TAWSES
( CLICK HERE for MEMBERS version )
( Taws , Tawse , Tause , Taise ..... From the phonetic spelling of the Gaelic ' Tamhas ' or Thomas . Popular surname in Aberdeenshire , the Mar and surrounding areas . )
( Care light wipe over with damp cloth keep lightly creamed , English Connolly products are the best available , but at a cost . We have a similar product at less than half the cost , but it can not be sent by mail . Do not use anything with silicone in it . Keep in a dry place . )
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HERE FOR DEMONSTRATION
( MEMBERS )
The tawse is most popular in Scotland . Various designs were laid down by the Scottish school authorities . When the school leaving age was raised , the R.O.S.L.A. or double thickness tawses were introduced . There are two and three tail versions . A full arm motion is required for their use .
Examples :
We have recently purchased one of the heaviest two tail tawses ever produced by JOHN J DICK , COWDENBEATH for our MUSEUM . Details are on our MUSEUM Page .
MORE INFORMATION
' The tingle o' the tawse '
The tawse is a leather strap with its business end cut into a number of tails ( usually two or three ) . The tawse may be applied to the palm of the hands ( Which Spankoz does not support . ) or the buttocks . If the latter, it may be applied over clothing , but to be fully effective it should be applied to the bare flesh . Unlike the cane , a leather strap can be safely applied to the hand : it will hurt but not injure , and six of the very best can be safely inflicted upon a schoolboy's palms . The tawse is associated with Scotland , just as the cane is with England , and has been employed in domestic , educational and judicial contexts . Incidentally, in Scotland the tawse is more commonly known as the belt . Many Scottish saddlers used to make tawses but the best implements were undoubtedly manufactured by the firm of John Dick & Sons of Lochgelly , a small town about 12 miles north of Edinburgh . Later the firm moved to nearby Cowdenbeath . The famous Lochgelly tawse began with a saddler named Philps who started making tawses for his son and daughter who were both teachers . These proved so effective that other teachers soon wanted to own a Lochgelly and the business quickly expanded . The firm eventually passed in to the hands of the Dick family and remained with them for three generations until they ceased trading in 1984 . At one time the firm was selling 70 or 80 tawses a week and also had a thriving export trade .
A final note on the tawse : In 1982 its monopoly manufacturer in Scotland , Lochgelly saddler John Dick , " whose family firm had been making the tawse in their Fife workshop since Victorian children were learning their three R's and being belted " , went out of production .
" It is almost fading away in any case because of the difficulty in obtaining the special leather . It was now being manufactured principally for export : ' There are outstanding orders for Australia , New Zealand , Canada and America . There's medium , heavy and extra-heavy ... The two-tail heavy has been the most popular and retails at £5.90 . ' " ( " Rise and fall of the belt " , Sunday Standard , Glasgow , 28 February 1982 . )
“ Get your knickers down and over that horse at once , girl ! ” She dropped them , and did as she was bid . I did not let up and the strokes must have been very painful . She yelled from the very first one and was quite a different young madame by the time I finished with her . That ended my first stint on punishment parade , and while invariably the punishments given at the parades were harsh , I felt they were justified . I was most impressed by the performance of the “ reformatory grade tawse ” .
( Tawses become flexible with use and
proper care , wrapping around the bottom on impact . Otherwise excessive
marking will occur , as has happened here . This tawse is quite rigid . )
( Note the twin lines left by this tawse . )
( Tawses may also recoil back onto the hand of the user if not swung properly . )
" It really was awesome , and over the years few girls if any avoided tears
when I used it. I gave between four and twelve strokes of the tawse to girls on
report and laid them on very slowly, and very hard . Occasionally I used a cane,
just to introduce an element of surprise , particularly if I had recently
punished the same girl . "
....... The Rule of the Strap , Wildfire Club
" Lochgelly is a small town in Fife , ( CLICK HERE for further details ) . It is known for the coal industry years ago and for the Lochgelly Belt ( the tawse ) . But now it is known for drugs and violence . In Lochgelly there isn't much to do but there are two community centres , a golf course , a bowling green ( used by old people ) , football pitches and Mizone's . Mizone's is a shop with bandits and a pool table . "
........Young Lochgelly Mentals
" They may not know it , but ever since the late eighties , Scottish pupils owe a debt of thanks to the Council of Europe . It was a ruling from the Strasbourg-based human rights organisation which forced the Government to end the use of the belt in schools .
Now perhaps the nearest schoolchildren are likely to come to the infamous Lochgelly tawse is in Edinburgh's Museum of Scotland , where it is one of hundreds nominated by the public as rekindling memories , of childhood in the twentieth century .
