Thatching Tools

Crooks and Sways

• Crooks are large nail-like pieces of iron, up to 12 inches long, that are used to help hold the thatched roof in place. One end has a right-angled hook that fits into the sway. Sways are rods, made either of hazel wood or steel, that hold the thatch bundles in position against the rafters. Sways are sometimes secured by screw ties or cord that has been coated with sticky tar.

Legates

• This looks somewhat like a giant version of a currycomb, a comb used to get rid of loose hairs. Traditionally made of wood, a legate has a long handle on a square head with a series of nibs---usually horseshoe nails that have been flattened. The legate is handled much like an axe, swinging it so the reed ends are pushed into place. Modern legates are also made of cast aluminum.

Knives

• Thatchers use a variety of knives. An eaves knife is used to cut straw on the eaves and along the gables. A spar knife, curved with a hook on one end, is used to cut hazel wood into the rods that hold the thatch to the roof. A shearing hook, which looks like a scythe used for harvesting crops, is used to trim the ends of the thatch around the entire roof. Fine trimming is also done with large scissors or manual sheep shears.

Side Rake

• Looking like a long wooden comb with giant, well spaced 3-inch teeth, a side rake is used to comb small bits and pieces of material out of the long bundles of set straw thatch. Combing also helps to compact the straw roof. The side rake has a long handle that makes it easier to use.