Rolled leather button

Roosterpoop · February 06, 2007, 03:10:04 PM

Any tips on the construction of a rolled leather button. I have been using a drill press to put a hole down through the rolled leather but I know that is not the way they did it in the old days.

Marshal Will Wingam · February 06, 2007, 03:21:29 PM

I'm talking off the cuff here. They did have drills in those days and they could have done that easily. Another possibility is that they may have punched the holes when the leather was rolled but still wet. Maybe someone who knows what he's talking about will know for sure. Where's Delmonico? He probably has the answer.

litl rooster · February 06, 2007, 03:36:13 PM

Quote from: Roosterpoop on February 06, 2007, 03:10:04 PM
Any tips on the construction of a rolled leather button. I have been using a drill press to put a hole down through the rolled leather but I know that is not the way they did it in the old days.

What size are you tring to make? For garmets?

Delmonico · February 06, 2007, 03:44:52 PM

I would think you could do it with a good punch. But if the drill works why mess with it unless you are doing public demo's of how they used to do it?

Roosterpoop · February 06, 2007, 04:16:33 PM

Howdy Pards. This button is on the pocket of a pair of RT Fraiser leggins my wife is trying to knock off. The leather they used for the button is 3/8" on the inside where it is riveted down. However the button is small. I wonder if they trimmed the size of the button down after they pulled the tail down through the hole in the button. Any comments are welcome and Thanks ya all.

Delmonico · February 06, 2007, 04:17:58 PM

Can you post a good picture or two?

Roosterpoop · February 07, 2007, 06:56:09 AM

I will see if I can get some pics.

Hill Beachy · February 07, 2007, 05:44:27 PM

Haven't done it in years, but I simply used an awl and elbow grease. Sometimes it helped to unroll it a bit and push the awl through the indentation made after pushing through the previous layer.

HB

Roosterpoop · February 08, 2007, 10:12:37 AM

Here are a couple of pictures. I hope they post. I have not doe this before. The rivet you see is 5/32" for size comparison. You will see there is a flower on the head of the rivet. Does anyone know if there was a stamp they used to put that on after they setted the rivet or was in on the rivet to start with?

Roosterpoop · February 08, 2007, 10:14:11 AM

Ok one sent here is the other