Fillboll a bowl scraper what did it look like?

Nomad666

Member
Nov 6, 2015
27
4
BC Canada
I am trying to find out what a Fillboll looks like from the 1500's time period all I know is that it was used as a bowl scraper back then I just wanted to see if anyone on your side of the pond knows what one looks like or the design of it just something I want to find out is all thanks in advance if you know ether a drawing or photo of one would be helpful thanks..
 

Nomad666

Member
Nov 6, 2015
27
4
BC Canada
Something like the item in the second link in wood? I think but is that what they looked like/used in the 1500's that is what I am having troubles pinning down.
I have seen someones rendition of what they thought it was but it was like a bent stick that fit the inside curve of a large bowl now that could be it I don't know that is what I am trying to find out...
 

Janne

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I am not sure if they had steel of such high quality back in those days, could they really make objects this thin, flexible and hard?

I know they used sand to smooth wood, and shark skin.
Can you burnish wood? If yes, then maybe a polished stone, bone, harder species of wood?
 

Nomad666

Member
Nov 6, 2015
27
4
BC Canada
Sorry I think things have been a bit construed my bad for poor explanation. it was for scraping out the inside of a large bowl of food scraps much like a spatula is used today to scrape out lets say sauces and such out of the bowl...
 

Janne

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#3.

1500’? I guess they rinced the bowls in water after either wiping off the dregs with hay, letting the hounds or peasants lick them clean.
Food was sometimes served on bread. After the meal the bread was given to the poor.
Maybe that is an old wifes tale?
 

Toddy

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Jan 21, 2005
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Context please ?
Written source kind of thing.

Having used the 16th century kitchen in a castle here, scraping out was just done with a big spoon, skimming spoon, or ladle......which one also uses to fill smaller bowls.....fillboll perhaps?
Mind too that all of those utensils were routinely made in wood, especially in more domestic settings, as well as metal.

M
 

Janne

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I spoke to mother. She says that in Scandinavia they used a spoon/spatula to remove the bulk, then to fine clean, water and birch twigs.

The birchtwigs : you take a small handful of thin fresh birch twigs, remove the leaves. Bend in half and tie off the end with another birch twig.

Lasts for several weeks. She said it was almost as good as those 3M squares, better than those on Teflon.

She also said that the peasants usually had two cauldrons of metal, one for soups and stews (salty food) and one for porriges
She said that they were not cleaned much, as they were used daily.
If a meat stew was made, the next food was a soup made with remains of the stew.
People were very poor in Scandinavia and Finland, so it makes sense.

I am sure something similar was done in UK.
 

Toddy

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It was :)
The only difference was that the porridge wasn't always made daily, but was poured out into (later on when built 'furniture' was more common) into a kept only for the purpose drawer. It was sliced up like an oat polenta. I just pour mine into an ashet and slice it up in that. I quite like it for lunch :) and it's tasty fried up too.
This means that often there was only one cauldron, and a girdle (flat iron plate or stone bakestone) for cooking.

I have one of the cauldrons :D
Could you please ask your Mother if she knows anything about an inner convex lid for the cauldrons ? I know of it being used to bake bread/bannock/cake between that lid and the outer one....which was often wooden. TomBear (among others, but he's the most recent, and beautifully made) posted some photos of his lids for big baking and milk bowls, that are classic examples.

M
 

Janne

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Will do. 2 weeks.

Before they broke up the villages in the early 1800’ most villages had dedicated places for baking, brewing and washing clothes, and after they broke up villages each farm had a baking oven connected to the chimney.

I have two cast iron pots on 3 feet and one copper pot for hanging.
Sadly all have drilled holes and have been converted to plant pots. Not by me though! No lids.
 

Toddy

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Jan 21, 2005
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Mine has no holes, does have three short legs, and it was made in the Carron iron works in the 1700's.
It's still a really good pot :D

M
 
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