Bodkins are tools used to pull narrow goods through casings. These useful tools would be used daily when lacing was an integral part of dress, or they might be used to insert ribbons into decorative lace edgings. Bodkins have been described as blunt-tipped thick needles, but they are found in other forms, including wide, flat, and tong styles.
The popularity of bodkins has waxed and waned over the centuries, and their sizes, styles, and uses have followed the fashion of the day. In centuries past, the term bodkin had multiple meanings, sometimes referring to needles, stilettos, knife-like daggers, and hairpins. Even today, there are other terms used for the bodkin, including ribbon threader, tape needle, yarn needle, and needle bodkin.
As a needlework tool collector, I encounter antique and vintage…
