Product Description
We are permanently sold out of the Large Chrome variant of these vintage tenders. We have plenty of the bronze version.
Note: we are selling you “un-prepped” tenders on this page. We have photos showing them in two stages of preparation…this is part the educational component of the Golden Witch website. Please understand these images show work YOU must do, not parts as they will arrive when your order them.
Thankfully we’ve found more of these Classic English-Style Hook Tenders, although only in the larger sizes. These tenders provide a great alternative to Ring & Saddle tenders, being classic, yet much easier to deal with when varnishing. Note that the feet in all three styles are grooved to give purchase to larger diameter threads; if you’re using small diameter threads such as Pearsall’s or YLI silk, you’ll need to file the grooves smooth before wrapping or the fine silks will bunch up inside the grooves and leave the higher ridges exposed. Also, these tenders were manufactured “flat,” so before you use them you’ll need to use padded pliers (rubber coated jaws, or wrap the jaws in a few layers of masking tape) to bend the loop up to the desired angle, probably 35-45 degrees up from the surface of the blank. The photo gives a good size-to-size comparison, but here are the actual dimensions.
Medium Bronze: 0.850” overall; 0.160” width inside the loop.
Large Bronze: 0.935” overall length; 0.190” width inside the loop.
Please bear in mind, I measured three sample parts very closely, but these parts were produced in large batches well over a half-century ago and there is some variety of size within each group.
Education: OK, here’s where you get a little extra insight. These tenders arrive as manufactured: flat. Some of the photos in the products shots show tenders that have been bent so that the loop sits upright at a pleasant and functional angle. These are made of relatively soft metal, softer than the steel jaws on the pliers you probably have. You need to purchase delrin or nylon jawed pliers, or pad the jaws of your steel pliers with a few layers of masking tape or duct tape, otherwise you will score the tenders while forming them. Bend the loop up. You can hold the feet and bend the loop by pressing against the edge of your bench. You can clamp the feet in a vise (padded jaws!) and bend the loop with padded pliers. There are other ways to achieve the task, but this will get you going in the right direction. Once bent, the feet splay a little more than usual. You can squeeze them back together. Sometimes they stay shut, sometimes the spring action just will not allow them to close up. Not to worry, because if they stay slightly splayed, you can close them and keep them closed with the couple turns of masking tape that will secure the tender to your blank as you wrap it down, i.e., there’s not a whole lot of pressure to overcome. After the loop is bent up, if you plan to wrap with fine silks, you’ll want to file or grind off the grooves and taper the toe. You can see this in one photo. I used to file these by hand with half-round jeweler’s files – it’s simple and easy to control, but can induce finger cramps if you’re doing stacks of them. Now I use a rotary file – a cylindrical diamond encrusted bit – and a Foredom tool; a Dremel tool works just fine After the foot and toe are shaped, I use the coarse (Green) polishing paper to remove any residual burrs that could damage the silk when you’re wrapping. Polish down through the papers – just on the foot – going from Coarse, to Medium, to Fine. That’s enough…you really don’t need to hit these with a buff and rouge, although you can if you’ll have transparent or translucent wraps and want the hook tender foot to glow beneath the wrap.
Used by the Brits, yes, but:
Made In Germany
