South Bucks Bobbins were originally used for Buckinghamshire Point lace, a complex lace made with very thin thread. The bobbins had to be small to get all that were needed on the pillow. The gimp bobbins were made much thicker so they could be easily found among the pile. And take note that neither form of South Bucks was meant to be spangled!
Today, South Bucks are often used on our portable travel pillows and known as travel bobbins. In deference to modern tastes, South Bucks may be drilled for spangling, though the gimp form does not lend itself to this at all well and I do not advise the gimps be drilled.
The main photo shows the size difference between Midlands and South Bucks. The others show gimps.
South Bucks/travel bobbins may be made in most of the turned, twist and some of the painted styles, in wood or bone. The design may have to be simplified a bit due to the shorter shaft. The combo and rings do not lend themselves to this smaller size.
Wood South Bucks are $5.00. Bone South Bucks are $8.00.
If you look carefully at the gimp bobbin form, you will note it is very small at the tail, then expands up to its thickest diameter. Above that point, the collar and head are less in diameter. This makes joinings much easier; the tiny tail slips into small loops of thread, expands it to a maximum, then the rest of the bobbin can slip through without further pulling the thread. The very early small Bucks non-spangled bobbins had a similar bottom-heavy design, though not as marked.
