Scrimper's Fretworking Site - Hobbies 1884

The Hobbies story begins around the late 1880's when the firm of J.H. Skinner & Co were established. In these early days tools and fretwork machines were imported, during this time the only products manufactured by Hobbies were cameras.

John Henry Skinner was born in Wisbech Cambridgeshire in 1860, by 1870 he had moved to Dereham to live with his uncle William Stebbings who was a timber merchant.

In 1884 J.H. Skinner published a series of fretwork designs followed two years later by a further set

During the 1880's John Henry set up a joint business as importers of fretwork materials, photo equipment and timber merchants, the business was dissolved in 1890 and John Henry continued with fretwork and photographic equipment.

Also during 1884 John Henry was experimenting in the manufacture of plywood , he was the first person in the British Empire to do so realising how useful plywood would be especially in the hobby of fretwork. In 1903 he left the Hobbies company and moved to South Africa to start a plywood manufacturing company.

Hobbies Weekly Magazine

J.H. Skinner also established a publishing company which was to produce the wonderful magazine Hobbies Weekly, The very first issue was published in 1895 and was entitled Hobbies a Weekly Journal, it was later to become the Famous Hobbies Weekly magazine and was published up until it's demise in 1965.

So successful was the magazine that by 1898 it had achieved a circulation of some 50,000 copies. The story of the magazine is covered on it's own page

Left, The first issue of Hobbies Journal. Right, Christmas issue no 2146, December 1936.

Hobbies Catalogue

In 1887 J.H. Skinner published his first catalogue, this featured fretwork tools, equipment and designs. it included treadle fret machines, hand frames and the companion treadle lathe which Hobbies later manufactured in their own factory and continued to be offered for sale right up until the 1966 catalogue. The catalogue (later called Annual) was eagerly looked forward to by Fret-workers all over the world. The Catalogues are covered on their own page.

In 1897 J.H. Skinner and co changed their name to Hobbies Ltd, a name which would become well known and respected the world over. In later years if one mentioned Dereham, the Hobbies name came to mind, similarly when one heard the word Hobbies the Town of Dereham was immediately thought of , so close were the ties.

By 1898 John Henry Skinner's brother Frank had become a director of the company, a few years later Frank Skinner plunged the company in to a crisis so much so that legal action would be taken against him by Hobbies Ltd.

During 1898 a local paper reported that Hobbies Ltd was receiving over 1000 letters per day from all over the world, also reported was the fact that the Dereham factory was producing 250 treadle fret machines and over 1000 hand frames every week.

Left. The Companion Treadle Lathe. Right. The famous Hobbies A1 Treadle Fretsaw.

Even after Hobbies had started making their own Fretworking machines and tools in their factory at Dereham they were still having to import fretsaw blades from Germany. Fortunately for Hobbies in 1887 Herbert Jewson had joined them as their chief engineer, (later a director of Hobbies Ltd). Jewson was a very clever engineer and invented an ingenious machine to manufacture fretsaw blades, which by the 1930's was manufacturing some 10 million fretsaw blades every year. Hobbies were the only company in Great Britain who made such blades.

Herbert Jewson also invented many of the machines that Hobbies used in the manufacture of fretworking tools and machinery. He became a Director of Hobbies until ill health forced him into retirement and his early death in 1932 at age of 68. Right Herbert Jewson Engineer.

In 1897 hobbies offered for sale their new and very strange hand operated fretsaw, this was very similar to their Briton treadle fret-machine but was equipped with a 7 inch hand wheel and handle rather than a treadle.This machine had to be clamped to a table or bench and I would imagine it would have been very tricky to use, It's rather like using a hand-frame leaving one hand to hold the work but turning a handle rather than moving a hand frame up and down, Hand frames were very common and easy to use whereas this seems awkward to use.At a later date one could purchase a kit of parts to convert the machine into a more practical treadle machine.

You can find more details of this strange machine on the Hand fretsaw page.

