Buttons

[Shotgun Franklin]

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So what kind of buttons I could find today would best replicate those used on clothing in the late 1800s?

[Tascosa Joe]

What are you working on, a coat, shirt, or vest?  A lot of the dress coat buttons were cloth covered.

[Delmonico]

Glass, pearl, wood, metal, cloth covered, gutta perch,  ebonite (hard rubber) or celluliod, (not advised if you smoke or are around a camp fire or other source of flame.

[Books OToole]

Glass, pearl, wood, metal, cloth covered, gutta perch,  ebonite (hard rubber) or celluliod, (not advised if you smoke or are around a camp fire or other source of flame.

...add bone to the list.  They are kind of hard to find but realy set off a bib-front shirt.

Books

[Delmonico]

...add bone to the list.  They are kind of hard to find but realy set off a bib-front shirt.

Books

I forgot Ivory also.

[Shotgun Franklin]

I've been using wooden but wanted to double check. I see some simulated wood on 'E-bay' and might try those. While I don't consider myself a nit-picker when it comes to other folks stuff, I do like to try to be period correct as I can within reason.

[Delmonico]

I've never seen simulated wood that looked like anything but simulated wood.   I've never had any trouble buying decent buttons in large fabric shops.

[Major 2]

nobody said antler...can I say antler ? I'm gonna say antler 
 Oh! and horn, and leather and seashell.

[Delmonico]

nobody said antler...can I say antler ? I'm gonna say antler 
 Oh! and horn, and leather and seashell.

Pearl or rather mother of pearl are seashell, that's what I have on my nightshirt.

[Major 2]

Right Del...and we should add  Glass ... Opaline glass

I have my Grandfathers infant "Dress" yep dress circa 1876 , Victorian's would have male infants in dresses.
It has Opaline glass buttons.

[Mogorilla]

Of course I cannot find the reference now, but I swear I read that confederate troops resorted to walnut shells for replacement buttons.   

[Guns Garrett]

I have seen some robes and capotes with slices of black walnut shells for button, and buckeyes, too.  Maybe a bit too "plansmain/mountainman"

[James Hunt]

many of the better CW sellers have a good selection to choose from. You can get an idea from:

http://www.abrahamslady.com/buttons.html

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Shotgun,

Don't know what kinds of stuff you have at your hands, but here is about as real as it gets ...

Find someone who hunts elk/deer or some such and beg/borrow/purloin/barter or outright buy some antler.

Take some antler about the diameter of the button you want and cut sections about 3/32 or /1/8" thick.

Then put about a 1/16 drill bit in a drill and drill out 2-4 holes ....

Then you have real buttons that everyone with ask about and you will have stories about them ....

Neat!!