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The "Saxonie" Spinning wheel

Majacraft's Saxonie spinning wheel is a double pedal, heel and toe treadling, wheel in the more traditional styling. It has ball bearings in the flywheel and spinning head so there is no oiling of these parts needed, ever.

It uses the same light weight plastic bobbins as the "Suzie", but comes with the "cotton spinner's" flyer assembly, (this will load a small picture, use your "back" button to return), this means that you may need to thread the orifice with a yarn hook.

It uses the same pinch and move flyer hooks as the "Suzie", these are quite easy to move, allowing you to fill any spot on the bobbin.

5 ratios are built in; about 5.5, 6.8, 9, 12, and 15.5 : 1 ( the manufacture's stated ratios of 6.5, 11, 15, 19, and 22 to 1, are based on obsolete information, and are wrong, and will be revised in the new literature). The speeds are changed by moving the stretchy drive belt from one groove into another. The stretchy belt takes care of belt tension, no need to fiddle with a belt adjuster.

Compared to the "Suzie", this wheel is slightly faster, easier to treadle, and has traditional looks. I feel that the 5.5 to 1 lowest ratio is on the border line for a beginner, however, Jean feels they should do quite well on it because it treadles so smoothly.

The alternating pedals are set at a comfortable angle to the floor, so you can spin for long periods of time.

This wheel has a Scotch tension brake and flyer lead. The body is made of native New Zealand Rimu wood (distinctive reddish brown) and has turned wood spindles in the flywheel. The flywheel is made of a wood grain finished composite material so it should not warp and should run very true.

The new improved Saxonie can be assembled as either left or right handed spinning, and CAN BE CHANGED BACK AND FORTH (takes about 45 minutes). Assembly, though not really complicated, is rather involved and time consuming.

Relatively light weight, at a little over 13 pounds it is easy to carry.

My personal opinion is that the wheel is a little small ( both Jean and I are fairly tall).

However....

Jean has been spinning on one of the new Improved Saxonies. for about a month now, and she loves it. (Nov. 1997)

The new improved Saxonie has more leg room because the maiden head has been raised. The old rocker mechanism that connected both pedals has been replaced with a double crank assembly that is similar to the one used on the SUZIE ( a picture will load below to show the differences).

Please note: The two pedals require that you set exactly in front of the wheel, and this eliminates your ability to "angle" the wheel like you can with single pedal Saxonies.

Even though this wheel is only a little faster than the "Suzie", it feels faster, and seems to treadle easier. On it's highest speed, it seems to fly with unusual ease and smoothness.

The wheel spins like a dream, is fast and smooth, has clean traditional looks and does not need continuous oiling. If you spin fine and fast, or want a traditional looking wheel without many of the traditional problems, and you have a chance to try a Majacraft "Saxonie", please do so.

I am very pleased with their quality and now stock the Saxonie for immediate shipment, (you must assemble it, I can not find a large enough box, at an affordable price, to offer a fully assembled Saxonie).

New Saxonie................Old Saxonie

Notice the Double acting flywheel Crank (A.) and the solid pitman rods (B.) and the raised Mother-of-All (C.) on the New Saxonie, and the Rocker Mechanism (D.) and single flywheel crank arm (E.) on the Old Saxonie.

Currently shipped with 4 bobbins.

We will (gladly) accept checks, money orders, and bank checks, (all payable in U.S. Dollars) for all purchases.   We will only accept "Paypal" to pay for purchases of less than $10.00. 

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