Buttons?

[Jimmayo]

Re: Buttons?

Here is an example of wood buttons on a dead CS soldier's coat at the Rose Farm.

[PaulJ]

Re: Buttons?

Hi,
blowing up the picture I can see a line on the left chest (on the level of the 5th button down). I wonder if that could be an exterior horizontal slash pocket (or just a trick of the light...)

PS - Another CS Pair with wooden buttons:-





Regards,

[Enfilade]

Re: Buttons?

Thanks Jim for posting that image. The buttons you show are quite different from Seay's jacket. They are, for lack of a better word, more "plump". That is why I am wondering what kind of buttons they could be on Seay's jacket.

Mark Berrier
North State Rifles

http://northstaterifles.com

[JordanRicketts]

Re: Buttons?

Mark,

I’m not doubting anyone on the use of wooden buttons (Michael or Curty), I just don’t think this jacket has wood buttons. All the examples showed are wood for sure (Jim and Paul) and look totally different to me from the Seay Jacket.

Good think we are all able to have an opinion!

Jordan Ricketts

[Prodical Reb]

Re: Buttons?

Yep that is what this is all about. I think they are wooden dished out buttons and you don't. It doesn't change the pic as it is what it is.

I could tell you to try an experiment, take a jacket and sew on the differnt buttons in question. Then have one of the period photograghers to take your pic and then compare the results to the original. I'd bet the wooden/bone/horn buttons would be "dead nuts on" and not the ones you think are.

[ewtaylor]

Re: Buttons?

Here is something interesting:

http://cgi.ebay.com/SILVER-Wash-Confederate-Button-Civil-War_W0QQitemZ160212658670QQihZ006QQcategoryZ36034QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

everett taylor

[KevinInDel]

Re: Buttons?

referring to hard rubber buttons: "Also, some of them were not so black, but almost brownish in color." (everett taylor)

Very many are brown and even lighter shades. Typical example, I just pulled an old hard rubber out of a flea market bin. It was an organizational button, and a quick e-mail to the club, Springfield Canoe Association, revealed just as expected the button dates from the 1850s. It is a rich dark chocolate color. This was a non-excavated button.

I was involved a few years back at a dig at a paper mill button dump spot. We dug 1000s of chinas, wood, black glass, bone, hard rubber etc. buttons. The hard rubbers range as light as a light brown-light grey color. Possibly due to differences in the formulation, and aging.

Kevin Mulrooney
Newark, Delaware

[amontalvo915]

Re: Buttons?

What about the stamped brass buttons that somewhat resemble the jean button we use today? When I first looked at the buttons, that is what I saw.

Just my .02

[JordanRicketts]

Re: Buttons?

referring to hard rubber buttons: "Also, some of them were not so black, but almost brownish in color." (everett taylor)

Very many are brown and even lighter shades. Typical example, I just pulled an old hard rubber out of a flea market bin. It was an organizational button, and a quick e-mail to the club, Springfield Canoe Association, revealed just as expected the button dates from the 1850s. It is a rich dark chocolate color. This was a non-excavated button.

I was involved a few years back at a dig at a paper mill button dump spot. We dug 1000s of chinas, wood, black glass, bone, hard rubber etc. buttons. The hard rubbers range as light as a light brown-light grey color. Possibly due to differences in the formulation, and aging.

Kevin Mulrooney
Newark, Delaware

Kevin,

Good point, I have seen these brown rubber buttons before too... I don't know if that was caused by a chemical reaction of some kind after production. I have some that I would bet were made brown, the color is extremely consistent from button to button. Has anyone ever seen an original card with brown rubber buttons?

Jordan Ricketts

[Slouch]

Re: Buttons?

I have a few Goodyear and IRC buttons that are a greenish color