In it's early days Hobbies were making and selling many other non fretwork related items, these included cameras made from wood and brass (as most cameras were in those days) small electrical gadgets including a shocking coil! They also sold Model steam engines, garden swings, cycle shelters and even the cycles that go into them although I would imagine they bought the cycles from a cycle manufacturer and re-badged them. It's no surprise that a regular and very popular feature every week in Hobbies weekly was the Cycling column!

Hobbies add gardening to their business.

In 1899, Hobbies entered the Horticultural business when they purchased the nursery known as Norfolk nurseries situated next to their factory in Dereham. the business was owned by Mr John Green. The business name was changed to Hobbies Horticultural Department and Hobbies published a 120 page garden guide catalogue price sixpence.

John Green subsequently became a director of Hobbies, a position he maintained until his death in 1931 at the age of 83 years.

By the end of 1900 Hobbies had opened six stores and appointed agents throughout great Britain and abroad, they also opened a centre in Toronto Canada (closed down in 1942 due to wartime difficulties of getting supplies there.

Even as late as 1968 before they ceased to trade Hobbies had thirteen stores open in the major cities in the UK plus many shops acting as agents.

Left. Holborn branch. kingsway London.

Right. Streatham Hill, SW London.

Such was the interest in Fretwork that by 1900 Hobbies reported that for every Fretmachine they had sold a few years ago they were selling a hundred now. All of the Fret-machines were now being made in the Dereham factory, including the very popular Royal, A1 and Imperial models.

The Imperial was one of the first Fret-machines that Hobbies manufactured, the model arrived around 1900. In the Hobbies 1912 catalogue, it is described as being “one of the most complete and popular treadle machines, cheap, graceful in appearance and accurate in working.”

The Imperial has to be my favourite treadle saw. The reason for this is that my late grandfather had one. When I was given the task of clearing out his shed it was found and offered to me. Being a 16 yr old lad with more interest in other things, and already owning a Hobbies A1 machine, I let it go for scrap. A decision that I have regretted ever since. You can read about the Fret-Machines Hobbies made on the Fretsaws page. The photo (right) shows my father Norman using my grandfather's Hobbies Imperial saw.

Hobbies Imperial in use.

In 1903 John Henry Skinner the man who had started the Hobbies company decided to leave and move to South Africa to concentrate his efforts in to establishing a plywood manufacturing company. John Henry was so well thought of by all of his employees that they arranged a concert in his honour. He gave each worker a small framed photo of himself for them to remember him by. He in return was presented with a special engraved album bearing his initials in silver gilt.

John Henry Skinner's brother Frank Skinner took over as managing director of the company, a situation that would cause the company so many problems some four years later. You will read more of this a little later on.

During 1904 Hobbies introduced two new very heavy duty treadle Fret-machines. Named the Norfolk and the Suffolk. The Norfolk was described by Hobbies as the finest and most effective fret-machine available, it was equipped with a large tilting table and tool tray with a cuyying range of 25inches (635mm)and achieved a true vertical cut. The saw could also be powered by an optional counter-shaft using a belt and an external power source.

The Suffolk machine was of a similar heavy build and could be supplied with a drilling attachment, it's massive flywheel was 19inches (483mm) in diameter and on it's own weighed some 24 pounds (10.9kg), as with the Norfolk it could also be driven by an external source.

Neither machine was in production very long possibly due to the high cost involved in manufacturing such heavily built machines.

1907 was a bad year for Hobbies

1907 was a very bad year for the Hobbies company, two events occurred both of which were to have a dramatic effect on the company, the problems started on the 28th of February at around 7 pm in the evening when a worker spilt a can of oil which unfortunately was set alight by a naked flame. Another worker upstairs heard crackling and went to investigate, the two workers tried in vain to put the fire out but it was too late, the cans of oil and paint stored above exploded and fed the flames.

The fire brigade was called but they only had a horse drawn steam fire engine and could do little to put out the fire and in any case by the time they arrived the fire covered a quarter of an acre of the works and surrounding properties including the Railway station were in danger of being set alight.

The damage caused was immense most of the bespoke machinery was either lost or badly damaged furthermore it could not easily be replaced as it had been made by Hobbies themselves, most of the moulds and patterns used in the manufacture of castings to make fretwork machines and other tools were destroyed. The moulds used to make the popular Roger fret-machine were lost in the fire but by the autumn Hobbies were back with a new model named as the Briton which was not much difference to the Roger machine.

