I've been reading up in the dress accesories book from HM stationers office about various common objects, and I've started a project making pins with wire wound heads for the women of Wolfe Argent.

Examining the photos and measurements closely, I took some 0.5mm brass wire, and started to experiment. I used a smooth pair of small flat hobby pliars, and proceeded to ruin a half dozen attempts at winding the head (twice around the shaft was the norm, in an S or X). I figured out why The wire would either not loop closely enough, or shear off from stess - I needed to soften the wire! The problem was solved by exposing the head end of the pin to be to a candle flame for about 3 - 5 seconds. That enabled me to wind the head into a nearly identical approxomation of the ones in the photos in the book - after the head was pressed together tighter with the pliars.

I cut the wire to the appropriate length, and taking a piece of sand paper, sharpened the end of the pin to a point. I also roughed the surface up a bit so it wasn't so smooth (and wouldn't pull out of cloth so easily. In all, I made a dozen pins tonight, of which four are useable (two of them really good), and the rest are scrapped. At this point, it takes me ten minutes to make a good pin - and I still make ones from time to time that are junk to be disposed of.

If anybody is interested, I will post some pics down the line. (way down the line)

on pins...

hooray for Bob for trying to do it right, as opposed to the way *I* make pins!!!! (ie holding the wire in the torch flame until it melts and beads up)

for shaping of the head, and annealling the metal, we have pictures (albeit a bit late) of jewelers workshops. They all have oven like things for heating the metal. They also have a large assortment of hammers hung up on the wall. I have found it critical to work harden the pin by gently tapping on the shaft part. If you dont do this, the pin will bend as soon as there's any stress on it at all.

To shape the head, all you need is a bit of metal with a hole in it the diameter of your pin. Stick the pin in the hole, with the head flush to the surface. A couple gentle taps will harden it as well as comperss the head.

I have no idea how it was done in period, though I understand that the Mitterwhatsis has pictures of pinmakers? the list of professions I've seen suggest that a pinmaker was someone who made pins and that was about it.

again, hooray for properly made pins rather than my cheater ones!!!!!!!