ABOUT CROOKS

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 59, 2 December 1933, Page 18

ABOUT CROOKS

But Not the Wicked Kind

Among all the shepherd’s , possessions, apart froin his dog, his sheepcrook takes first place. It is his constant companion. With it he catches sheep by the hind leg and young lambs by the neck. Without it he would be unable to do the work he does,” writes Barclay Wills in the “Sussex County Magazine.” "Sometimes a ‘best’ crook is kept at home, and only used on special occasions, but the one in d..11y use must suit his particular fancy, otherwise It will be superseded at the first opportunity. Not every shepherd we meet is thoroughly satisfied with the crook he is using—it may be a little too light or a little too heavy, or too long in the guide, or too large in the head for his sheep. “There are so few good crook-makers about now that it is not always an easy matter to get a crook which satisfies all requirements. Just as a rambler may prefer one old stick, or a workman one favourite tool, so a shepherd likes a crook which is comfortable to handle, and should he acquire one, by chance, which is satisfactory in all respects he will not be persuaded to part with it. “It is a surprise to those who make even a casual study of crooks to find what variety there is to note and what detail there is to discover. The very old ones of wrought iron are often well made, but those fashioned from pieces of gun barrels are undoubtedly the best. So many different and quaintly designed crooks of wrought iron have been produced by local blacksmiths in Sussex that a book would be needed to record them all. "I have even seen one made from a golf club. It came from the smithy on Saddlescombe Farm. I have an old iron crook, last used at Goring, which

has the barrel edged with saw-like teeth,. Possibly this was made by someone who considered that a better grip on the stick would be obtained in this way. Inquiries proved that crooks with toothed barrels are considered to be uncommon. I have another quaint specimen from Albourne (probably made for use among lambs or very small sheep) which has a tiny head and a short guide with a big curl.

“A limited number of . brass crooks were once made at Brighton. They were produced secretly at the railway workshop. The first one, made as a curio, resulted, in requests for more, but many of those who acquired them found them liable to snap asunder during use. Very few specimens are to be found now, and those I have traced are kept' as curios by their owners.

“The best crooks are doubtless the result of long trials of various designs by different makers. The ' preference for certain well-known patterns, such as the old Pyecombe, the Kingston, and the Falmer ones, merely shows that these won the approval of those who used them.

“Little differences, such as .weight, the outline of the head, or the space between the guide and the barrel are often, arranged to suit individual tastes. The utility of a crook is always the chief point for consideration. The only part of a crook where any tendency to ornament is found is in the ‘guide,’ which is the long, thin end bent at an angle to the barrel and which usually has the tip curled round to avoid a sharp point. The guide slides round a sheep’s leg and no harm is done. The crook is raised as it catches hold and the sheep’s leg is lifted. This allows the shepherd to seize the sheep -and do what may be necessary.” ' ■