Thatching Tools
According to thatcher,
Jim Halpin, tools common used by thatchers were traditionally home-made to suits the needs of the individual. The tools varied in styles from the different areas, to suit according to the different thatching styles. The majority of the tools would boast the same basic idea. Thatchers would have widely held the use of Leggett’s, rakes, knifes and shears as these were universal among thatching techniques.
Leggett - Has flattened horseshoe nails in the head, each acts as a mini hammer on the butts of the (Norfolk) reed dressing it into position, it is swung like an in the direction of the length of the reed. A manorial inventory of1 1100 has a drawing of almost exactly the same tool, cuts in the face, metal rings, even cast aluminum are used now
Knives - Knives are used to trim along the edges of the eaves, apply decorative finishes around the ridges and general use such as cutting cords, and all-purpose trimmings.
Needles – Needles were used across different methods of thatching. There are two different types of needles. The first was for securing thatch in place temporarily before the scollops were fixed permanently.
Shears – shears used in thatching were those commonly used as sheep shears. They were adapted to suit the needs of the thatcher, trimming loose ends and creating general patterned work.
Rake – Rakes were used to comb the thatch once it has been fixed to the roof. “The thatchers rake can simply be a round handle fixed to a flat piece of wood through which is driven a row of 10cm (4in) nails”. The size of the rake may vary depending on the thatcher.
Hooks – Metal hooks were sometimes used instead of scollops to secure the thatch to the roof. However unlike the scollops they had to be fixed to arafter and at times finding a rafter beneath 0.6m (2ft) of thatch may provedifficult. They ranged in lengths from 7in up, depending on the level of thethatch been worked at. Typically used in Scolloped thatching and to an exten on Thrust thatching.
Fork – The Thatcher’s fork was used for thrusting sheaf’s of thatch through the first layer to secure it in place.
Mallet – The mallet was used for driving scollops through the thatch, in order to compress it and secure it to the scraw.
Jim Halpin, tools common used by thatchers were traditionally home-made to suits the needs of the individual. The tools varied in styles from the different areas, to suit according to the different thatching styles. The majority of the tools would boast the same basic idea. Thatchers would have widely held the use of Leggett’s, rakes, knifes and shears as these were universal among thatching techniques.
Leggett - Has flattened horseshoe nails in the head, each acts as a mini hammer on the butts of the (Norfolk) reed dressing it into position, it is swung like an in the direction of the length of the reed. A manorial inventory of1 1100 has a drawing of almost exactly the same tool, cuts in the face, metal rings, even cast aluminum are used now
Knives - Knives are used to trim along the edges of the eaves, apply decorative finishes around the ridges and general use such as cutting cords, and all-purpose trimmings.
Needles – Needles were used across different methods of thatching. There are two different types of needles. The first was for securing thatch in place temporarily before the scollops were fixed permanently.
Shears – shears used in thatching were those commonly used as sheep shears. They were adapted to suit the needs of the thatcher, trimming loose ends and creating general patterned work.
Rake – Rakes were used to comb the thatch once it has been fixed to the roof. “The thatchers rake can simply be a round handle fixed to a flat piece of wood through which is driven a row of 10cm (4in) nails”. The size of the rake may vary depending on the thatcher.
Hooks – Metal hooks were sometimes used instead of scollops to secure the thatch to the roof. However unlike the scollops they had to be fixed to arafter and at times finding a rafter beneath 0.6m (2ft) of thatch may provedifficult. They ranged in lengths from 7in up, depending on the level of thethatch been worked at. Typically used in Scolloped thatching and to an exten on Thrust thatching.
Fork – The Thatcher’s fork was used for thrusting sheaf’s of thatch through the first layer to secure it in place.
Mallet – The mallet was used for driving scollops through the thatch, in order to compress it and secure it to the scraw.
Tools
![Picture](/uploads/1/7/8/5/17850537/4034682.png?371)
1Legett
2.Needle
3.Hook
4.Spars
5.Eaves Knife
6.Rake
7.Shears
8.Spar knife
9.Thatching nail
2.Needle
3.Hook
4.Spars
5.Eaves Knife
6.Rake
7.Shears
8.Spar knife
9.Thatching nail
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![Picture](/uploads/1/7/8/5/17850537/1154451.jpg?584)
Thatching Rake and Needles.