Straw rope maker

This is a straw rope maker. In the modern world we take rope for granted. It is cheap and easily available and piles of plastic rope and baler twine are a common sight on most farms. It was not always so. Up until the 1920s many local farmers made their own rope out of straw during harvest time. It was mainly used to hold and secure haystacks. The rope was made using this instrument. It comprises a curved hook attached to a tapering wooden shaft with a cranked rotating handle. One man, the spinner, attached some lengths of straw to the hook and began turning the handle. A second man, the maker, added additional stalks which were twisted together to form a length of rope. This straw rope maker was used at a farm near Drummore.