The picker is a block of leather, plastic, or rawhide located inside the shuttle box of a fly-shuttle loom. It acts as a hammer, striking the metal tip of the shuttle with immense force to propel it through the shed to the opposite side. Because it absorbs repeated high-impact blows, it is a high-wear component that requires regular adjustment and replacement.
Heard on the job
The loom keeps banging off because the right picker is worn down and the shuttle is flying crooked.
Insider tip
A worn picker will develop a deep hole where the shuttle tip hits, eventually causing the shuttle to deflect and crash into the warp threads.