I have a wooden rolling pin in my kitchen, sitting atop my stove like a piece of sculpture. It’s plain, relatively new and doesn’t get much use. It’s nothing like the old wooden ones I come across at auction, stacks of them, with red and green painted handles.
I was at an auction once when a half-dozen of the nice old ones came up for bids. I had missed them in the preview and was about to let these pass me by when the auctioneer mentioned that one of them had autographs. I perked up. A rolling pin with autographs? What’s that all about, I wondered.
I bid on the lot and got it. The autographed pin had the signatures of 25 people, along with the printed date of 6-11-42. Many of the signatures were still readable.
Who were these people and what was the occasion for this rolling pin? Was it a gift to a retiring pastry chef, restaurant owner or other worker?
The rolling pin looked to have been used before the signatures were written, because there were flour and oil spots on it. Most likely, it was a cherished utensil made even more precious with the inscriptions.
Some of the names were priceless: Geo. W. Eberle. P.J. Haushaller (this name and the date were in calligraphy). L. Laviolette. Dot Dorst. R.H. Zoellner. R. Chauncey Warrington. Katherine Reilly.
Some just simply signed their first name: Molly. Jenny. Mel. Chris. Laura. Clair. Van V.
Many vintage pins have a history of their own. The most fortunate of us get them through heritage, handed down by a mother or grandmother. Or found among old boxes of memories left behind. I don’t recall my grandmother ever using one. What I do remember is her sprinkling flour on dough and using a jar to spread it out. Nothing beats the power of innovation.
The Cropping Cooks website, which offers a history of rolling pins, showed what must be the most unique use of a pin from the October 1920 edition of The American Woman Magazine. An article titled “How to Improve the Appearance: Making the Neck Pretty” shows a woman holding a pin under her chin (apparently after rolling it up her neck).
Rolling pins are collectible (especially the glass ones and cast-iron, which I understand are rare). You can find them on Ebay, at auctions, yard sales and flea markets.
One of the most interesting rolling pins I’ve seen in photos but have never found at auction is a German invention called springerle. It’s actually the name of the springerle cookies made from the pin. The pin has hand-carved figures or symbols on the wooden roller.
Although the autographed pin was the most intriguing to me, I have found other interesting ones at auction: An amber glass rolling pin. A tiger maple rolling pin with red handles. A stoneware rolling pin with a design of cobalt blue cats and hearts.
Speaking of cast iron, blogger Fatimah Ali writes about her grandmother’s cast-iron skillet on her Healthy Southern Comforts blog.
