This information is reproduced here with permission of thelacebee
On this page: Types of Bobbins Bobbin Materials
Anatomy of Bobbin
The basics of a bobbin are basically the same regardless of the type of bobbin.  All have a shank or body, a neck and a head.

Understanding the terminology helps when talking with other lacemakers as it gives a common language.  In addition, it allows you to talk with bobbin makers about their bobbins and tell them what you are looking for such as a longer neck or thinner shank.
Some lacemakers refer to 1, 2 & 3 as the head.
Tips for identifying bobbins
  • Heads: Most turners have distinctively shaped heads, which is my go to starting place. But beware, some turners use more than one head shape (e.g. The thistle shape on Alison Tolson’s bobbins, which are turned by Stuart Johnson, which is very different to his normal head shape).
  • Tails: Most turners have distinctive tail shapes, or a small range of tail shapes.
  • Overall bobbin: Look at the shape of the shank and the overall size (for example, AR Archer bobbins are shorter in length than Acorn bobbins).
  • Painting: Many painters include their initials somewhere on the bobbin, so keep a look out for initials!
  • Painted bobbins: Some painters use multiple bobbin turners.
Tips for buying bobbins
​Jo Buckberry writes:

As we are getting a lot of questions about this I’m posting this as an announcement, with comments turned off.
I buy most of my bobbins at lace fairs and lace days. Keep an eye out for events, and try to attend - there are fewer and fewer of these due to decreased footfall, please support them!

You can buy bobbins online - Lace Suppliers Spotlight (mostly new from suppliers) and Bobbin Lace Market (mostly second hand) on Facebook are great groups.

If you look our ID Summary page we've marked if they are currentyly active and we have included their website, Etsy shop or email address as appropriate.
You can also get second hand bobbins (and books and pillows) from the Lace Guild.

I’ve not seen bobbins for sale in a shop in 15+ years, but you might get lucky.

Hope this helps
Picture
Midland bobbins with tinsel Photo © thelacebee
Midland Bobbins
  • ​Midland Bobbins are named for the East Midlands of the UK where this type of bobbin was commonly used.
  • Made of wood or bone, they are distinctive by their colourful spangles.​
  • The spangles add both weight, for tension and stop the bobbins from rolling on the pillow.
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Honiton Bobbins Photo © thelacebee
Honiton Bobbins
  • Honiton Bobbins are distinctively slender and come to a point (some more than others).
  • They weight very little they work with very fine threads so need little in the weight for tensioning on the traditional ball shaped pillow.
Hooky Bobbins
  • Hooky bobbins are designed to work with metal wire (not metallic thread).
  • They come in different styles, depending on the maker,  but what they have in common is that the top is designed to hold onto the thread and hold it in place when making lace
Picture
Hooky bobbins Photo © thelacebee
Bucks Thumper
  • Less frequently seen as a new bobbin, these were the traditional shape of bobbins used by lacemakers making Bucks Point lace on bolster pillows.
  • Because bolster pillows are shaped like round cushions the bobbins would hang down with the tension given from the weight of the wood.
  • They have a similarity to the bobbins from Spain, Malta and Italy.
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Bucks Thumper Photo © thelacebee
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Continental Bobbins From L - R: Binche / Flanders style, Peartree Dutch, German style bobbin, Peartree double head Dutch, Bayeux style bobbin Photo © thelacebee
Continental Bobbins
  • There are many different Continental bobbins depending on country and lace, but what they have in common is that they are unspangled and the weight comes from the wood of the bobbin.
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​Tønder Bobbins Photo © thelacebee
​Tønder Bobbins
  • Tønder bobbins have a slender shank leading to the round base which is decorated with seed beads.
  • These bobbins are traditionally used for Tonder lace.
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Klöppel (Hooded) Bobbins Photo © thelacebee
Klöppel (Hooded) Bobbins
  • These German hooded bobbins are called Klöppel because they look like a bell (the hood) with the bobbin as the clapper / Klöppel.
  • The thread is wound round the inner bobbin, then comes up through the top of the hood.  The idea being that the hood keeps the thread clean.
  • Klöppel is used in Germany as the word for Lace Bobbin whilst bobbin lace is Klöppelspitze which translates literally as clapper lace.
Bobbin Materials
If the designs on your bobbins tell the story of your life through commemorating events or places you have been, then what they are made of tell the story of how you create lace.

Bobbin are made from many materials with wood and bone being the most common simply due to being able to source them.

For more information on the types of materials that modern and vintage bobbins are commonly made from please visit the lace bee's blog on this.
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East Midlands wooden bobbins photo © the lace bee