From the June 1917 edition of Popular Mechanic Magazine… It strikes me that this shuttle is an early prototype for the beloved Aero, although this one does look extremely fiddly to use. Has anyone ever come across one of these in the real world?

Tatting Shuttle’s Bobbin Winds Like a Reel

A new tatting shuttle has several novel features. The frame is made of resilient metal and holds a bobbin which is turned by means of a small crank when thread is to be wound on it. Near one end on the inside of the frame is a channeled guideway which receives the crank when it is not in use. Since it is somewhat wider than the normal space between the shuttle’s two leaves, the crank tends to spread the latter apart slightly, so that the bobbin is allowed to rotate freely. Instead of the ends of the frame being held together by spring action they are entirely closed. At one end, however, there is a small hole through which the thread passes from the spool. This arrangement makes it unnecessary to turn the shuttle continually in order to unwind the thread.