Schacht Spinning Wheel Whorls

We offer a wide spectrum of whorls to fit the Flatiron, Ladybug, Matchless, and Sidekick spinning wheels:

• 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 spinning with high speed and super high speed whorls in double drive. (High speed bobbins are not required for Scotch tension mode.)

See ratios for each whorl on all of Schacht’s spinning wheels!

What whorls do I have?
Each new wheel comes with a medium and a fast speed whorl.

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 and produce a yarn with less twist; a faster (smaller) whorl will speed up the bobbin and produce a yarn with more twist. 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 “Specs” tab or our spinning wheel guide for ratios.

What whorl do I use?
It depends on your treadling rate, the fiber you’re spinning, and the amount of twist 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: select bigger whorls or ridges for longer or coarser the fiber or less twist in the yarn; select smaller whorls or ridges for shorter or finer the fiber or more twist in the yarn.