Shaker rolling pin.

what use this complicated design?

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

This pin must have been fashioned for some purpose beyond simply rolling dough for some common use. It is hard to make, hard to clean, hard to use for any of the uses I use a pin for, requires larger storage. For what I use a pin for it does not even make any sense for making dough thinner.

The Shakers were practical. What was the unique use for this device? Do we know it was for dough? or even baking? Were they only made on April 1?

The French are the world's dough experts and they use just a simple cylinder of wood.

No user experience here...

Henry (Raleigh NC)

No user experience here, but I do know that smaller radius wheels (or cylinders) do not roll as easily. So to Bill's point, this may be a rolling pin (apparatus), but I can't see using it in dough (or it working in dough).

Henry

Re: what use this complicated design?

Steve D, CT

All the time spent designing that was time not spent thinking about celibacy.

I don't cook.

Joe in a Cleveland suburb

I can cook Ramen noodles though.

According to the Hancock Shaker Village web site:

"Fewer strokes = lighter pastry. Shaker ingenuity at its best."

I know a guy whose hobby is cooking. He likes the rolling pins I've made for him in the past and just thought this might be interesting to him and a way to use some cherry scraps.

May be a waste of time. I don't know.

who ever wrote than statement....

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

......doesn't bake or understand what factors result in pastry properties. If that design had any valid use for pastry you could buy one on Amazon and they would be seen on the Great British Baking Show.

Don't waste you time on an April Fools rolling pin. Use scraps for cutting boards or cylindrical rolling pins, or best use in your next project. Scraps can be made into panels for drawer bottoms, or drawer sides or case backs.

Re: who ever wrote than statement.... *LINK*

Steve D, CT

I don't think Amazon is a good litmus test for usefulness


magnetic charcuterie board

Re: Shaker rolling pin.

Jim O'Connor

I made one in 1994 which we still have. disclaimer- it doesn't get used and I don't know why. It probably is due to the fact we store the using rolling pin in the tall flour canister, a little bigger than a 5 gallon bucket and the double roller one just takes more space.

The one I made is 22" overall, the handles are about 4", the rollers are 12" with a 1 and 5/8 diameter.

upon further examination

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

the near roller seems to be larger or not placed the same. Note how it sticks out from the end while the back roller seems to not stick out past the end support.

My wife though maybe something was extruded between the rollers.

Re: upon further examination

ben d.

May have already read or seen this. very similar to original post.

ben d.

https://shop.hancockshakervillage.org/product/shaker-double-rolling-pin/

Thank goodness...

Bill Howatt

my wife's absolute favorite is a single cylinder with no handles. I didn't even have to taper it to the ends from the center like some of the French ones are.

Bill

Re: Thank goodness...

John K Jordan

...my wife's absolute favorite is a single cylinder with no handles. I didn't even have to taper it to the ends from the center like some of the French ones are.

Same here, no handles, no tapers. As she is unquestionably the best cook in the SE who am I to argue. Proof is in the pastry.

I made this from olivewood; she ditched the others.

JKJ

Re: Here's a thought

Hank Knight

"My wife though maybe something was extruded between the rollers."

Back in the day Shakers (and many others) made "beaten" biscuits. They are still popular in Kentucky. Instead of leavening, they rolled the dough into a thin sheet, folded it over and ran it through a set of rollers that forced air bubbles trapped in the fold into the dough. After many folds and rollings, the dough would begin to emit a popping noise when forced through the rollers, signifying that the process was done. When I was in college, I used to help my landlady make beaten biscuits. She used mechanical roller device with a hand crank attached to a marble table, much like an old wringer washing machine. It required liberal applications of elbow grease which I supplied. I never understood the attraction because the biscuits were rock hard and almost tasteless. Perhaps the "Shaker rolling pin" pictured in this post was used for making beaten biscuits.

Just a thought.

Re: Shaker rolling pin.

Yonak

It sort of makes me think of those razors with multiple blades. One blade works but, according to the advertisements, more blades work better.

Re: Shaker rolling pin.

Buck

Mine has 5 blades, sharp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was just at Hancock Shaker Village today and they did indeed use these daily. They were making pies for 100 people and these double rolling pins are easier on the wrists. That was why they made them.