Button polishing board or card

[rsm]

Ahem!.. One needs to learn to CLEAN first, before one can become PROPERLY DIRTY! ;-)

[qms]

From the Journal og the Great War Society (The UK 'Mob')

Button Sticks

Numerous types of button sticks have been marketed over the years and this article looks at some of the more common varieties. Our first was invented by one Henry White, a messenger at the Bank of England’s Western Branch in Burlington Gardens, who perhaps had a uniform of his own to clean, and who patented it in 1912. He sold the idea to Joseph Jennons & Co. of 56 Conduit St, a military outfitters. The swivelling arms allowed the stick to completely close around the button and for multiple buttons, such as the doubles or triples on a Guardsman’s dress uniform, to be polished at once. Novelty was claimed for the rounded edges of the slots and riveting the two parts together.



One early button stick which probably dates back to the Great War period is shown below. The specimen shown has the ‘Kitchener’ brand name on it, but others, marked T.W.H., and slightly thicker brass, are quite common at the moment and were probably made in the 1950s.



Many of us will have examples of the type illustrated below. This type is very common and can be found with no dates at all, or dates as late as the 1970s – most likely for the Navy, who used brass-buckled belts and gaiters much longer than the other Services. This one is marked W.H.B. which is probably W H Briscoe & Co. Ltd. of Birmingham.
It was patented by Joseph R Parker and L/Cpl Thomas Cooke, both of whom gave addresses in Birmingham (an accommodation address in Cooke’s case, doubtless because he was liable to be ordered to move around). They filed an application in Aug. 1917 and were eventually granted British Patent No. 116972 in July 1918. The very idea of a combination button polisher and webbing protector was what they claimed novelty for. There could not have been much time to get this pattern into production before the war ended.
Although most of its features are obvious, one or two require amplification. The straight step on the long side (4 – 5 in the drawing) was intended to fit inside the frame of the ’08 belt buckle while the step on the end (2 - 3) fits inside the frame of the buckles for the pack, etc. Some improvements evidently occurred after the patent was granted as the drawing does not show any cutouts for the smallest tag-ends.





By the 1970s this type had acquired the NATO National Stock Number of
C 8315-99-975-7095, which puts it in the category of ‘Notions & Apparel Findings’! The C-prefix comes from the old Catalogue of Clothing & Necessaries which was superseded by the NSN system.

A Bakelite version of this one exists, made on an Air Ministry contract by ‘GP’ in 1952. It is somewhat modernised – somebody had noticed that the ’08 webbing equipment was obsolete - with the cuts for the ’08 belt buckle gone, and replaced by three new ones which match the scalloping on the end tag of the ’37 webbing waist belt. Unfortunately the ones for the tag end on the 2-inch wide webbing have also gone, so anyone polishing their Left and Right straps or Small Pack attachment tabs would have been in trouble. Bakelite is brittle and breaks easily – this type would not have lasted long in use.




Stamped from thin sheet brass, the New Pioneer type is much more flimsy and not likely to survive very long inside a pack or ‘Holdall’. It was made by F. Narborough of Birmingham. They likely invented it as well, as British Patent No. 128438 was granted to Albert P. Narborough of 42-44 Lombard St, Birmingham, who filed an application in July 1918 with it being granted just under a year later . Again the drawing shows one or two points which may not be obvious. Fig.9 shows the ’08 belt buckle from the side with the square tabs i fitting into the cutouts in the frame while Fig.8 similarly shows the pack strap buckles fitting into the tabs h. Figs.2 & 6 also show the tapering end being used for purposes which may not have occurred to some of us. Novelty was claimed for all these features.



Again, some features changed after the patent was granted, with a slot being added later and the three stiffening ridges d being modified to carry markings.
Given the dates, it seems very unlikely that the New Pioneer could have been used in the Great War at all and the earlier type could not have been used in large numbers.

One final type is made of steel and painted with Suncorite and entirely unmarked – we can only guess at the date. It is considerably heavier than the brass types.




JAMES WEST



I don't know if the pictures will come out, If noy, I'll resend nerxt time I'm on line.

Tom

[qms]

Sorry, pics will have to follow
Tom

[qms]

From the Journal of the Great War Society (The UK 'Mob’) – This time with pictures :-

Button Sticks

Numerous types of button sticks have been marketed over the years and this article looks at some of the more common varieties. Our first was invented by one Henry White, a messenger at the Bank of England’s Western Branch in Burlington Gardens, who perhaps had a uniform of his own to clean, and who patented it in 1912. He sold the idea to Joseph Jennons & Co. of 56 Conduit St, a military outfitters. The swivelling arms allowed the stick to completely close around the button and for multiple buttons, such as the doubles or triples on a Guardsman’s dress uniform, to be polished at once. Novelty was claimed for the rounded edges of the slots and riveting the two parts together.

i22.photobucket.com/albums/b313/qmswalrus/BS1.jpg [/img]

One early button stick which probably dates back to the Great War period is shown below. The specimen shown has the ‘Kitchener’ brand name on it, but others, marked T.W.H., and slightly thicker brass, are quite common at the moment and were probably made in the 1950s.

