Mining Items

Signalling Knocking Wire. A length of knocking wire, used for haulage or conveyor belt signalling. For the haulage, lengths of this wire was strung out overhead through the haulage roads and connected at intervals to electrical signalling boxes in turn connected to the haulage engine, the Journeymen would pull on this wire to convey messages to the engine driver. Signals …

A Cornish Miners Helmet. This type of helmet was originally made from a thick felt material and covered in a pine resin to harden it. The candle and ball of clay are genuine and period to the piece. Each new candle was wrapped in a ball of clay with a short length of thick copper wire, the wire was inserted …

A Vintage Leather Miners Skull Cap. This vintage UK miners skull cap has been throughout the years mistakenly described as a peaked cap, though the so-called peak is in fact a neck protector. Made from thick leather. The main image shows the front of the cap. The cap has a projecting neck protector (as seen in the image left). I …

A Huwood UK Miners Helmet. Made from compressed pulp card with leather sweatband, felt padding and thick cotton webbing. Made by Huwood of Thetford, England. Used around the 1950’s and 60’s.    

A Texolex UK Miners Helmet. Made from Texolex (a hard dense plastic material) with a reinforced peak. With a P.V.C sweatband, cotton webbing and leather chin strap. Made by Campbell, UK. Used around 1950’s and 60’s.  

A Texolex UK Miners Helmet. Made from Texolex (a hard dense plastic material) with a leather sweatband and cotton webbing. Made by Campbell UK. Used around 1950’s and 60’s. This version of the helmet hasn’t got the reinforced peak.  

A Texolex USA Miners Helmet. Made from Texolex (a hard dense plastic material) with a leather sweatband and cotton webbing. A USA Miners Helmet with a full broad rim.    

A White Plastic USA Miners Helmet. A white plastic USA miners helmet, M.S.A Confo Cap. Made from plastic with an airtex sweatband and cotton webbing. Made in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.  

Green Fibreglass UK Miners Helmet. An unusual green fibreglass UK miners helmet. Made from a fibreglass material with a leather sweatband and cotton webbing and cotton webbing chin strap.   Made by the Everoak Company, UK. This company also made motorcycle safety helmets. They may have been intending to start making a mining helmet and this may have been a …

An Aluminium USA Miners Helmet. Made from aluminium with a plastic sweatband and interior with a leather chin strap. Makers unknown.