Page 43 - Giv'er Miramichi magazine - Summer 2017

This Old Thing

In our last issue Bernie Colepaugh of the Miramichi mid 1940s after WWII for tree bundles being sent to the
Folklore Park in Renous sent a photo of an old thing and USA. The men didn't have to slow down in processing to
asked our readers if they could identify it. look for a knife, and as you know, were paid by the bundle,
Keith Duthie thought it was a therefore a very important tool needed to improve their
ring knife used for cutting twine. weekly wages. My father had one and no one was allowed
Dave Flynn agreed, “The item is a to touch it for fear of being lost or misplaced. I suspect it was
finger twine cutter. Used to cut used during other applications using twine/ cord bundling,
twine when baling Christmas trees but my sole exposure to it was Christmas trees.”
for shipment.” Bill Dunnett Richard Kingston wrote, “I have one of these which was
concurred and said he still had one. made by my uncle Clayton Kingston. He called it a Finger
Jacques Bourque wrote, “I Knife. His uncle, Will Kingston, from Williamstown and
saw this tool being used when I was a child. It was used by later Millerton, was a Christmas tree buyer. The trees were
a man who came to buy Christmas Trees from local land wrapped with baler twine and Clayton used this knife to cut
owners. He wore this tool as a ring on his index finger and the twine after the knot was tied. Always on the finger, this
he used it to cut the rope that he was using to wrap the knife was never misplaced while working at wrapping the
Christmas trees before loading them on a truck.” trees.”
And Jim Weaver from Doaktown agreed, “This is a 'ring Joseph Trevors, Romeo Hébert and Marshall Bryenton
knife' for your finger for cutting the cord that you used to tie all agreed, but what does Bernie say?
Christmas trees in a neat bundle for shipping.” “This cutter was worn on the finger and used by people
Nilah Lyver wrote, “My dad, Todd Stewart said this wrapping Christmas trees with twine for shipping.”
looks exactly like a band they wore around their finger when Everyone who wrote in this time knew what it was!
tying up Christmas Trees, this was use to cut off the knot Good stuff! This month Bernie sent another photo ... Do you
quickly with a turn of the finger.” June Gallant elaborated, know what this is? Email your ideas to
“I can smell the fresh cut Christmas trees now. Dad was a submit@mightymiramichi.com. Include “This Old Thing” in
Christmas tree exporter in the 1960s. No automatic balers the subject line. Check for the answer in the next issue!
back then. We wrapped each tree by hand
with Christmas tree twine, your picture is a
bailer ring or twine ring. You would wear it
on your finger, depending on the length of
your tree, you would bale it by wrapping
twine around tree, make a slip knot to tighten
and use your baling ring to cut the twine,
then move on to make the next tie until your
tree was tightly secured.”
John E. Doran agreed, “Bernie, it's a What is This Old Thing?
knife ring used during the baling of
Christmas trees. The time period would be

Giv’er Miramichi is published by MCG Media 43