Shuttle made from purpleheart wood by David Smith . The centerpost on which the thread is wound is well visible on this photo. Photo by courtesy of David Smith. A shuttle is basically a bobbin in a special form, which keeps the thread from unwinding itself. Simple shuttles today are made from plastics, and are about 4-8 cm long.
Shuttles made from wood, metal, silver, bone, horn and other materials are available.
In earlier times shuttles were often profusely ornamented. During the 18th century, when tatting was mostly done with thick cord or ribbon, big shuttles where used, which were made from costly materials and studded with precious stones. For some time it even was en vogue to have your portrait painted showing you with a shuttle. Tatting is a craft which is not very old, at least not in the form we know it today. The invention of chains dates back to the middle of the 19th century, while split rings are an invention of the 20th.