Throughout history, rolling pins have been the king of the kitchen. An early kitchen tool, these were essential for early kitchen baking and cooking. I have been collecting rolling pins for about ten years. Don’t really know how it happened, but I love when I find an unusual one at an auction or garage sale.
Early pins were carved from one piece of wood. The rolling handles came along much later, at the end of the 19th century. Of course, they are used to roll out bread, noodles, pie crust, and more. They are still manufactured today. And, they experienced a resurgence during the pandemic when home cooking and baking was more popular.
Some of the favorites!
The top rolling pin is the biggest one I have. It’s huge. It was probably used in an industrial restaurant or baking establishment. The middle, glass rolling pin has wooden handles. Although you see glass rolling pins a lot, I have never seen one with wooden handles that unscrew. Warm water was placed inside the rolling pin to assist with smooth rolling. I bought the yellow handle one at a garage sale. Although it’s pretty plain, I had never seen one with yellow handles.
The top pin in this group was carved in one piece. I thought the bore holes added a lot of character to this treasure. I bought the Kelvinator at an auction about ten years ago. Kelvinator was an American appliance company selling from the early 1900s. This looks 1940s to me. I had never seen one like this before. I’m sure it was a give away with a new refrigerator or appliance. Who knows, this might have been what started the collection! The last rolling pin was probably used for smaller cookies or pie crusts. I just liked the color and the look.
Although rolling pins are easy to find, one that is unusual is generally more of a treasure hunt. After ten years, I only have twenty or so. It’s still a lot of fun!
Happy hunting! Jackie
Big Red Barn Blog 