Okay, you have decided to learn how to hand spin. Wonderful choice! You have made the decision that you are going to invest in your very first spinning wheel. You have been looking all over that that perfect first wheel.
Now imagine that you have just entered a wonderfully quaint antique store and have your eye on this marvelous antique spinning wheel. You move closer and touch this rich, wonderful, handcrafted spinning wheel. As you move your hand over the wheel you can see in your minds eye the many women that have stood in front of a fireplace spinning at the end of the day. You put yourself in their place and can’t wait to take this wheel home! But wait!
Now you face a dilemma! What kind of what kind of spinning wheel to buy. Should I get the antique spinning wheel I have just found or a new spinning wheel? What would be best for me? Here are some things to consider when choosing between an antique wheel and a new wheel.
Many of the antique spinning wheels have been stored in old attics, wet basements or have been housed in antique stores that don’t have adequate ventilation. Remember that the wood that was used to make this spinning wheel is now very old, and even though it was hopefully stored with loving care, it still may have many problems associated with where it was stored as well as with its age.
If the wheel was stored in an attic, did the attic get too hot or too cold? This could lead to problems with the swelling and shrinking of all of the wood in the wheel but most importantly with the moving wheel part itself. The heat and cold in the attic could cause the moving wheel to warp. Another consideration is that the actual moving part of the wheel could warp simply because of not being used or not being used properly.
Suppose this beautiful spinning wheel were stored in the basement for the last fifty or seventy-five years, there is a possibility that the legs and treadle of the wheel could have been submersed in water at sometime. If this is true, then you might have possible wood rot in any part of the wheel that came into contact with the water over time. Basements are also notorious for being wet and damp which could lead to the wood swelling which could also damage your beautiful wheel.
If you have now decided that you cannot live without this historically rich antique spinning wheel that you have just discovered, and believe me I would give my eye teeth for one, then consider using it as a focal point in your home. This beautiful wheel should be placed where all could see your investment but not where you would be tempted use it to spin. Please, please do not put your antique spinning wheel in front of a picture window. I once drove by a house where a large, beautiful Great Wheel or Wool Wheel was displayed in the front picture window for all to see. It was a real thing of beauty, but I was also saddened because this beautiful wheel was taking daily abuse with the harsh sunlight and temperature change that it was being subjected to for years.
My advice then is to purchase the antique spinning wheel if you want, but use it as a focal point. If you wish to spin on a wheel, purchase one of the new wheels that are on the market. There are many beautiful wheels made today. Many companies still make the centuries old Saxony wheel or the Traveler Wheel that many spinners use today. There are even a few craftsmen that are still handcrafting the Great Wheels or Wool Wheels as they did decades and centuries ago. The new wheel is most likely the one you want for daily spinning use.
Leslie Arnold has spun for over 25 years. She is now writing articles on spinning and other craft related fields.