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Thinking about making some Shot Pouch or Coat Buttons from Moose Antler.

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OK, folks dumb questions time. Grin.

I have a piece of somewhat flat Moose Antler that I think would make good buttons with the hard surface on each side of the button/s. I know we still had both Elk and Bison in Virginia in the 18th century, but I don’t believe we had Moose this far South even then.

So my questions are, “In what Colonies or Territories were Moose found in the 18th century? IOW, how far South would they have been found? Also, is there any documentation that Moose Antler Buttons were made and traded in Colonies or Territories further South from where Moose were found?

I would very much appreciate any information on this.

Gus
 
It may boil down even further to whether or not the cores were hard enough to make them work. I'm not aware of any from the archeology or history of Alaska, but perhaps I've been looking in all the wrong places. Lots made from bone (dense, hard "side walls" of bones rather than cross sections), but you'd think if moose anlter was worth a poot it would have been used. My inclination if using moose is the same as deer antler: Cut it in half lengthwise, get rid of the core, and use what's left to do any fashioning.
 
Thank you Brown Bear.

Yes, that's the best way to make buttons from Deer Antler, but I wasn't sure about from the flat sections of Moose Antler?

Some parts of the flat section I have of Moose Antler SEEM to be thin enough where the button would not be too thick if one left both sides of solid material with the core material between them? However, I'm not sure if that sets up the buttons to come apart in use from the weaker core material "de-laminating" or coming apart?

Gus
 
I must have just been lucky when I decided to make buttons for my haversack from cross-sections of whitetail antler back when I started re-enacting, because there was no pithy center in the one I used. I have no documentation showing any antler was used for buttons, but they work very well. These have seen frequent hard service for almost 30 years with no issues.

haversackC.jpg


Spence
 
Today were a little more taken with antler then they were back then. The museum of the fur trade has a antler powder measure that was stained to look like birds eye maple.
 
OK, folks dumb questions time. Grin.

I have a piece of somewhat flat Moose Antler that I think would make good buttons with the hard surface on each side of the button/s. I know we still had both Elk and Bison in Virginia in the 18th century, but I don’t believe we had Moose this far South even then.

So my questions are, “In what Colonies or Territories were Moose found in the 18th century? IOW, how far South would they have been found? Also, is there any documentation that Moose Antler Buttons were made and traded in Colonies or Territories further South from where Moose were found?

I would very much appreciate any information on this.

Gus
If made from the solid sides or tip (no pithy core) and shaped as a period button should be, they would be essentially indistinguishable from bone buttons that were available. In this respect, the question of where Moose (and perhaps, Moose antler buttons) would be found might be unnecessary. The better question might be whether bone buttons are found on shot bags or coats.
 
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Good Point. Had someone used a bone button, it might have been an extra and covered with cloth as well.

I just went through Madison Grant's book and most button closure flaps don't show or mention the buttons.

Also went through the 18th century Material Resource Center and though leather, pewter and other buttons are shown on original Military and Civilian Shot Pouches, none have Antler buttons.

OK, well maybe I can think of something else to use the piece of Moose Antler for.

Gus
 
Good Point. Had someone used a bone button, it might have been an extra and covered with cloth as well.

I just went through Madison Grant's book and most button closure flaps don't show or mention the buttons.

Also went through the 18th century Material Resource Center and though leather, pewter and other buttons are shown on original Military and Civilian Shot Pouches, none have Antler buttons.

OK, well maybe I can think of something else to use the piece of Moose Antler for.

Gus
Shirt buttons?
 
Not a bad idea. Thank you. However, now that I know about thread buttons, I'm going to try them on my next shirt.

Gus
I am curious to try thread buttons myself. I've saved instructions for a couple types.
Frankly, making buttons by hand is a nuisance. I'm OK with making a few every so often - so it's a good thing my shirts only need 3.
 
Frankly, making buttons by hand is a nuisance.

Try making a bone needle! :p

Actually it's not too bad. They don't have to be strong enough to pierce leather (Use and awl for that). Bird wing or leg bones are best- split, cleaned and dried. Bore a hole for the thread or sinew, then "cut away everything else that's not a needle." I.e., drill the hole first, then trim away the excess bone to form the needle.

Pretty handy skill, and the needles are just plain cool. We've dug up thousands of the things in archeological digs, some of them so tiny you almost need a magnifying glass to see the hole.
 
Find a hole saw, as you use in a drill, the size you want for buttons, but without a drill bit and saw into the moose antler. In place of a drill bit you may need to cut one short or use a piece of rod in its place so you only saw, not drill. Once the buttons are cut drill them separately for thread.

Haven't done this yet myself, a friend described the process to me. I have a nice piece of elk antler to be made into this sort of button.
 
moose antler is very hard. had one lying under my loading bench for years. recently gave to a 17 year old ranchers son as he is a good knife maker. he has made several gutting and skinning knife handles with moose antler. looks good and will last forever. if you have bogs and wet lands where you live their was moose their years ago. animals that people to day thinks of as just the western animals were all the way to the east coast many moons ago. ive made arrow heads out of moosehorn to hang on my war shirt. they would work real well on a real arrow also to hunt with.
 
Find a hole saw, as you use in a drill, the size you want for buttons, but without a drill bit and saw into the moose antler. In place of a drill bit you may need to cut one short or use a piece of rod in its place so you only saw, not drill. Once the buttons are cut drill them separately for thread.

Haven't done this yet myself, a friend described the process to me. I have a nice piece of elk antler to be made into this sort of button.

My Grandfather spent 40 years in the "Pearl Button" Industry and they used the type of round hole saws you mentioned. He fixed the machines and resharpened the saws. Mississippi River "Clam" Shell (really Mussels I'm told, but we never called them that) are as hard/tough or more so than any antler. I have some of those saws, so it is something to think about. Thanks for the suggestion.

Gus
 
I haven't got around to it yet, but my next ambition is to carve some bone buttons, and the heck with antler. Your hole saws would make short work of the job. Thanks for the idea!
 
And we have plenty of documentation that bone buttons were extremely common in the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Gus
An advantage I see is the larger flat surface of moose antler makes the process quicker. A large bone certainly will make buttons but would also require time-consuming preparation prior to cutting the first button.
 
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