My brief history with Rigid Heddle Looms
Around a decade ago, two of my friends were helping with downsizing a weaving studio/store in the Hill Country. They donated bag after bag of lovely wool and yarn to the studio at Oil & Cotton. They brought me quirky tools and frame looms. Then, they mentioned that they had several rigid heddle looms for sale. At this point in my life, I had never worked on a rigid heddle loom, and, I was without at floor loom at the time.
In my desire to simplify my life, rigid heddles seemed like a straight forward weaving solution, capable of yardage, but not too time consuming to set-up.
Oh, the rabbit holes one can go down in Rigid Heddle loom history!
Soon, I was in possession of five Beka Looms. They are an early style, not as straight forward as the newer RH looms but not terrible. I have woven yardage as well as tapestries on them. Beka makes a stand for the loom still, I find that the looms work best when propped up on a table. The best feature of the Beka Loom is that it comes apart and can be stored in a small bundle (I usually just roll them up in a towel, but I think one would fit in a yoga mat bag).
Until recently, I used the Beka Looms for teaching Introduction to Weaving Workshops. Now, I am thinking it is time to find new homes for them.
If you are interested in a Rigid Heddle Class (loom and tools included) please let me know through the comments link.
The persistence of heddles in human history
The ancestors of modern RH looms are tiny portable heddles, made from bronze, bone and other materials. These small heddles were (are) used for weaving bands and ribbons and are often found in burials sites. Evidence for these practical tools exists in drawings found on ceramics1 and carved into stone.
Form and Function
Here is a very blurry photo I took at the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth, England.
This heddle is about the size of a cookie sheet and clearly not for making tiny ribbons. I asked my Household Historian2 who (of course) had a book about the Mary Rose. It is called a fiddle loom and used for weaving wide bands, useful in the rigging of the ship. Source: Julie Gardiner Before the Mast: Life and Death Aboard the Mary Rose.
I must admit, now that I have a big ol’ floor loom, I rarely put a warp on a rigid heddle loom. They have a place in the realm of textiles and can’t be beat for portability and versatility. I would love to know what you all think about these modern versions of an ancient weaving tool.
The Hallstatt Burial site near Salzburg, is a treasure trove of Bronze Age artifacts, among them, a burial urn that has drawing of women spinning and weaving. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallstatt_culture
My husband, Bill, is a retired history teacher who has an extensive library on many subjects. He can answer most of my questions from the top of his head, but this one took him at few minutes to solve. Nevertheless, he always finds the facts!
I may be interested! When, how long, and what will be the cost?