Sewing kit, British?

[T8HANTS]

I have had this since Noah was into rowboats, is it British and which war please? It will take two standard cotton reels in the pouch part.

Thanks ..... Gareth

[Old Tom]

Hello,

Not sure if I am senior to Noah! However the one I was given in 1950 ( standard UK issue) is a simpler form; just a pocket or pouch with a piece of khaki cloth inside the flap. It's in my wife's sewing box, so still in service. Could do with new tapes! Your's is complicated must be modern.

Old Tom

ps They are called 'housewifes - or usifs

[centurion]

It would seem that 1950 was the last year in which hussifs were standard issue so Old Tom's must represent the final official pattern. If that shown by Gareth is standard issue and not some privately purchased piece of kit then it must be older than 1950. This site could act as a starting point Hussif for research

[T8HANTS]

I probably bought it in a 1960's jumble sale for a 1d, that was the era when all sorts of stuff from both wars turned up. I remember paying a shilling for a TA trio (which I still have), and being very cross with my poor mum when she only brought home the blue tunic of the RMLI and not the trousers as well!

The hussif came with the pressed zinc shirt buttons, on a rusty safety pin, which I have replaced. I don't think they used zinc buttons in WW2, but I could be wrong.

Gareth

[daggers]

1951, NS, hussif issued, but I cannot remember the contents. Long gone...

D

[Joe Sweeney]

Gareth,

Hard to tell what yours is. It could be British WWI but also looks like it might be American (I'll have to dig out some of my American ones and compare). What is it made out of (Cotton or Wool)?

The photos below show some of my Great War British ones. I haven't completyely gone through the RACD records but I do have notes that say that Drill became standard in 1917 and the two drill versions would be of that type. I also have notes that the druill replaced "Suede" in manufacture and I believe serge. Most early war ones that I've seen have been wool or suede leather and quite a variety of material but all adhere to generally the same size and appearnace and all issue. Tocemma posted some nice photos of early Housewives previuosly.

All were long like yours--In 1918 a shortened version was introduced--which may or may not have been like the later WWII versions which were a simple white cotton pocket with needle material.

Hope this helps.

Joe Sweeney

[T8HANTS]

Hi Joe

It is made from cotton, tubular, with compressed cardboard ends covered in the same materiel. The section is about an inch and half in diameter by four inch. When unrolled the flap is seven inches long, with a pocket in the half round end. There is a white felt patch 4x4", where the pins and needles would go. Down the middle of that a strip of five sixteenths elastic is sewn into loops. It did once have a name written in pencil on the flap, that is now unreadable due to fading. The tie tapes are six inches long.

Gareth