No 43. The Final Count Down!! and the last of the Pipe Tampers!!

21^st February 2023………… the final post on my Leg blog.   An appropriate date, because the first post was on 21^st February 2021, and THIS anniversary post, which will include the remaining legs in my collection, will be No 43.

In fact, a few more stats!!

Yes, 43 posts in 24 months covering every one of the 169 legs in my collection and as near as dammit, with an average of 4 legs per post. The legs fell into 39 categories, and readers will know that 49 (over 25%) are Pipe Tampers. 

Interestingly in 20 of the categories I only have one example, for example just 1 toothpick, 1 scribe, 1 Nail file etc.

Sadly my enthusiasm is not reflected in the number of hits on my blog.  15 posts have been read by no-one!!, and only Post No 1 got double figures…27. But I’ve enjoyed the writing and nothing has swayed me from my believe that I am the only Microtibialist in the world!!  And as a final statistic….I’ve written 32,000 words!!! And I estimate I have include over 150 photographs.

And so for the final curtain!! I’ve progressively eked out the Pipe Tampers over 2 years but I am left with six, and this is a photo of the group. None of them have any identification marks but there are some good carving in the legs.

Starting from the left with number 1, I bought this leg in 2009 at the NEC. It is stock number 2 and was bought at the same time as No 1. That is where it all started!!

The leg is made of Ivory and whilst not hallmarked I believe the unhatched top is silver. It was bought in the days when I did collect Ivory, but I don’t buy ivory any more.

 

Next (no 2) is a small neat brass Tamper bought in 2015 at a Stafford Fare. Not hatched but it is very tactile and described as a lady’s tamper, with “a long sock!!”

 

Then No 3, a very small 19^th century treen tamper, with a gold coloured fringed cap.

 Looking at the top, the engraving (not hatching) could include a cartouche but it is much too small to be used as such.  The only odd thing is that there are 2 adjacent holes just under the cap which may have been to run a thread so that tamper could be hung on something like a chatelaine. (No idea what the wood is!)

 An interesting comparison of the three brass Tampers.

 

Number 4 – again a simple Brass tamper, this time hatched to facilitate tobacco tamping. Bought in 2017 at the NEC.

Number 5  Brass and Bronze can be confused especially with age but this one is brass. The visible toes makes this a left leg, it is hatched, albeit very small and it has an attractive curled top. Another from the NEC and dated 1880/90.

Finally No 6 is another of my favourites, the wrinkled Hunters Boot. This one I feel sure is bronze and it is quite worn. Bought at a good price!!, at Newark in 2022.

 

So that is the final Post of my leg collection. I have enjoyed writing about all 169 legs in my collection and I am only sorry I did not have more followers – just 127 Hits!!!.  This blog will stay live, and I will check periodically to see if there is a resurgence!”!”!

Keep leg collecting…our time will come….. The hobby has been on the Antique Road Show so anything is possible!!

 

David.