Schacht Whorls

• extra slow speed*
• slow speed
• medium speed
• fast speed
• high speed**
• super high speed**

*The extra slow whorl cannot be used on the Sidekick wheel.

**A high speed bobbin is required for high speed and super high speed whorls when spinning in double drive. (High speed bobbins are not required for Scotch tension mode.)

What whorls do I have?
Each new wheel comes with a medium and a fast speed whorl. If you don’t know what size whorls you have, download this ruler to help measure your whorls.

What do whorls do?
Whorls allow the bobbin to turn at a particular speed in relation to the revolutions of the wheel’s drive band. This relationship is given as a spinning ratio. A slower (bigger) whorl will slow down the bobbin; a faster (smaller) whorl will speed up the bobbin. Each Schacht whorl has a bigger and a smaller ridge into which the drive band can sit, so each whorl gives two possible spinning ratios. See the ratios for each spinning wheel on its product page.

What whorl do I use?
It depends on your treadling rate, the fiber you’re spinning, and the type of yarn you want. There are no hard and fast rules about whorls. Choose a whorl that helps your wheel do as much of the work for you as possible. In general: the bigger the whorl, the coarser the fiber, the thicker the yarn; the smaller the whorl, the finer the fiber, the smaller the yarn.