Shuttle talk

Finding the shuttle that's 'just right'

Schacht end-feed shuttle w/tension device

First there were LeClerc boat shuttles with bobbins and paper quills, mainly because my first loom was a LeClerc. More recently, along came a Bluster Bay traditional end-feed boat shuttle with hook-and-eye tensioner. Then came an Ahrehns & Violette (now Chico, Calif.-based AVL) end-feed tensioned shuttle along with the AVL 12-shaft dobby loom. 

Above: AVL tensioned end feed shuttle. ca.1981 w/pirns
Below: Boat shuttle w/paper quill

I was recently weaving cotton towels for a guild project on the new dobby loom. As I was evaluating the loom, I also began experimenting with the two end-feed shuttles. The 15" AVL, which was almost certainly made for the loom (They share the same inventory number from FIT), works beautifully, but feels too big and too heavy in my hand and for the 34' dobby loom. 

Above: Bluster Bay end-feed shuttle w/hooks and eye
Below: Boat shuttle with bobbin

I swapped out the AVL shuttle for the 11" Bluster Bay shuttle. Nice. These are beautiful shuttles. The quality of workmanship is excellent and they are a pleasure to work with. But I found threading the hooks and eye very fiddly and hard to replicate if I lost the end of the prior pirn's thread. Its size also felt a tad small, but the difference in weight  with the AVL may have contributed to that conclusion. (See weight comparisons below.)

I was using two colors for some of the towels and that gave me a good opportunity to evaluate the shuttles against each other. 

Ideally, I'd want two shuttles of the same weight and balance for a project--and the end-feed shuttles I had were too different to pair. So, I tried using a traditional boat shuttle and bobbin with the Bluster Bay, only to be reminded how much I hated the rolling bobbins that either pay out excess weft or hold onto it so tightly it pulls the selvedge too often. A paper quill was better, but couldn't replicate the selvedges of the Bluster Bay. 

I longed for the 'just right' end-feed shuttle.

Path to purchase

I had purchased my first end-feed shuttle--the Bluster Bay--at a conference on recommendations from others, but hadn't really researched available products. I love the shuttle, but cost is always a consideration. Much as I love working with the elegant shuttle, the cost for shuttle with a metal tensioning device is one-third to one-half again the cost of other brands. 

I needed more information. I weighed my shuttles--with and without pirns--and collected  specifications for end-feed shuttles with metal tensioning devices on the market. Then I  consulted with weavers on Weavolution, where there had been a lengthy discussion a few years ago on the topic. 

Schacht end-feed tensioning device, detail

After listening to what others had to say about their experiences, I balanced what I needed against cost. I bought a 12 inch Schacht end-feed shuttle.

I have been using my new shuttle and I love it. It's not as beautiful in the hand, but i's a snap to thread (no hook needed!) and the metal tensioning  pads are easily adjustable. 

No, I don't have a matched pair, but the Bluster Bay and the Schacht work pretty well together. At least for now. 



And now I have only myself to blame if my selvedges are less than nice.


Here are some specs used in my decision-making process. 

Specifications	Ahrehns & Violette  (Chico, California)	Bluster Bay (Sandpoint, Idaho)	Schacht (Boulder, Colorado)
Length	15 inches	11 inches	12 inches
Type pirn	Wood	Cardboard	Wood
Weight (with/without pirn)	7.8 oz/5.8 oz	3.7 oz/3.8 oz	4.8 oz/5.4 oz
Tension type	Metal tensioning pads	Hook and Eye	Metal tensioning pads

Note: End-feed shuttles require pirns to match. 

Shuttle, shuttle

Diversity, purpose and personal style define shuttle types

Sally Orgren's shuttles and shuttle holder at top center

Once a weaver has a few shuttles in his or her toolkit, what more is there to know? A lot, as Sally Orgren proved in the September program "Boost Your Weaving Skills: All About Shuttles," for the New York Guild of Handweavers. 

Targeted to weavers at all levels of experience, Sally used her personal collection of shuttles and a handout with images to demonstrate different shuttle types and characteristics, as well as proper bobbin/pirn/quill winding, and shuttle handling. 

Match the shuttle type to the loom (shed), the yarn, and personal working styles to improve the weaving experience and the end product, she advises weavers. Consider not only the type of shuttle--stick, boat, ski, rag, etc.--but the unique features of the shuttle. Considerations include:

Sally Orgren winding on a stick shuttle

• Height of the shuttle. Match height to the shed depth on the loom, which is dependent on the loom.
• Length of the shuttle. Match length to the width of the project on the loom.
• Length of the side opening for the weft feed. In most cases, the longer the opening, the more even the feed.
• Type of weft yarn. Bulky, fine, sticky, smooth.
• Shape of the nose: Sharp or blunt? Again, important to the loom type and shed size.
• Open or closed bottom. Mostly personal preference, but heavily loaded bobbins/pirns/quills will drag.
• Handling the shuttle. Very personal. How does the shuttle feel in the hand when you hold the shuttle to throw it? 

Considering buying a new shuttle? Borrow one from a friend and try it before buying it, she suggests.

The yarn goes on

Sally Orgren demonstrates winding a quill

Obviously, winding the weft yarn onto the shuttle depends on the type of shuttle. Sally demonstrated some winding operations. One was loading a stick shuttle using a figure-eight wind-on to load as much as possible yet keep a low profile shuttle. 

She also demonstrated how to make a paper quill, tips to stabilize bobbins on the bobbin winder, and how to wind on bobbins, pirns and quills. (Want to watch someone do it? Check out The Woolery's videos.)

Invitation to learning

Join the South Jersey Guild of Spinners and Handweavers meeting Oct. 1 for "Warp to Weave," a program on how to get started--or how to improve--reading a draft and warping a loom.