Glove stretcher

Last updated
Wooden glove stretcher Stretcher, glove (AM 2005.87.10-1).jpg
Wooden glove stretcher

Glove stretcher is a 19th century device for "easing" (stretching) the gloves. [1] The rounded tips of the stretchers, typically made of two wooden pieces hinged in the middle and spring-loaded, [2] were placed inside the fingers of a glove. The handles were then squeezed so the fingers were stretched, [3] allowing the glove to be put on without damaging it. [4] The scissors-like implements were also made from metal and celluloid. [5]

Contents

History

Glove stretchers were popular in the Victorian era. [2]

Kid leather was considered to be the best material for gloves worn by a proper Victorian lady, as cotton and silk were easily stretchable, thus revealing the imperfections of a hand. The leather of a young goat was essential to emulate the desired appearance of a hand with tapered fingertips. The scissor-like stretchers were helping to preserve the shape of the glove fingers after washing. [6]

A 1908 advice on washing the chamois gloves suggests using the stretcher as an alternative to washing and drying the gloves on hands. [7]

In the 19th century the stretchers were widespread, every "good" shop or household was expected to have one. [4] In the 21st century the original device resembling the scissors is largely forgotten. Haglund reports that while playing a version of the Kim's game, children are no longer able to guess the purpose of the implement. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glove</span> Covering worn on the hand

A glove is a garment covering the hand. Gloves usually have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scissors</span> Hand-operated cutting instrument

Scissors are hand-operated shearing tools. A pair of scissors consists of a pair of metal blades pivoted so that the sharpened edges slide against each other when the handles (bows) opposite to the pivot are closed. Scissors are used for cutting various thin materials, such as paper, cardboard, metal foil, cloth, rope, and wire. A large variety of scissors and shears all exist for specialized purposes. Hair-cutting shears and kitchen shears are functionally equivalent to scissors, but the larger implements tend to be called shears. Hair-cutting shears have specific blade angles ideal for cutting hair. Using the incorrect type of scissors to cut hair will result in increased damage or split ends, or both, by breaking the hair. Kitchen shears, also known as kitchen scissors, are intended for cutting and trimming foods such as meats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clothes iron</span> Tool or appliance for smoothing cloth using heat and pressure

A clothes iron is a small appliance that, when heated, is used to press clothes to remove wrinkles and unwanted creases. Domestic irons generally range in operating temperature from between 121 °C (250 °F) to 182 °C (360 °F). It is named for the metal (iron) of which the device was historically made, and the use of it is generally called ironing, the final step in the process of laundering clothes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thimble</span> Protective cup used during sewing

A thimble is a small pitted cup worn on the finger that protects it from being pricked or poked by a needle while sewing. The Old English word þȳmel, the ancestor of thimble, is derived from Old English þūma, the ancestor of the English word thumb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginian Railway</span> Defunct American railroad

The Virginian Railway was a Class I railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The VGN was created to transport high quality "smokeless" bituminous coal from southern West Virginia to port at Hampton Roads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fashion accessory</span> Item used to contribute to the wearers outfit

In fashion, an accessory is an item used to contribute, in a secondary manner, to an individual's outfit. Accessories are often chosen to complete an outfit and complement the wearer's look. They have the capacity to further express an individual's identity and personality. Accessories come in different shapes, sizes, hues, etc. The term came into use in the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Nelson Page</span> American civil engineer and industrialist

William Nelson Page was an American civil engineer and industrialist. He was active in the Virginias following the U.S. Civil War. Page was widely known as a metallurgical expert by other industry leaders and investors as well as state and federal authorities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gauntlet (glove)</span> Hand and wrist armour

A gauntlet is a variety of glove, particularly one having been constructed of hardened leather or metal plates which protected the hand and wrist of a combatant in Europe between the early fourteenth century and the Early Modern period. Today it can also refer to an extended cuff covering the forearm as part of a woman's garment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wonthaggi</span> Town in Victoria, Australia

Wonthaggi is a seaside town located 132 kilometres (82 mi) south east of Melbourne via the South Gippsland and Bass Highways, in the Bass Coast Shire of Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Known originally for its coal mining, it is now the largest town in South Gippsland, a regional area with extensive tourism, beef and dairy industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horse mill</span>

A horse mill is a mill, sometimes used in conjunction with a watermill or windmill, that uses a horse engine as the power source. Any milling process can be powered in this way, but the most frequent use of animal power in horse mills was for grinding grain and pumping water. Other animal engines for powering mills are powered by dogs, donkeys, oxen or camels. Treadwheels are engines powered by humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wired glove</span> Input device for human–computer interaction