Traditionalists may mourn the belt's passing , but its disappearance is a measure of the power that the Council of Europe , which celebrates its fiftieth birthday in London today , can wield . "
......... Rory Watson , 5 May , 1999
The
Application of the Tawse
( MEMBERS )
AUTHENTIC REPRODUCTIONS OF THE ORIGINAL LOCHGELLY TAWSES PLUS TWO MINI TAWSES MADE TO THE SAME DESIGN .( Prices may be out of date . )
( 2 and 3 tail
)
( mini 2 tail )
Reproduction Lochgelly Scottish Tawses are available , both in single and double ( special order ) thicknesses . These are exact replicas of the original tawses used in Scottish and overseas schools up until the early seventies , as made by J Dick & sons in Lochgelly . Hand crafted from the finest 13 oz ( 5mm ) Russet harness leather each tawse measures 21inches long ( mini , 14 1/2 in ) by 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 in wide . Each is a full 1/4 inch thick ( single thickness ) with two or three 8 1/2 inch tails . Weights are approximately 140 grams . All edges are marked with a saddlers crease line , are fully bevelled , burnished and finished . They are made from British tan leather .
( 4 tail )
Each tawse is hand crafted to the original specifications
by a British master leather craftsman and author of the book "
Leatherwork "
( Ian Hamilton-Head , Blandford Press ,1979 ) .
Similar tawses are advertised elsewhere for $ 100 !
CLICK
HERE FOR FURTHER DETAILS FROM LONDON TANNERS
( Mention
SPANKOZ
for
HALF PRICE
shipping ! )
This exact replica of the original Lochgelly tawse as used in Scottish schools up until the early seventies and made by J Dick & sons. It is hand crafted from the finest 14 -16 oz (4-5mm) Stamped H for Heavy Imported British Harness Leather. It measures 21inches by 1.1/4 wide with two 8.1/2 inch tails. This is hand crafted to the original specifications. All the edges are marked with a saddlers crease line and are fully bevelled, burnished and finished.
Available in London Tan, Dark Havana Brown Rich Burgundy Red and Solid Black. Price $ 49.95
This exact
replica of the original Glasgow Tawse as used in Scottish schools up until the
early seventies and made by J Phelps. It is hand crafted from the finest 12-16
oz (5-6mm) Stamped H for Heavy Imported British Harness Leather. It measures 22
inches by 1.1/2 wide with three 9 1/2 X 1/2 inch tails. This is hand crafted to
the original specifications. All the edges are marked with a saddlers crease
line and are fully bevelled, burnished and finished.
Available in London Tan, Dark Havana Brown Rich Burgundy Red and Solid Black. Price
$ 54.95
This exact
replica of the Four Tail Lochgelly Tawse as used in Scottish schools up until
the early seventies and made originally by J Dick, is hand crafted from the
finest 14-16 oz (5-6mm) Stamped H for Heavy Imported British Harness Leather. It
measures 26 inches long by 2 inches wide with four 1/2 by 11.1/2inch tails, it
is a very large and nasty version of the now legendary Scots belt and is
definitely not for the faint of heart. This is hand crafted to the original
specifications All the edges are marked with a saddlers crease line, fully bevelled, burnished and finished.
Available in London Tan, Dark Havana Brown Rich Burgundy Red and Solid Black.
Price $ 64.95
Pocket Lochgelly Tawse
This pocket-sized replica of the original Lochgelly tawse
as used in Scottish schools up until the early seventies and made by J Dick
& sons. It is hand crafted from the finest 12-14 oz (4-5mm) Stamped M for
Medium or 15-16 oz (5-6mm) Stamped H for Heavy Imported British Harness Leather.
It measures 14.1/2inches by 1.1/2 wide with two 6.1/2 inch tails. It is Ideal to
carry in your pocket or purse, so as those naughty girls and boys of days gone
by could be dealt with immediately. This is hand crafted to the original
specifications. All the edges are marked with a saddlers crease line, are fully bevelled,
burnished and finished.
Available in London Tan, Dark Havana Brown Rich Burgundy Red and Solid Black.
Price $ 29.95
Pocket Glasgow Tawse
This pocket-sized replica of the original Lochgelly tawse
as used in Scottish schools up until the early seventies and made by J Dick
& sons. It is hand crafted from the finest 14-16 oz (5-6mm) Stamped H for
Heavy Imported British Harness Leather. It measures 14.1/2inches by 1.1/2wide
with three 6.1/2 inch tails. It is Ideal to carry in your pocket or purse, so as
those naughty girls and boys of days gone by could be dealt with immediately.
This is hand crafted to the original specifications. All the edges are marked
with a saddlers crease line, are fully bevelled, burnished and finished.
Available in London Tan, Dark Havana Brown Rich Burgundy Red and Solid Black.
Price $ 34.95
The above prices are in $us and include shipping to anywhere in the world for orders over $40 ( shipping is $5 for orders under $40 ) . Substantial discounts are available to SPANKOZ MEMBERS .
Other Spankoz tawses cost from $ 40 , please Email for details .
