Linen Smoother/Slick Stone

Linen smoothers, or 'slick stones', were an object used in the medieval period, likely both domestically and in the process of clothmaking. Domestically, they were likely used in a way not dissimilar to modern usage of irons: to remove creases from clothes and to make them appear tidy, though the linen smoothers were not heated. There is also evidence to suggest they may have been used in the finishing process of the manufacture of linen, and perhaps even wool.

The items were made of glass, and likely a simple item for the glassmaker to forge. It is due to the fact that they were made of glass that likely caused them to have deteriorated during their time underground.

Sources:

‘Curators' Collections: Pevensey Castle’ English Heritage, https://production.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/teaching-resources/curators-collections/-curators-collections-pevensey-castle [accessed 21st October 2026]

Biddle, Martin, Object and Economy in Medieval Winchester, (Archaeopress, 2025)

Walton Rogers, Penelope, Textile Production at 16–22 Coppergate, The Archaeology of York, 17.11 (York: Council for British Archaeology for York Archaeological Trust, 1997)