It’s so funny to think that my children will have no idea what a walkman is, or a slinky, or any number of objects that were popular decades ago, but are completely obsolete nowadays. The object we’re going to talk about today definitely fits into this category, and it’s something that you may remember yourself, from many years ago.

The funny-looking tool in the above photo is actually an important sewing tool — it’s a needle threader. These small tools usually consisted of a round metal piece to which a diamond-shaped wire was attached. Many of these needle threaders were made from a thin type of metal, such as tin, and had a stamp on the top piece of the Queen’s head.

Curiously enough, this type of needle threader dates all the way back to the Victorian era. These needle threaders were inexpensive to make, easy to use, and paid homage to the Queen as an extra bonus. Throughout the early 1900s, different types of needle threaders began to emerge. In 1978, Juki became the first company to incorporate an automatic needle threader into a sewing machine.

You can still find these vintage needle threaders if you search hard enough, and they’re still totally effective today. Although modern needle threaders also exist, there’s something pretty special about using a sewing tool that your grandmother and your grandmother’s grandmother may have used!