Some Thimble History
Wikipedia on Thimbles: "A thimble is a protective shield worn on the finger or thumb generally worn during sewing."
Some of the earliest thimbles were of Roman origin and were made as early as the first century AD. Early thimbles were made in Europe also, and thimbles were part of a thriving industry in the 15th and 16th centuries.
As the above definition would suggest, the practical use of a thimble is to help the sewer push a needle through the material being sewn. Needles were not always sharp, and the materials were layered cloth or leather which could be difficult to penetrate with the needle. Over time thimbles have been adapted for use as a measuring device, and as a protection for fingers when rapping on other hard surfaces.
Thimbles have been made from a wide variety of materials including metal, leather, glass, and ceramics. The very wealthy in the population often commissioned thimbles emblazoned with jewels, art, and inscriptions. Other thimbles were enameled or painted to please the buyer. These ornamented antique thimbles are highly prized by collectors today.
Antique thimbles have several qualities that help date when they were originally produced. An uneven pattern of the dimples on a thimble indicate it was probably made before about 1850 when a machine was invented that made the dimples on the thimble in a very regular pattern. Mass produced thimbles were also of a more thin metal and the top tended to be flat as compared to hand made thimbles.
In the UK thimble collecting has been popular for many, many years. In colonial American the first thimbles made were of natural materials, usually bone. There were not many made and are highly prized collectibles today. Early silver thimbles did not withstand pressure from a needle. A man named Charles Horner began using steel covered by silver. He called this thimble invention the Dorcas thimble which is also popular with collectors today.
There are thimbles available today for specific sewing activities. A good example of this is a quilting thimble, which is made in a wide variety of shapes and types that are useful to those who sew quilts by hand.
There are a number of sources for collectible thimbles today, including Ebay and Amazon. Ebay offers a useful tool for getting an idea of market value of collectible thimbles, as well as an excellent source of all varieties of thimbles.