Antique Victorian Blacksmith Forged Garden Line Marker with Original Peg, c1890.

These hand-forged tools were particularly popular between 1880 and 1900. This is a blacksmith-forged garden line marker and pin, also known as a gardener's string line or row winder. It would have been used for marking out straight rows in vegetable patches, allotments, and decorative borders before planting seeds or seedlings, also for helping mark out straight lines on tennis courts etc.

The reel or winder, the larger iron pin, houses a rotating spindle wrapped in twine or string. You push or hammer the long spike directly into the ground at one end of your intended planting bed. The pin or peg, the second, simpler metal spike, it is attached to the loose end of the string fed from the reel. You walk to the far end of the bed, pull the string taut, and push or hammer the second pin into the ground. This leaves a perfectly straight line suspended above the ground to guide your hoe, trowel, spade or line painter. This example has two small forged winding handles.

The winder is in good used condition, I am selling it exactly as I found it, I think it is rustically charming. You could clean it up, if that’s your preference. It measures approx. 43cm by 20.5cm by 2cm and weighs 1185g.

A wonderfully nostalgic tool that could still easily be used today.

Please see pictures for more details.

Thanks for looking and Happy Bidding!

Recycled packaging is used as much as possible.

I am always happy to combine postage, all I ask if you let me know if you are bidding on more than one item within a few days of each other. I will pack and weigh the items together and get the best possible price that I can, sometimes weight or value might dictate that I send multiple parcels to get a better value for you.