Palm and Needle.

[Red Lead Ted]

There,s somthing i havn,t heard brought up on the site. What tasks did you ever undertake with a Palm and Needle. There must be a few tales behind this one Regards all Terry.

[Les Woodard]

Use to decorate the handle of my deck knife using it. Would use sailing twine and start with a clove hitch on the base of the handle. Then progressivly use half hitches all the way around until reaching the top of the handle. All the time using liberal amounts of bees wax. Also for making hats out of canvas. The lampy did not like them because he could not keep hold of the duck canvas in the store as everyone would be after it. Know one bloke made a pair of shorts out of that canvas and ended up ditching it because it was to rough on the nuts. As far as I recall all deck crew would own their personal palm and needle and not to be confused with Mrs Palmer either.

Think its main use was for Palm and Needle whipping as well as canvas shrouds installation around stays and such like.

[j.sabourn]

I still have 2 palms but no needles. Went to a canvas maker to see if could get. He had none as all canvas work was done by machine. The 3 whippings I was brought up with were the common whipping, the West country whipping, and the palm and needle whipping. Duck canvas was sometimes at a premium on a lot of ships as the crew liked to make their own seabags, canvas shoes and other items. Cheers John Sabourn

[j.sabourn]

Further uses sewing up dead bodies preparory to sea burial, last one through the nose. Cheers John Sabourn

[Red Lead Ted]

After a run ashore pissed as usual. We had a first tripper with us he had a beautiful jean jacket that they were both in love with, We put it on him he was well pissed pushed his arm,s through so he was wearing it backwards and stitched him up at the back of the jacket with sail twine and palm and needle. PMSL The next morning he come on deck screaming to free him bloody hoodini wouldn,t have got out of that. He kept explaining how much his mother had paid for it that only made it worse for him we ignored hs scream,s told him to wait until he got home his mother would sort him out I think you are right there Les it was a seamans own property and as you say mostly used for stitching up some poor stiff. Although i do remember useing one repairing a cargo net once i ended up with hand,s like a pin cushen Regards m8 Terry.

[Trader]

We made lots of vent covers on Manchester Liners when it was too bad to get out on deck. A nice little job sat in the rec. room sewing away when the seas were lashing over the decks. You can only make so many vent covers though. I must have had one of the first tape recorders ever made, it was quite big compared to todays i pods and Walkmans. I made a lovely canvas cover for it which I was quite proud of. I have still got it now in my loft somewhere, it is over 50 years old.

Alec.

[robpage]

I still have 2 palms but no needles. Went to a canvas maker to see if could get. He had none as all canvas work was done by machine. The 3 whippings I was brought up with were the common whipping, the West country whipping, and the palm and needle whipping. Duck canvas was sometimes at a premium on a lot of ships as the crew liked to make their own seabags, canvas shoes and other items. Cheers John Sabourn

If they are the same as the ones used in sail making John

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[Lou Barron]

The last time i used a palm and needle was on the Empire Austen repairing the canvas wind break on the monkey island but in my last years at the firm i worked for we had a saddlery were the guy used a palm and needle a lot

[John Pruden]

the wife clearing some out threw my palming needles and serving board out you know the one what will you need them for again{women}jp

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Terry.
Still got my palm and needle here in my draw.Used it a lot whipping etc. Used to repair tarps, tough on the hands. We twice carried a load of tin fruit, twice knocked some off and got a box from the steward and stitched it in duck canvas, no way a wharf gate policemen was going to open it. I also used to make shorts, hats, and once made an oilskin coat soaked it in fish oil dragged it on a rope in the sea, can't remember wearing it, would have smelled great in the wheelhouse, and of course the rope sandals.
cheers Des.


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