My understanding is that in 1884, Fell began working for the Mayville Furniture Company, which manufactured spinning wheels for sale both locally and to a broader market. When the factory closed in 1904, Fell purchased its lathe and opened his own wood-turning shop in his Mayville, WI home. He built German-style wheels, although he was the son of a British immigrant cabinetmaker and not of German descent.  Existing wheels are highly collectable and have a reputation for spinning extraordinarily well and this wheel is no exception.  Most rare and unusual, while most have been lost, this wheel retains a bit of the original distaff.  Spinners love these wheels and for good cause.

While this wheel has a beautiful patina and retains it's original finish, there are signs of age and wear from use.  Please examine the photos and the video as they are important parts of the description.  The wheel does not have a label or maker's mark or signature.  However, I feel confident in my opinion that this is a Frank Fell Spinning Wheel.

This wheel spins like butter.  I offer it without reservation and with more than a little reluctance.  It disassembles and reassembles easily and is light making it the perfect candidate to take out for demonstrations and re-enactments.  It is a single treadle, double drive, German Saxony style spinning wheel.  The functional difference between a double drive and a Scotch tension (for example Ashford Saxony), is while finding the "sweet spot" on a double drive may take a bit of fiddling, but once found, you can spin without any further adjustments; you can even switch out bobbins and spin again without adjusting the tension.  The Scotch tension needs to be adjusted throughout the process of filling the bobbin.  While this may not be an issue for a novice spinner, it is an annoyance as one becomes more proficient and increases the rate at which they can fill a bobbin.

I have used this wheel when teaching new spinners and as an experienced spinner, I still find it a joy upon which to spin.  I am selling as I am attempting to reclaim the living areas of my home; I have more than a dozen working wheels and several in the process of restoration.  While I'm not convinced, my husband assures me that one cannot spin on more than one wheel at a time and therefore it makes no sense to have so many wheels.  That said, this wheel needs to be re-homed where it will be used and appreciated.

Please examine the photos, they are an important part of the description.  And please enjoy the video of this wheel at work.  (The yarn on the bobbin and the orifice threader are not included with this sale.)



Because it is an antique, the wheel is sold As-Is No-Return.  The wheel may be picked-up in Bradenton, FL to avoid shipping costs. 

I will ship at buyers expense anywhere in the continental USA via USPS, UPS, FedEx, or Greyhound (usually the cheapest); buyers choice of shipper.  I do not charge a handling fee or for shipping materials.  If the estimate for shipping exceeds the actual cost for shipping, insurance, signature and tracking costs by more than $1, I will refund the overage to the buyer.