AboutBarbara K. Acchino Expertise II CAN ONLY ANSWER QUESTIONS ON THIMBLES
AND ANTIQUE SEWING TOOLS. NO SEWING MACHINES. NO NON-SEWING ITEMS.
Experience I have been collecting for almost 20 years.
Organizations ThimbleCollectors@ONElist.com; Thimble Collectors International; Thimble Guild; Thimbletter II, Empire State Thimble Collectors
Publications "Sewing with Scotties" Scottie Sampler; various articles for the "Bulletin" - official newsletter of Thimble Collectors International (TCI)
Question Is it good or bad to clean and polish old thimbles? My cousin just sent me a package of thimbles that belonged to our grandmother. She was a seamstress and died in 1965. I don't want to destroy any value they may have. Some are brass, and some appear to be steel. I have no idea what the other ones are made of. Only one is shiny and looks new. It has England 9 on it. The rest are much fancier. Thank you for any help you can give. I can't wait to display them.
Answer Hello Penny. How nice that you have your grandmother's thimbles! There are two schools of thought on cleaning thimbles. If you clean a thimble, it loses its natural patina. Each time you clean a silver thimble, you remove some of the silver. The other school of thought is that if you want to display or appreciate the intricate patterns on some thimbles, then you must clean them, but do so carefully. Sometimes a soft toothbrush with mild dishwashing soap will remove much of the dirt/tarnish. Be very sure to dry all moisture off. If you MUST use a silver polish, use the least abrasive you can find (I use simichrome). DO NOT under any circumstances use any "dip" type products such as Tarnex....that EATS the finish away. You will never have a shine on any silver thimble again. The thimble stamped England 9 is probably an aluminum thimble and cleaning won't hurt it. Brass thimbles can be polished the same as sterling and gold...with something like simichrome (you can find the product on line, if not in a local antiques or jewelry store). To keep your thimbles from tarnishing again, keep them in a sealed container so that air and moisture is restricted. There are thimble domes that will help as well as glass front cases, depending on how many thimbles you actually have. Enjoy your collection! Barb
