New Englanders grew flax to make linen. One of the steps in the processing of flax is to crack the stalks to separate the fibers from the woody core of the flax plant.
Today’s illustration is a photograph of the Clapp family flax break at the Dorchester Historical Society. It is a double break, allowing two people to work at the same time.
In the photograph, the pounder on the right side has been propped up to show the surface of the tool. The slats in the pounder fit into the spaces between the slats on the surface, allowing the weight of the pounder to break the stems of a bundle of flax. It requires a fair amount of strength and stamina to operate the pounder for any length of time. The break cracks both the outside of stalk and inner core to free the strong fibers that run vertically the length of the stalk, fibers. Those fibers can be spun into linen thread.