is an excellent idea.. reminds me of a sailor's palm (piece of leather covering the palm to protect it from the needles used to work rope).

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I'm wondering why kilt makers don't use a palm.

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Originally Posted by ccga3359

I'm wondering why kilt makers don't use a palm.

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Well, sailors who work with rope are usually working with mooring line - very thick rope - which requires needles that are 4 inches long or longer. It takes a lot of force to push these huge needles through 2 inches of rope thickness. Kilt makers, on the other hand, probably don't deal with anything larger than a standard sewing needle, so a sailor's palm would be severe overkill.

A palm would affect your grip while holding and pleating the fabric.
A thimble has less effect.


Then there's goofballs like me, who handsew a kilt without using a thimble.

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Originally Posted by ardchoille

Well, sailors who work with rope are usually working with mooring line - very thick rope - which requires needles that are 4 inches long or longer. It takes a lot of force to push these huge needles through 2 inches of rope thickness. Kilt makers, on the other hand, probably don't deal with anything larger than a standard sewing needle, so a sailor's palm would be severe overkill.

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That is a roper's palm it has extra leather around the thumb for when reefing on line, the thimble also has bigger dimples for the larger needles. A sailmaker palm is for when using on sailcloth (heavy canvas).

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Originally Posted by Wompet

A palm would affect your grip while holding and pleating the fabric.
A thimble has less effect.

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Another very good point.

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Originally Posted by Wompet

Then there's goofballs like me, who handsew a kilt without using a thimble.

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Painfully, I'm guilty of this too.

It is amazing what memory can do for you..... I am just getting ready to start a kilt and I remembered from way back this thread... Thanks again Barb!

Cool! Let me know how it works for you.

Barb, your original post made me think of an article that I saw in Threads a couple of years ago. Fortunately, they have the article on their website:

http://www.taunton.com/threads/pages/t00077.asp


I personally use a plastic open-sided thimble designed for people with long nails - not that my nails are long or anything, but I found it the most comfortable thimble for me.

Here's a link for more online thimbles:
http://www.agreatnotion.com/catalogue/index1.html