The total cost of the damage to Hobbies was around £25,000 which in today's money would be equivalent to almost £3.5 million pounds.

I mentioned that two events were to cause huge setbacks for Hobbies and the second event also occurred in 1907 although it is fair to say that not a great deal is known about this second occurrence. What is known that at some point four employees of Hobbies left the company and started up their own company calling it Handicrafts. Two of those that left were company directors one of whom was Frank Skinner; who you will remember from earlier was the brother of Hobbies founder John Henry Skinner.

The reason Frank Skinner and the three others left Hobbies is unknown as no records exist but suffice to say they went on to form a rival company to Hobbies called Handicrafts Ltd. Even worse for hobbies was that one of the four that left was their head designer leaving them in a precarious position and looking for a new designer.

As the four left Hobbies they took with them the names and addresses of over 80,000 Hobbies customers and proceeded to send them copies of their own magazine entitled “Home Handicrafts Arts & Pastimes”. This was very similar to the already established and popular Hobbies weekly magazine no doubt due to the fact that Hobbies weekly was the Brainchild of Frank Skinner.

Obviously Hobbies were not too pleased that their customers were being ‘poached’ and took action against Handicrafts in court resulting in Handicrafts being banned from using any of the information they had taken from Hobbies records, furthermore Hobbies were awarded damages of £1500 which today (2021) is equivalent to almost £180,000 pounds.

The events of 1907 caused a huge amount of animosity between the two companies which lasted for many years resulting in further court action against each other.

No 1 issue of the rival magazine to Hobbies Weekly Nov 9th 1907

In 1911 Hobbies introduced designs for their so called Antofret system of fretworking, It had been invented by an Italian Priest Monsignor Antonini who was a keen fretworker.

Antonini contacted Hobbies who sent over to Italy their chief engineering director and an experienced fret-cutter He showed them his work, designs and ideas. They were so impressed with his work that they adopted his system for their designs calling the process Anto-fret in honour of his name and a lasting reminder of his invention.

Each Anto-fret design that Hobbies sold came with a printed licence (Shown above) which advised that the ninepence paid (approx 4p (decimal money) allowed the fret-worker to make and sell one item only from the design, furthermore the licence was to be cut out and attached to the finished item. It went on to warn that any Anto-fret not bearing this licence was in infringment of Hobbies patent rights!

I have created a video explaining the principles of Anto-fret which can be viewed on my Youtube channel.

Examples of Hobbies Antofret designs together with a photograph of Priest Monsignor Antonini, inventor of Antofret.

Official programme guide 1911

The interest in fretwork was huge in the early years so much so that Hobbies created a club entitled the British society of fretworkers. Their aim was stated as the enrolment of fretworkers of all grades of merit in the UK and his Majesty’s colonies and the advancement of the art of fretwork by various considered means. Originally Hobbies called their society “The Royal society of Fretworkers” but were forced to remove the word Royal when someone reported them to the home office, Now I wonder who that was? Surely not their rival Handicrafts who Hobbies had taken to court a few years earlier?

Membership of the club was strict and to enrol one contacted the registrar who would send out a test paper and pattern which the prospective member would have to cut out in wood and return to prove ones competence before being allowed to join. A certificate was then issued according to the standard of the returned work. In 1911 the cost of membership was 6 pence in pre decimal money this is equivalent to around £3.65 today so quite reasonable.

In December 1911 the first annual exhibition was held at the Memorial hall in London. Over 800 items of fretwork items were entered into the exhibition to be judged in the various sections of the competition whereupon prizes and medals would be awarded for the winners.

The proceedings commenced with a musical programme including the song “come over the garden wall” by Miss Dora Murray. The official opening was made by the Chairman of Hobbies Ltd Alfred Jermyn and was followed by various demonstrations in the art of fretwork. In the evening more music was performed by various artists interspersed with more fretwork demonstrations and awarding of the prices with final closure of the event at 10:00pm by the singing of the national anthem.

