LOCKE Antiqued Bronze Open End Tailor's Thimbles, Made in New Zealand
These tailor's thimbles are a true labor of love. Made by a tailor in New Zealand who found it hard to find good-quality tailor's thimbles in a good range of sizes, and then went about solving the problem not just for himself, but all tailors. He embarked on a multi-year journey casting his own thimbles and now offers them for sale. We are pleased to offer them to you! They're cast from bronze, and have an elliptical shape that has a superior fit. For now, they're in 12 sizes from 13.5mm to 19mm.
We hope you try them and appreciate them! We - along with many other tailors around the world - do!
We also sell these thimbles in a brighter color of bronze, and with nickel plating.
Why choose Bronze or Nickel-plated? Aside from which color you might prefer, there are functional reasons to choose one 'color' over the other. The bronze alloys that both LOCKE thimbles are made of are copper-based, and copper oxidises from moisture. If in a high-humidity environment or because of one's own body chemistry, the copper can sometimes discolor a finger under the thimble, giving it a greenish or blackish hue. The stain is natural, harmless, and washes off easily, but it can be disconcerting, so we offer a nickel plated option.
On the other hand, some people are allergic to nickel, so a thimble without nickel may sometimes be preferred.
How to choose the right size? All tailors know that small size differences can make a big difference in how often a thimble falls off (or whether it fits your finger at all), and it's challenging at best to measure correctly. Locke, the maker of these thimbles, has provided helpful info, and files for 3D printing thimble sizers here in order to be able to try them on before purchasing. If you don't have access to a 3D printer (so many do not!), please read our Tips below about how to find the right size. You might even consider ordering a few thimbles to try them, and returning the ones not needed. Here's our Return Policy.
