Material

wood

Purpose

This marker probably had several uses. As a candy marker, it would cut or mark long strips of candy into smaller pieces. Similarly, as a noodle cutter, it would cut pasta into strips for easy cooking and storage. In addition, according to Forgotten Household Crafts (Seymour 35), this instrument was used to break up oatmeal before cooking on a griddle.

Creation Date

1875 – 1899

Date Details

According to 300 Years of Kitchen Collectibles (Franklin 170), most candy markers/noodle cutters were made of metal so they are not readily confused with rolling pins, however, there were a number of wooden markers manufactured and utilized for several different purposes. The marker above appears very similar to a 1925 wooden marker used by Sethness Candy Maker, as noted in 300 Years of Kitchen Collectibles. Nevertheless, it is difficult to pin down a date for the marker above due to the fact that in Forgotten Household Crafts (Seymour 35), a similar wooden "ridge roller," was introduced as far back as the 18th century. This means that this style of marker had been around for at least two centuries. Despite this, the marker above appears to be factory produced and therefore this narrows its date to the latter half of the 19th century and the early 20th.

Kitchen Artifact ID

K207