This Is Bekki

The day began innocently enough. Dick and I joined a friend at the Flea Market at the Ventura Fairgrounds. We weren't looking for anything special; we went just for fun and because the next flea market won't be until September.

Dick bought several antique or vintage woodworking hand tools. I saw but didn't buy a 6-foot walking wheel that was beautiful. She needed some work but any wheel that old would need attention. Unfortunately, I don't have the room to display or use her properly. Bummer.

My first find was this:
An old Bissell carpet sweeper that appears to be in working condition. I've admired them for years but hadn't bought one because they were always "too"; too much money or in too bad condition or too something. This one was perfect, at least to me. It needs a little work - a section of the wood needs reglueing and it needs a good cleaning. But overall it's wonderful. And at $10 it was a bargain.

As we were leaving for the day, I found this:
A vintage wood 4" Weave-It, still in the box, with the original instructions, and in mint condition. If you've looked for these recently, you know that they are almost impossible to find. Even the new 4" Weavettes are out of stock & tough to locate. So I held my breath and asked the price. And I couldn't get that $1 bill out of my pocket and into the vendor's hand fast enough. What a fabulous find!

But the real treasure of the day is Bekki:
Bekki is an Ashford Traveler spinning wheel that I bought for $60! She is missing the drive band but otherwise looks to be in working condition. All four original bobbins are there, as is the lazy kate and the spinning hook. The bobbins all have fiber on them but it doesn't appear to have been spun - it looks like commercial yarn was wound on just for looks. I'm thinking that the previous owner wasn't a spinner and just used the wheel for decoration? Bekki needs some TLC - the wood has really dried out - but nothing that a little beeswax shouldn't take care of.

And now, of course, I have questions. I've done a little research into Ashford wheels but nothing in depth. How do I find out how old Bekki is? She's a single treadle, which I understand is not being made any longer? Is that significant to establishing her age? And why is the mother-of-all hinged? What purpose does that serve? Help? Anybody??