Adam Smith used an example to illustrate his theory about the division of labour. Pin making was a poorly known industry by all but French encyclopaedists. Archives help us understand French pin making. This text presents the features of pin making in the eighteen century. Labour was not divided among 18 different workers. The great workshops with 20 workers and those with 3 or 4 pin makers operated side by side with equivalent productivity levels. Specializing labour did not appear to increase its productive power.