Well it is to me anyway.
A week or so ago I spotted this shuttle on Fleabay. Whoops, I mean Ebay. I looked at it and wondered. As it was a BIN (buy it now) I flipped it into my basket and bought it.
Now I grew up using the original Milward black shuttles with the separate hook and know that they were made not far from where I live. Then the Aero was 'born' with the hook and bobbin and I converted to that (eventually) and never looked back. It was also made 'just down the road'.
Now this new one has the Milward name on it and is blue and modern and made in Germany. Milward and Aero are related and Aero were re-located to Germany many years ago but what are these companies up to trying to confuse an OG? Does anybody know anymore about the Milward/Aero/Coats relationship?
I've just found another one like mine but in yellow on Fleabay (cheaper too, darn) and am now wondering if this is Pony (do NOT like their shuttles) who are now re-branding? The seller bought the blue one from a store near her a few months ago so that answers one question - it's new. She also said the shop was closing the haberdashery department due to Coats UK ceasing trading. Can the news for us crafters get anymore dire?
9 comments:
Intriguing! At least this isn't a post shuttle with a bobbin included! Remember when those were floating about? I look forward to learning the answer to this mystery.
Well it's not a pony shuttle. They usually say that , but that doesn't mean it isn't the same mold. I'm not sure if Milward was bought out by the same company as pony makers . This is a mystery.
Let us know when you get an answer.
I'm very interested in knowing the answer as well. At first look, I was thinking Pony Shuttle as well.
Curiouser and curiouser!
I too bought and old Millard shuttle years ago for collecting and used it was black white inside that's all I ever knew they made, and love that. Then a year or so went by and spotted another black one and then red, this time around they were not the same plastic and very new and the plastic was not the same and the side kind of cut your hands cause the edge was made little cheaper I too wondered this is not same company? Yet looks the same I never bought anymore.
The old black and white Milwards were made a few miles from me and I cut my tatting teeth on them 60 years ago. I do know that the factory (Milwards/Aero) burnt down and that the moulds were sent to Aero Germany. The rest is a mystery!!!
I saw that on ebay, and wondered about it.
My first thought was that someone had put the a Pony shuttle into the wrong packaging!
It had sold by the time I saw it; I wondered who'd bought it!
I apologise profusely, Adrian!!! There's another and cheaper on Fleabay but it's yellow and marketed under the Milward company. Take a punt, lad, take a punt!!!
I can comment again! Wasn't able to for a few days! You're making good use of those metal rings. They add some nice bling to the medallions. And I had to hunt for the missing tatted ring in the one medallion as it's certainly not obvious in the variegated thread. And 11 rather than 12 chains look natural.
Glad you added more tatted items to your new header. (I knew you would!) The Milward/Aero shuttle mystery continues! I still find it amazing that they were made near you! I just took the Aero shuttles for granted and wish I had purchased more of them. They were beautifully made. I am grateful, though, for the Aerlits.
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