We’re goin’ on a pin hunt.
::whispers:: But first I wanted to let you know that I’m trying out CommentLuv for comments. It leaves a link to your latest post on your blog when you leave a comment. And if you’d like, you can register your site with theirs and you’ll be able to choose from your latest 10 posts when you leave a comment.
Now, sshh! We’re goin’ on a pin hunt. Remember? And they’re pretty elusive!
I’m sure some of you remember my pins that I posted on Monday.
I was really curious about what they were actually used for, so I took a closer look at them.
Shown with a regular straight pin for comparison.
I thought I should probably measure them.
Two inches long!
I had lots of great suggestions for what they might be. Ana from i made it so… asked if the pins were sharp (They are!) and suggested they might be tailor’s pins.
I was a fashion major, and although we never used pins this big, I thought that might be a place to start. Turns out there are huge pins used sometimes by tailors. Most of the time they’re fairly thin though and these are 1 mm diameter.
Gina suggested entomological pins, another fantastic suggestion. After a bit of research I found that these are probably a bit too thick for that. And did you know that entomological pins are usually enameled? Weird, huh?
Connecticut Valley Biological Supply has some. I’m thinking these would be really great blocking pins for knitters and crocheters!
But back to the matter at hand.
So, no dice on the tailor’s entomological pins. On a whim, I took the pins to a friend’s house. She was as baffled as I was but did make a suggestion. Her daughter had Biology last year and she wondered if they may be dissection pins.
These are also available at the Conn. Valley Biological Supply
What do you think?
Right now, I’m guessing this is the most likely choice. I may swing by an antique store sometime soon though to see if they have any information.
Thanks for all the *Clever* suggestions everyone! I now know more about pins than I did before, that’s for sure!
I know nothing about pins so I can’t contribute…but I like this steadfast and detailed document dedicated to pins!
I found your blog from Apron Thrift Girl’s BigTent group. Your blog is SO cute! I will follow and continue to read your posts for inspiration.
Hi Van, and thanks for stopping in and subscribing. No matter on whether you know anything about pins. I appreciate the comment.
My guess is the dissection pins……they look very similar to what we used to pin back body parts in my biology lab. I have used the entomology pins too and you’re right, the one you have is too thick.
Best Regards,
Moriah
Moriah, thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! I think you’re right. It’s been a long time since my biology courses, so it’s good to have some other opinions. The only reason I was unsure is that my friend and I noticed that the tip of all the pins aren’t shiny. It’s like they’re treated or roughed up or something.
Ohh I can help you.
I have a box of these in my garage (newer than those you’ve got there)
I got them in a kit at college studying Display and Design.
I will let you know more specifically what they say on the box but we used them for pinning fabric to cork board, even hanging lighter things off drywall, in fashion display as well as home decor. They were great, very versatile and you could see and work with them better than the smaller pins.
hah! sounds like you’ve got a new lead from ella! so interesting to hear the theories. (you know i fought saying “pinteresting” with every fibre of my being hehe)
ana recently posted..choose your own adventure recipe- cream of leek soup
Oh, Ella if you were to let me know what they’re called, that would be great! Thank you, thank you! They do see more versatile, and I can see how you could do a lot with them. I’m wondering if I might be able to make a Knitting Nancy with them and one of my vintage thread spools.
Lol. It does seem like these may be useful in a number of different fields. And hey! Yay! You used the commentluv link. I like seeing what people are blogging about.