Looking Back: Steel Lined Thimbles (Part 1)

This story, which first appeared in the March 1989 edition of The Record, was written by Nerylla Taunton and adapted for this publication by Barbara Curran. Before her death, Nerylla was a member of the Guild and was the founder and proprietor of Nerylla's Antiques in Cammeray on Sydney's north shore.
One of the cleverest marketing strategies that has ever been conceived was that devised by Charles Horner. Even today, one hundred years later, one would be hard pressed to think of a product that has been invented, promoted and sold by one person. Charles Horner was an ingenious jeweller and successful inventor and his thimble, the Dorcas, was a thimble made in three parts; an inner and outer layer of sterling silver and a core of steel.
What gave Charles Horner the idea of a steel lined thimble? Certainly he would have been aware of silver thimbles with steel tops, but it is a long step from that type of thimble to his invention. Something must have triggered off the concept and it is a shame we don't now what it is.
The marketing concept that went with his thimble was as ingenious as the thimble itself. One must remember that we are thinking of the early 1880s when churches in England had Dorcas Sewing Circles, which were groups of church ladies who regularly met to sew for the poor and for missions. Some Dorcas sewing groups are still in existence. In Victorian times these groups were part of the social scene and had taken their name from Dorcas, a biblical needlewoman known for her charitable sewing.
To introduce a thimble at this time with a name so well known was a brilliant marketing technique, but to add the final touch Charles Horner sold his thimble with a guarantee 'exchanged free if rendered useless from any cause whatsoever'. With all that it had going for it, it is no wonder the Dorcas Thimble became a household word and today is collected around the world and a society for it alone has been formed.
The Dorcas Thimble was not a cheap thimble and sold for nearly double the price of a normal sterling silver thimble. The original Dorcas thimbles were not marked Dorcas (this came later), but were marked PAT, an abbreviation of patent, and in some cases carried a registration number. Charles Horner's original patent registration number was 8954, registered in 1884, and as he added more designs to his range these designs were registered, e.g. the shell design was registered in 1893 as No. 210799.
A sure test to check whether a thimble is steel lined is to carry a small magnet which will readily disclose the steel lining. Even with a magnet it is very difficult to convince some dealers that a Dorcas is not all sterling silver.
Dorcas thimbles were made in sizes 1 (the largest) to 15. Sizes 1, 2, 13, 14 and 15 are extremely difficult to find, as there would have been very little demand for these sizes.
A Dorcas thimble was also made in gold and is quite a rare find. It is nice to have at least one Dorcas thimble in its original box with the guarantee on the bottom, but one can understand why so few of these cardboard boxes have survived ­ how many of us keep the packing of everyday items we purchase today?
There are a large number of Dorcas patterns. The most difficult to find is one with an engraved band, a pattern that to Nerylla's knowledge was never registered.
To extend the range of Dorcas thimbles available a new development was the Little Dorcas. This thimble was made on exactly the same principle ­ sterling silver lining and outer layers and steel core ­ but was a much shorter thimble.
Over the years Nerylla sold hundreds of Dorcas thimbles especially to quilters and every so often a lady would want a thimble that didn't impair any movement of the first joint of her finger; one that only reached beyond the fingernail. This is the market Nerylla thought the Little Dorcas was designed for, but for some reason she was unsure of, the number sold must have been quite small. Could it be that the Little Dorcas was only released on a test market basis, or is this idea too modern?

Looking Back: Steel Lined Thimbles (Part 2)
This story, which first appeared in the March 1989 edition of The Record, was written by Nerylla Taunton and adapted for this publication by Barbara Curran. Before her death, Nerylla was a member of the Guild and was the founder and proprietor of Nerylla's Antiques in Cammeray on Sydney's north shore.
Manufacturers of sterling silver thimbles must have been drastically affected by the introduction of the Dorcas Thimble ­ their sales figures must have plummeted. Consequently other steel lined thimbles appeared on the market: The Dreema, Dura and Doris. They were of inferior quality, with the best being the Dreema, which was made by Henry Griffiths and Sons. Nerylla found this thimble uncomfortable and heavy to use. The Dreema box carried the following note: 'This thimble has a steel lining between two layers of solid sterling silver. The beauty of silver with the strength of steel'. The Dreema was made in a variety of patterns and sizes.
The Dura Thimble was made by Walker and Hall and Nerylla believed its inferior quality is the reason so few are to be found. Walker and Hall were manufacturers of prestige sliver plated tableware in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Their name was synonymous with quality when one thinks of such items as silver plated biscuit barrels, vegetable tureens and flatware. To have produced an item like the Dura of such obviously inferior quality is astounding. One wonders why? Was it because it was a rush job to fight the opposition?
The Dorcas Thimble has been a mystery for quite some time, but it is now thought it was made by Charles Isles. Hold a Dorcas and a Doris in each hand and one sees and feels the difference. The Dorcas is quality, the Doris second rate.
Nerylla was often asked why the steel lined thimbles all began with a 'D', she supposed that the names Dreema, Dura and Doris were used as a marketing strategy. The Dorcas being so successful, to have a name as close as possible was desirable. How often things with a similar name are marketed to confuse.
The Dorcas Thimble is the only lined thimble that appears to have been marketed in Australia. Old advertisements for such firms as Anthony Hordens verify the Dorcas being widely sold in Australia.