L to R . The Challenge cup. The busy Memorial Hall. The B.S.F. Gold medal.

Recent research suggests that Hobbies were not the first to create a Fretwork club; I believe that the honour goes to the Handicrafts Company and I will explain my view on this on the page covering the history of the Handicraft company.

1911. Coronation of King George V.

The coronation of king George V took place in June 1911 and Hobbies not missing an opportunity published a special coronation issue of Hobbies weekly magazine featuring several designs with a coronation theme one such design was a fretwork model of the coronation chair. Shown here is a copy of the actual design sheet from 1911. Over many years Hobbies often resurrected this design, furthermore even the new Hobbies company offered this design well into the 2000's.

About 20 years ago I made this very model from the design sheet cutting the whole thing out using a Hobbies hand-frame and a wooden cutting table.

As you can see it contains the stone of scone as the original chair does, it’s actually a piece of Granite I found in the garden.

Left. The original 1911 plan for the coronation chair.

Right. The very intricate Overmantel to celebrate the coronation of King George V.

In the early years these Overmantels were very popular Hobbies offered many designs for them .

Another elaborate design that Hobbies published was the Coronation Over-Mantel No 11, Over-Mantels were very popular at the time and both Hobbies and handicrafts published many intricate design for them. This amazing design was published in 1911. Shown here an original design sheet for it but I received it in a dilapidated condition with parts missing, I am gradually restoring this design sheet for posterity but I am not sure whether I shall ever use the pattern.

You have to take into account that these design sheets were created by hand in the days before we had computers and copying machines, I have huge respect for the designers who must have spent many hours creating these wonderful designs.

WW1 was declared on 4th of August 1914 and Hobbies engineering works were busy making munitions for the war effort but all the way through the war they continued to publish their weekly magazine, designs and annuals although because of paper shortages the number of pages was somewhat reduced.

During the war years Hobbies produced many designs based on a military slant such as Toys, models of guns, picture frames mirrors and various brackets including the ever popular pipe racks. They were very patriotic always pushing the buy British to help the war effort as illustrated in the 1915 Naval issue (Left picture).

Hobbies Roll of Honour.

The document (left) shows the members of their staff who were serving King and Country during the war.

As mentioned above Hobbies did have a very well equipped engineering works in addition to their fretwork business, they were kept busy on war work and after the war continued to win many engineering contracts, although this is another story and this site is only concerned with the fretwork side of Hobbies Ltd.

Fretwork cut here!

Hobbies had always encouraged their customers to sell items of fretwork they had sold, more so during wartime when few manufactured toys were available. They even offered this card to hang in the window advertising “Fretwork cut here”.

Many of the fretwork designs featured sailors and soldiers or the King and some carried words such as Victory or God save the King.

The design far left above features a British plane shooting down a Zeppelin and was entitled the Brave deeds panel whilst the design 2nd from left offers an attractive photo frame featuring two British sailors alongside an ornamental Anchor.

Another elaborate design (above) for an overmantel shows a line of men from different nations who served alongside British servicemen.

Many of the adverts in the magazine had a patriotic slant such as this one which advertised fretsaw blades featuring the British Bulldog and the words “let them all come” another (right) advertises Hobbies British fretsaws with the words “stick to your own country” and it’s a product that easily beats a German.

As mentioned above during wartime Hobbies continued supplying their catalogues and Hobbies weekly, in which they offered many designs for various toys often with a war related theme such as tanks,guns and planes. These were very popular as many toys had previously been imported and were no longer available.

During the war Hobbies also introduced some attractive wood themed outfits with kits of various parts to make different models, this was on the same lines as Meccano outfits but involving mostly wood items rather than metal.

The Klipit outfits were mainly construction kits, similar to Meccano with prepared parts being assembled to make various models

The attractively package Strip-work outfits were similar to klipit but required the user to cut and adapt the wood to make many different items and projects. Various tools were included to enable the user to work on the wood, these included a saw and a small plane.

I have made a series of Videos that cover the history of the Hobbies and Handicrafts companies to accompany this website the playlist is here.

Next page Hobbies history 1920's - 1968

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