A thread question

[Lazarus Driver]

I have a question that hopefully someone can answer. While looking in the Ordnance Manual at equipment for a battery I found shoe thread and patent thread listed. What exactly is patent thread.
Thanks
Bill Thomas
Driver
Lazarus Battery

[CJ Reisenbeck]

Re: A thread question

Bill, I cannot find anything about patent thread in any of my books about leatherworking and civil war horse equipment. I did however ask a very knowledgeable member of our battery who has been a leatherworker for 25 years.
He made all of our Harnesses and saddles for moving our gun, and is very knowledgeable about leatherwork of that period. He told me that the shoe thread was coarser and less refined, but the patent thread is a very high quality polished thread that would have been used for repairing officer’s saddles and other higher end work. He said it looks more like silk than linen thread.
Take this for what it is, it's not proof but just a knowledgeable person’s opinion. Hope it helps though.
CJ Reisenbeck
Waters Battery
Byrnes Battery