A New Spinning Wheel at Twisted

The Schacht Flatiron spinning wheel has just arrived at Twisted! It is a saxony wheel named after the pointed mountain range in Boulder, Colorado, where Schacht is based. We have the wheel out on our floor for display (and rental) and it is also available for rent by the week. See more info at our web store.

Personally, I love the look of this wheel. It has that classic historical shape, the one that reminds people of Sleeping Beauty, yet simultaneously boasts a sleek, modern design. The outcome is a fun mash up punctuated by its big black wheel. I love it! It looks like a sculpture of a horse with a black rider or a piece of modern furniture.

It is a double treadle and can be put in scotch, double drive or bobbin-lead mode. The wheel comes in pieces and must be put together but it does mean one has the option of putting the flyer on the left or the right side of the wheel.

Which brings me to the build. It arrived in a big, flat packed box all securely wrapped in paper, pieces bundled tightly together with care. There were 9 baggies clearly labeled in the order they were needed in installation along with a lot of screws, washers, and various metal bits. I wasn’t too worried until I started piecing the two broad legs to each other and just couldn’t figure out how the heck all this stuff went together without making a terrible awkward mess.

After doing a little internet researching – and thanks to Jillian Moreno, who documented her experience purchasing the Flatiron – I realized that you actually bend the plywood as you build this thing! Wow! I was terrified. But I followed directions as patiently as possible and when finally to the right point, I carefully and diligently started racketing down the plastic screw tabs. To my surprise, the pieces slowly bend around each other, and started taking shape. I was exhilarated! By the time I was finished and could test it out with a bit of roving, I felt like this wheel and I had a special bond. I mean, we had been through a tumultuous experience together, and I could tell that it really wanted me to take it home…

But alas, it is meant for the shop and will get a lot of use from our students and curious spinners. I’m hoping to get to take it out for a true test drive someday soon and look forward to hearing how people like spinning on it. Have you spun on this wheel? What do you think if it’s design?