Over at the Calderdale Industrial Museum in Halifax, they have been rebuilding a Noble Comb machine and we at Bentham & Holroyd are proud to have been involved in assisting the team with the restoration of the historic Noble comb of which we used to supply components.
This now rare machine, once a staple of the textile industry during the late 1800s and early 1900s, was commonly used throughout West Yorkshire during the Industrial Revolution. The round circles seen are combs themselves and were manufactured the by F.H. Benthams, an original staple of our precision engineering, and they remain an iconic part of our brand history appearing in our logos over the years.
This particular Noble comb in question is believed to have originated from a local college, where it wasn’t fully maintained or properly run. Though some parts are missing, Calderdale museum is working to get the machine back into working order, the Museum’s goal to present it as a functional exhibit for visitors to the recently renovated Calderdale Industrial Museum in Halifax adjacent to the Piece Hall.
A Brief History of the Noble Comb
Invented by James Noble in 1891, the Noble comb was a ground breaking tool in the textile industry. They generally remained in use in Bradford until the late 20th century, particularly at Bulmer and Lumb, until production finally ceased circa 1989. Afterwards, many of these machines were either scrapped or a few were sold to international markets, including Turkey and China.
Although the Noble comb is an older design, it’s renowned for producing high-quality twine. Thanks to its 72 mixers, the machine could blend multiple colours seamlessly, preventing the streaky results that were common with other combing machines. Today, most combing is done using the French comb, which has undergone significant modifications over the years.
- For a more in depth history please refer to “The History of Wool & Woolcombing” by James Burnley
Restoration Progress and Challenges
The restoration journey began when the machine arrived at the Calderdale Museum, as shown in the first photo, surrounded by boxes of spare parts. Over the past few weeks, the Museum has made significant progress in rebuilding the machine, starting from the base and working upwards. The combs used in this machine were originally manufactured by a company in Leeds, though Bentham & Holroyd Ltd. and Rhodes Ltd. of Bradford also produced these components.
As seen in the photos, the combs aren’t simply round holes for inserting pins—each comb is a precisely crafted circle, requiring a skilled artisan to shape and set the pins correctly. This meticulous process, done by a “pin setter,” ensured that the pins were perfectly aligned, allowing the machine to comb wool efficiently.
In addition to the combs, you can also spot the emblem of the old Manufacturers’ Association, “RATUS,” which is featured on the larger combing circle. This symbol was a trademark F.H.Bentham and also Moses Holroyd, two of the key manufacturers of the time.
Future Restoration Plans
Although the Museum has made significant headway, there’s still much to be done. The next phase of restoration will involve reinstalling the mechanism that holds the dabber brushes, which drive the combing circles. We also need to replace the missing knives, which are responsible for removing the wool from the combs. Once fully restored, the machine will be able to complete its cycle in approximately four hours, requiring two loadings per day—one in the morning and another at lunchtime.
Currently, the Museum has managed to have the machine running in basic mode. In addition to the physical restoration, we’ve been fortunate to obtain a full operating instruction manual for the Noble comb, thanks to Linda Crossland of Low Moor, Bradford. This invaluable resource will guide the Museum’s renovation team through the final stages of the project.
Other Historic Comb Machines
Over the years Bentham & Holroyd Ltd. also produced combing circles for other notable machines, including the Lister comb, which used a single large circle. Both the Noble and Lister combs are on display at the Bradford Industrial Museum, though unfortunately, they are not functional models. However, another non-working model can be found at the Coldwater Industrial Museum near Exeter.
We look forward to continuing our assistance on this historic machine and sharing it with the public as a fully functional exhibit.
Stay tuned for updates as we near the completion of the restoration.
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