Henning Band Loom

This blog post is going to be more pictures than words, as I don't know much more about this loom than what I can share in pictures. We'll start with the single sheet of paper that is all I have to tell me what this loom is. There is no instruction book. You can click on any of the three black and white images below to see them enlarged.



Editing to add: I have just looked at the above picture again, it looks to me as if the bobbins dangling off the back of the loom are for pattern threads, so these are not wound on the warp beam with other warp threads. What do you make of this? Comments most welcome at the end of this post.



If you didn't click on the first picture and squint at the text, you'll have missed these words:

A new loom for ribbons and narrow table runners.
The work is EASIER, FASTER and more UNIFORM.
A good method to learn the basics of weaving. It also provides good exercise for stiff wrists and ankles.
It holds steady because you sit on the bench with the weave in front of you.
It gives up to 15 cm (6 inches) weaving width.
The loom is made of birch.
Common two-leaved twill and fancy weaving with date and name.
12 harnesses for fancy weaving.
Separate stretching of the pattern threads.
A UNIQUE feature is that the weaving reed is always perpendicular to the weave.
The Weaving reed has three different partitions, 40, 60, and 80 reed blades per decimetre (per 4 inches).

The maker is Brunne Snikeri, of Villvagen 8, 872 00, Kramfors. (I discovered this is in Sweden).

Here are some bits that came with the loom, spare reeds, lease sticks, a spare toggle, reed sleying hook and a small shuttle.

It also came with a bundle of warp sticks, a peice of brown paper which also has been used as a warp separator, and a bag of texsolv and cotton heddles.

(But not the tea mug, this being an English home there's always one of those around, this particular one made by British craft potter Mike Dodd.)


Here's my photo of the whole loom, there are signs that it has been well used and no doubt well looked after until at some point put into store. We guess it dates from 1970s or 1980s.

That cluttered, scruffy looking room is our Lived In room. (most English homes have a Living Room, or Lounge, ours is not really smart enough to take either name).

Starting at the bench end of the loom, here is the front warp beam, with apron and brake.



In front of the warp beam, a read in the beater.


This sequence of three pictures shows how the beater works with parallel action to ensure that the reed "is always perpendicular to the weave"


The two shafts are simply two dowels with texsolv heddles that fit into slots in wooden frames.

These pictures show the front shaft at rest, and raised by a pushrod from the treadle.

Looking down the left hand side of the loom, from sitting on the bench, this is one of the treadles. The other is on the right hand side.

I'm repeating the first photo so you can see where the treadles are in relation to the rest of the loom.


In front of the shafts, this frame holds 19 bobbles for drawcords that can be used to lift individual threads.


The main drawloom sits behind the shafts, with 12 frames lifted by 12 bobbles.







At the back of the loom there is a raddle, and a clamp that sits on the warp beam. Below, a cloth beam with apron and brake is the same as at the front of the loom.

Editing to add: in the black and white photo above showing dangling bobbins behind the loom, it looks as if the main warp threads run under this piece of wood and pattern threads over it. What do you think?


On the bench there is some tray space, before and behind the shafts.


It looks fairly good in the photos so far, but the joints that attach the front and back of the loom to the tray sides are damaged and so they can move apart, and there is a lot of sideways movement in the beater, caused by wear.


What happens next with this loom? We take it apart, clean it up, mend the joints, refinish the wood as necessary and renew the drawcords. Wash the old heddles, re-assemble. In the meantime, I'm researching different types of band weaving and thinking about how to weave interesting patterns.

Can anyone tell me anything about this loom, or the bands woven on them? Comments welcome!