Thursday, September 23, 2010

Box of Wooden Pegs

Sometimes in the vintage trade, you come across items you're just not sure what to do with. At my last auction, I ended up with a box of wooden pegs. They could also work as vampire stakes, but since I'm not friends with any vampire killers I'm not sure what to do with them.

I haven't come across any this old. They likely marked property or a garden, as some still have some rope with them. They were then put in a barn and forgotten, until I came along. They will probably sit in my basement for awhile, as I'm not sure what to do with either. Thankfully, we have the room, and my husband tolerates my vintaging. Sometimes you just hold onto items until you learn more about them, or what to do with them.

I did learn people would make dolls from some wooden pegs. I remember being a child and learning about Laura Ingalls' doll she made with a corncob. In today's modern age, it's hard for me to relate to this. I don't know how we survived without the inter net, but survive we did. I would prefer a soft doll to a hard doll, but again, it's a different age.

The only marking pegs I see today are metal. Someone likely carved these from wood, taking time and care. I want to make sure whoever ends up with these realize that once upon a time someone cared about his work, and made these. That's also part of selling vintage, you want your items to find a good home. For now they will stay with me, until I find one.

4 comments:

Hunter Marina Stolworthy said...

Luv the way you think! In looking at the picture close up, I see how the stakes could be transformed into dolls. Whimsical angels, specifically.
And, like you I find it hard to understand how we ever survived!
Hugs

Anonymous said...

They look like antique wooden dowels that they use to use to pound into furniture to hold joints together. The bottom ones that have not been cut but look like rollers were the way they came and then they carved them to the size of the hole they needed.

They then would be driven into the joints to hold chair backs to the frames or sometimes legs to cabinets. They also used them for handles on rolling pins and or wooden handles on cooking utensils later when they would drill them out and put in a wooden rod that would be welded to cookware. Some were also used to make very unsophisticated victorian dolls as well.

In the case of the binder twine they may have been used as stakes to mark off a flower bed or sometimes as stakes to play horseshoe.

They usually were a hardwood, like oak or walnut, that was soaked in linseed oil to prevent rot if used outdoors.

I'm fairly certain of this possiblity but perhaps someone else has another idea:)

Sarah B. said...

If I come across any vampires, I'll be sure to send them your way :)

Modred Vintage said...

Thanks for the comments and good info. anonymous. Let those blood-suckers come, I'm ready. :)