Purple Heart Wood Swedish Style Boat Shuttle

Our shuttles are a Swedish-style boat shuttle. They have a “closed” bottom, hinged stainless steel spindle and come in a variety of woods. They are designed to be used with 4 or 5″ quills and have a wide opening to allow for the thread to feed off smoothly when weaving.

The shape of our shuttles is consistent and, at this time, are offered in only one size. They have a slim profile and are approximately 12 inches long, 1 & 3/4 inches wide and 3/4 inch tall. Weight varies according to the wood variety

Purple Heart is a large tree found from Mexico to southern Brazil, growing up to 170 feet tall. It is also sometimes called Amaranth. The grain structure is relatively plain but the color is what makes this wood stand out! This is another hard, dense wood which makes for a heavier shuttle at an average weight of 122 grams.

Quills are often preferable to a common plastic bobbin because they cause less tension on the weft as it unwinds during the weaving process. Swedish style shuttles, preferred for their smooth, quick action, are used by many accomplished weavers. I have chosen a few different varieties of wood to start with, hand selecting individual boards with pleasing grain structure in the woods that exhibit that. No two shuttles will be exactly alike because of variations in coloration and grain.