This machine was used to split straw lengthwise. It was made by Austin's of Tring, Hertfordshire.The straw plait industry was one of the main crafts in the South Midlands until the beginning of the 20th century. Men, women and children worked in their homes splitting straws and plaiting them into patterns with names such as 'brilliant' and 'whipcord'. The plait was sent to towns like Luton to be made into fashionable hats and bonnets, but sadly the plaiters themselves received very little money for their work.