Poor boy suspenders

[KentuckyReb]

To anybody out there who's made a set of 'poor boy' suspenders, what kind of material did you use? I'm wondering if just cotton shirt material would be adequately durable, doubled over with good sewing around the button holes.

[Gerkin]

Re: Poor boy suspenders

Mr. Hawkins,

Yes. Shirting is great for poor boys. Mine that I am using right now are a brown and tan checkered cloth. I am making a new pair this week using red striped ticking. I would say that if you want poor boys, just use shirting of some sort.

YOS

[NY Pvt]

Re: Poor boy suspenders

I used the material found all the way at the bottom of this page but in blue:

http://www.woodedhamlet.com/beltings_webbings/hemp_linen_webs.html

They have held up ok, and no buttons popped off so far. Or you could use that material with these ears:

http://www.dellsleatherworks.com/braceskit.htm

[Blum]

Re: Poor boy suspenders

I think linen is a better choice than cotton : more durable and more stretchy .
But...
In an old Watchdog booklet, there is a picture of a piece of an original suspenders and it was made, i am not sure, of al cotton blue jean. The same sold by FHW. I must to check to find the article if you haven't it and if you have interrest.

[Blum]

Re: Poor boy suspenders

Hello,

The suspender article I had speak is in the Watchdog, Volume 9, NO. 3 Summer 2001.
It take two pages and the title is «* Brace Yourself*» by Tim Shaw.
I can not putting it on the forum because I have no scanner and of course The Watchdog is under a Copyright.
The artifact were discovered in a circa 1845 log house in 1994 in Alabama.
Just several lines of it :
«*Among these artifact were two fragments of a pair of hand sewn cotton braces. The two fragments measured 13 ½ inches and just less than six inch length respectively. Both fragments are 1 3/8 inches wide. The material (cotton jean) has a white cotton warp and a light blue indigo cotton fill. The thread is a brownish blue linen about equal to modern 40/2 wetspun linen thread.*»

The article also explain how to replicate these braces with drawings and two black and white pictures of the originals. The cloth look very similar to the one of FHW.

Note that each piece of cloth is folded to make a 1 3/8 strap and is topstitch only on the ends and one long length, not both. Buttonholes at the ends of the straps.

Hope this can help.

[KentuckyReb]

Re: Poor boy suspenders

See, that's what I was planning to do...cut a strip twice as wide as what I wanted plus a little extra for sewing, sew one end and the one long open side, then turn that 'tube' inside out and sew the other end shut. I'll admit it was just to save myself sewing two long seams, but I'm glad to get that article to show precedent for the method.

[Blum]

Re: Poor boy suspenders

Don’t waste your time with turning right side out the strap ! Not easy with long straps.
Just folded in half the piece of fabric, folded inside the edges and close by hand. They said about seven
stitch to the inch.
Make the buttonholes.
That’s all !

The article also say :

«*The existence of these braces fragments in part justify the recreation worn by modern reenactors. They do differ in several important aspects. The Meals fragments…
…are narrower than modern versions
…material is lighter weight
…are entirely hand sewn
…are not adjustable for length with multiple buttonholes
…do not have topstitching along all edges
…are likely parts of separate straps that were not sewn together in the center of the back*»

Now, just find the good fabric and go…! And subscript yourself to the Watchdog ! ;)

[KentuckyReb]

Re: Poor boy suspenders

It's interesting that they don't think they were joined in an 'X' in the back. I've already got mine sewn up with crossed back, just finishing the buttonholes now. I am gonna have to subsribe to the 'Dog. To the other posters, thanks for the replies. I'm going to make myself a set with that material from Wooded Hamlet. I just needed to get something together kinda quick for an event this weekend. The ridiculously flimsy brass buckles on my Sutler Row 'screw-the-newbie' suspenders finally gave up the ghost at the last event of last season. So thanks to all.

[Alamo Guard]

Re: Poor boy suspenders

Crossed back sewn? I thought that was a post civil war thing? I agree linen is the material of choice. Alot more sturdy than plain cotton.

[KentuckyReb]

Re: Poor boy suspenders

Hoboy. Might have goofed here. Crossed straps in the back is post-war? I was just copying the way my old ones were made. So more correct would be right-rear to right-front and the same for the left? I don't know why it never occurred to me to look at other guys' straps... I could've sworn they were like mine. Ah, jeeze. I'm tryin' to do this right. Just play it safe and whip out another pair with separate straps? It didn't take me as long as I thought.

[KentuckyReb]

Re: Poor boy suspenders

Great. Now I know I must sound like a flamin' farb... I just went back and did some looking around, and sho 'nuff, most of the sets I see being sold on the sites of 'the good guys' are separate-strap. Man. I feel pretty stupid. I don't know why it was...I guess I was always looking for things like brogans, trowsers, jackets, yadda yadda. I'd see pictures of suspenders for sale and just never looked close at 'em, just assumed the ones I had maybe weren't very good but were at least designed properly. Never came across a discussion of crossed vs. uncrossed and just went on autopilot. Man, I'm sorry all. Swear I'm not a farb, honest. Just looking at what I thought was the 'important' stuff. This is a new year for the unit--we've all agreed
that 'now is the time to come to Jesus' regarding the authenticity of our impression. Something as basic as suspenders, I trusted Skinner Row to at least get the design right. So, as I take needle and thread in hand (sigh), thanks to all for your help.

[fidlr1]

Re: Poor boy suspenders

See, that's what I was planning to do...cut a strip twice as wide as what I wanted plus a little extra for sewing, sew one end and the one long open side, then turn that 'tube' inside out and sew the other end shut. I'll admit it was just to save myself sewing two long seams, but I'm glad to get that article to show precedent for the method.

You'll find that turning that "tube" right side out can be a real chore--there's a tool called a "loop turner" that you can find at places like JoAnn Fabrics, it's basically a thin metal rod with a hook at one end. Makes turning those skinny long things right side out much easier.

[Canton Zouave]

Re: Poor boy suspenders

Left to Right and Right to Left is OK....just dont attach them in the back.

The poor boys that I have made have been made out of two seperate pieces. I have made them with left over FHW shirting on the front, and some cotton drill or duck for the backing. Press them and top stitch them down the sides. I also have taken ctton shirting and pressed it over and added a cotton duck core. This has made the cotton shirting suspenders more durable and a bit more stiff.

[Clark Badgett]

Re: Poor boy suspenders

Micha, they do cross in the back, but are not sewn together. Simply 2 seperate straps.

[KentuckyReb]

Re: Poor boy suspenders

Okay. I understand now. That's why I didn't notice a difference in other guys' suspenders. They were crossed in the back, but being under the tension of holding up trowsers, they were flat against each other so I couldn't tell they weren't sewn. Gotcha. Man. I knew I'd seen 'em crossed. Okay. Well, I'll take one of the blue pills now and finish sewing my extra pair of suspenders. :D Todd, thanks for the idea. I'll make another set next week and use the straps from my old ones as the core, the ones with the buckles that went bad. Good way to recycle 'em. Thanks, all.