i22.photobucket.com/albums/b313/qmswalrus/BS2.jpg
[/img]
Many of us will have examples of the type illustrated below. This type is very common and can be found with no dates at all, or dates as late as the 1970s – most likely for the Navy, who used brass-buckled belts and gaiters much longer than the other Services. This one is marked W.H.B. which is probably W H Briscoe & Co. Ltd. of Birmingham.
It was patented by Joseph R Parker and L/Cpl Thomas Cooke, both of whom gave addresses in Birmingham (an accommodation address in Cooke’s case, doubtless because he was liable to be ordered to move around). They filed an application in Aug. 1917 and were eventually granted British Patent No. 116972 in July 1918. The very idea of a combination button polisher and webbing protector was what they claimed novelty for. There could not have been much time to get this pattern into production before the war ended.
Although most of its features are obvious, one or two require amplification. The straight step on the long side (4 – 5 in the drawing) was intended to fit inside the frame of the ’08 belt buckle while the step on the end (2 - 3) fits inside the frame of the buckles for the pack, etc. Some improvements evidently occurred after the patent was granted as the drawing does not show any cutouts for the smallest tag-ends.



i22.photobucket.com/albums/b313/qmswalrus/BS4.jpg [/img]


By the 1970s this type had acquired the NATO National Stock Number of
C 8315-99-975-7095, which puts it in the category of ‘Notions & Apparel Findings’! The C-prefix comes from the old Catalogue of Clothing & Necessaries which was superseded by the NSN system.

A Bakelite version of this one exists, made on an Air Ministry contract by ‘GP’ in 1952. It is somewhat modernised – somebody had noticed that the ’08 webbing equipment was obsolete - with the cuts for the ’08 belt buckle gone, and replaced by three new ones which match the scalloping on the end tag of the ’37 webbing waist belt. Unfortunately the ones for the tag end on the 2-inch wide webbing have also gone, so anyone polishing their Left and Right straps or Small Pack attachment tabs would have been in trouble. Bakelite is brittle and breaks easily – this type would not have lasted long in use.

i22.photobucket.com/albums/b313/qmswalrus/BS5.jpg


Stamped from thin sheet brass, the New Pioneer type is much more flimsy and not likely to survive very long inside a pack or ‘Holdall’. It was made by F. Narborough of Birmingham. They likely invented it as well, as British Patent No. 128438 was granted to Albert P. Narborough of 42-44 Lombard St, Birmingham, who filed an application in July 1918 with it being granted just under a year later . Again the drawing shows one or two points which may not be obvious. Fig.9 shows the ’08 belt buckle from the side with the square tabs i fitting into the cutouts in the frame while Fig.8 similarly shows the pack strap buckles fitting into the tabs h. Figs.2 & 6 also show the tapering end being used for purposes which may not have occurred to some of us. Novelty was claimed for all these features.

i22.photobucket.com/albums/b313/qmswalrus/BS6.jpg [/img]

Again, some features changed after the patent was granted, with a slot being added later and the three stiffening ridges d being modified to carry markings.
Given the dates, it seems very unlikely that the New Pioneer could have been used in the Great War at all and the earlier type could not have been used in large numbers.

One final type is made of steel and painted with Suncorite and entirely unmarked – we can only guess at the date. It is considerably heavier than the brass types.

i22.photobucket.com/albums/b313/qmswalrus/BS7.jpg [/img]

i22.photobucket.com/albums/b313/qmswalrus/BS8.jpg [/img]


JAMES WEST



Enjoy
Tom

[cco23i]

OUTSTANDING info!! Thanks for the education!!

Scott

[chasseursapied]

I can't keep people of cleaning buttons, but somewhere I found a book where it is said to be standing orders of not cleaning buttons in the frontlines. Though this book is about the battle of Mons and the famous retreat in august 1914, I assume this must also have been thereafter. this aplied to shouldertitles and capbadges as well, if these had not been given away to girls as souvenirs.

Guy

[cco23i]

I understand where you are coming from BUT if a Royal Marine is onboard ship PRIOR to making it to the trenches HIS BUTTONS WILL BE POLISHED. SO, as I am "new" I will have polished buttons for the first event, THEN I will let them go AND even in the trenches of 1916 YOU WILL NOT HAVE 80 sum odd years of Patina on them SO one SHOULD polish them once to get the proper look for a soldier in the trench for 1 to 4 years NOT 80 plus years.

Scott

[rsm]

Thank you 'Tom'.. that's excellent. You've come up trumps yet again!

Seph

[qms]

The point about polished buttons is that the buttons would be dulled on entering the trenches, indeed, at one point, I believe, there were various solutions provided to dull them, (vinager was a popular one IIRC); but on leaving the trenches there would be the inevitable parades and inspections and Officer/Warrant Officers would require buttons to be polished
So rather than 1-4 years of patina, buttons were more likely only to have a few WEEKS.

BTW - For those wondering where the button stick is carried, it goes in the holdall (wash kit)
(Knife, fork, spoon, razor, comb and lather brush, tooth-brush, bootlaces and buttonstick).

Any help?

Tom

[cco23i]

That's great Tom! And THAT'S what I am doing, have them polished THEN when a battle is on have them dulled. NOT have 80 some odd years worth of patina on them.

Scott

[flagpiper]

I suppose that you will have to fogive me for throwing a little tid bit in. As a piper, I polish me buttons as well as having cleaner clothing and kit overall. This is a great exception to the rule I know but it goes with the territory.

Cheers, Mike Stuckey