There are two basic types of top. The peg top is thrown, often with a cord wrapped around it to provide extra spin when it leaves the hand. The whipping top can be set in motion in a number of ways and is then kept spinning by lashing it with a short length of flexible material (usually cord or leather). Most of the tops within the Harborough Hoard appear to have been used as whipping tops.
The Harborough tops vary considerably in size and shape. A few are professionally turned, but most are hand made from a variety of woods. Many of the larger tops have pins within their base to facilitate better spinning. Many of the smaller items could have been made as tipcat "cats" with single pointed ends. Representative examples are listed below:
Turned - Ten in the hoard. These range in height from 2.6 cm to 8.5 cm.
Hand carved - These range in height from 3.8 cm to 9 cm.
Hand carved with "X" notch on the top - Three in the hoard. These range in height from 4.5 cm to 6.4 cm.
