Sailmaker's roping palm, 1888

Contributed by an individual through Maine Historical Society

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This tool is worn on the hand and used to push a sailmaker's needle through heavy material, often through multiple layers. The end of the needle fits into one of the indentations on the "eye," the round metal part of the palm.

This roping palm is used for heavier work such as sewing bolt rope around the edge of the sails, working with leather, or hand sewing grommets. With this work, twine is wrapped around the "horn" to pull and tighten each stitch. A smaller, lighter seaming palm would be used for hand-stitching panels of canvas together.

Amos Perkins Lord, a late nineteenth and early twentieth century sailmaker in Camden, owned the palm.

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Title: Sailmaker's roping palm, 1888
Creation Date: 1888
Subject Date: 1888
Town: Camden
County: Knox
State: ME
Media: Leather, metal eye
Object Type: Physical Object

For more information about this item, contact:

Maine Historical Society
489 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
(207) 774-1822
http://www.mainehistory.org

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