A wired glove is an input device for human–computer interaction worn like a glove.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evening glove</span>

Ladies' evening gloves or opera gloves are a type of formal glove that reaches beyond the elbow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thumb ring</span> Ring to protect the thumb during archery

A thumb ring is a piece of equipment designed to protect the thumb during archery. This is a ring of leather, stone, horn, wood, bone, antler, ivory, metal, ceramics, plastic, or glass which fits over the end of the thumb, coming to rest at the outer edge of the outer joint. Typically a flat area extends from the ring to protect the pad of the thumb from the bowstring; this may be supplemented by a leather extension.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ancient Greek boxing</span>

Ancient Greek boxing dates back to at least the 8th century BC, and was practiced in a variety of social contexts in different Greek city-states. Most extant sources about ancient Greek boxing are fragmentary or legendary, making it difficult to reconstruct the rules, customs and history surrounding this activity in great detail. Still, it is clear that gloved boxing bouts were a significant part of ancient Greek athletic culture throughout the early classical period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1900s in Western fashion</span> Costume and fashion in the decade 1900–1909

Fashion in the period 1900–1909 in the Western world continued the severe, long and elegant lines of the late 1890s. Tall, stiff collars characterize the period, as do women's broad hats and full "Gibson Girl" hairstyles. A new, columnar silhouette introduced by the couturiers of Paris late in the decade signaled the approaching abandonment of the corset as an indispensable garment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scraper (kitchen)</span>

A kitchen scraper is a kitchen implement made of metal, plastics, wood, rubber or silicone rubber. In practice, one type of scraper is often interchanged with another or with a spatula for some of the various uses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finger tracking</span> High-resolution technique in gesture recognition and image processing

In the field of gesture recognition and image processing, finger tracking is a high-resolution technique developed in 1969 that is employed to know the consecutive position of the fingers of the user and hence represent objects in 3D. In addition to that, the finger tracking technique is used as a tool of the computer, acting as an external device in our computer, similar to a keyboard and a mouse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dents</span>

Dents is a British company that crafts luxury leather gloves, handbags, small leather goods. Dents is known for its hand cutting, sewing, and stitching techniques, which are still practised today on some limited top-end products, most merchandise being purchased from third-party factories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toilet service</span>

A toilet service is a set of objects for use at the dressing table. The term is usually reserved for large luxury sets from the 17th to 19th centuries, with toilet set or vanity set used for later or simpler sets. Historically, services were made in metal, ceramics, and other materials, for both men and women, though male versions were generally much smaller. The rich had services in gold, silver, or silver-gilt. The contents vary, but typically include a mirror, one or more small ewers and basins, two candlesticks, and an assortment of bowls, boxes, caskets, and other containers. One or more brushes and a pin-cushion, often as a top to a box, are often included. The sets usually came with a custom-made travelling case, and some services were especially designed for travelling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wicket-keeper's gloves</span> Large leather gloves worn by cricket players

Wicket-keeper's gloves are large gloves used in cricket and worn by the wicket-keeper of the fielding team, which protect the hands of the wicket-keeper when catching balls bowled by the bowler, hit by a batter or thrown by a fielder.

References

  1. William Henry Baker (1908). A Dictionary of Men's Wear ... with an Appendix Containing Sundry Useful Tables: The Uniforms of "ancient and Honorable" Independent Military Companies of the U. S.; Charts of Correct Dress, Livery, and So Forth. W. H. Baker. p. 120. OCLC   1043004215.
  2. 1 2 "Close to the Skin: A Revealing look at Lingerie" (PDF). berkshirehistory.org. Berkshire County Historical Society. 2015. p. 18. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  3. National Coal Mining Museum 2021, p. 7.
  4. 1 2 Eliza Leslie (1854). The Behaviour Book: A Manual for Ladies (5 ed.). Willis P. Hazard. pp. 83–. OCLC   1336198599.
  5. Rogers Historical Museum. "Donation of the month". rogersar.gov. Rogers Historical Museum. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  6. Beaujot 2012, p. 44.
  7. Fabrics, Fancy Goods and Notions, Volume 42. McCready Publishing Company. 1908. p. 66.
  8. Haglund, Laila (2008). "Introduction and Background". Brewarrina Shire Community Based Heritage Study (PDF). Sydney: Haglund & Associates Pty Ltd.

Sources