Many collectors will be gratified to find that an entire chapter has been devoted to the more popular Dorcas thimbles and that considerable attention has been paid to base metal and to plastic thimbles. It is the author's contention that iron and brass thimbles are in some ways more important than thimbles made of precious metals. Other collectors will welcome the layout of the book which, by having separate chapters for each of the four main thimble producing countries as well as separate chapters for each of the materials from which thimbles are made, provides a ready means of reference. Readers will also appreciate the large number of illustrations, including some taken from manufacturers' catalogues, which have never appeared before.

More advanced collectors will revel in the older and rarer material, while at the same time coming to realize that there is always something new to learn and that however good their collections, they remain far from complete. The book will also appeal to students of social history because of the surprisingly important place which thimbles came to acquire in the household as well as their role as an objet de galanterie.