Knowing about specialized tools is fun. They are often strange, and we don’t know how to use them. However, there are always rational reasons for these forms. In any creative field, there would be strange, specialized tools.
Recently, I started sewing as a hobby. Today, let’s look at curious tools of sewing.
A seam ripper
The first strange sewing tool is shown in the following photo. I could not predict its purpose at all when I saw it several months ago.
This item is called a seam ripper. As the name suggests, it is a tool to unsew seams. The inside of the curve is a blade, and that allows us to cut the seam thread with the pointed part.
People say that this makes it easier to untie stitches.
However, I am avoiding using this tool. It is fragile to lateral force. When I first used it, I used it incorrectly and accidentally broke that blade. Since then, I have been too scared to use this tool and have not used it at all. Instead, I am using another tool.
An awl
The second strange tool is something like an ice pick.
This item is called an awl.
Since our fingertips are far larger than threads, a sharp-pointed tool like this is useful for handling seams and fabric corners with precision. In my case, I use it to make the corners look beautiful after sewing and turning it inside out.
By the way, when I first saw it, I mistakenly thought the ice pick at home had mixed in with the sewing toolbox. Since my parents’ house was so messy, it was natural for me to suppose so.
It looks like we can use it as a weapon.
Bag strap adjusters
The third one is in the following photo. Perhaps you have seen them, even if you have not been sewing.
They are called bag strap adjusters. It is the metal fixture in the middle of the bag strap, as shown in the following image:
This is a bit of a confusing structure. I didn’t know how to use it until I became an adult. Although it would be one of the great traditional creativities, I am still poor at using this kind of adjuster.
A razor
The final one is a straight razor. Although it seems that general seamstresses don’t use this, it is convenient to remodel.
When remaking second-hand clothes, unsewing is inevitable. A straight razor works well to cut the seams. It is several times more efficient for me than the seam ripper, which I introduced first.
That is one reason I don’t use the seam ripper. My parents also often use this razor. Sometimes, tools from other fields can be more useful than a well-known tool in our field.
Conclusion
Anyway, I am proceeding with making a new bag.
In any creative field, there would be strange tools and ideas.
Knowing them is interesting.
Thank you for reading this article. I hope to see you in the next one.
