Removable Buttons

**svc40bt** · 24th November 08, 03:23 PM

Kevin Kinney and a few others have mentioned jackets with removable buttons. Just wondering how they work? Is it the button, or is there some sort of clip you could purchase to do this? Pictures would be great.

**Bugbear** · 24th November 08, 03:32 PM

I've tried looking into them, but got nowhere other than there might be a cotter pin involved.

So, I gave up and went back to the old ways. Use a bent safetypin.

The buttons that have a metal loop on the back are the easiest to work with, and can be used "as is" with a 3/4 inch safetypin bent like a quilt basting safetypin. A button with holes needs to be stitched on to a small piece of fabric, or have a large knot of thred on the back for the pin to go through. Comes in handy if you have to swich between brass and silver buttons on something like a navy blue blazer.

Someone who has the real removable buttons will have to explain what they are like, and I look forward to that.

Good luck.

* Just so my other posts aren't confusing, I remembered that I had a card of removable buttons after they were explained in following posts, but I didn't understand how they worked until then. *

**vmac3205** · 24th November 08, 03:50 PM

They indeed have a cotter pin. You can get the pins at police uniform shops, as the metal buttons on uniforms work the same way. The metal buttons have a loop on the back. Just slip them through a wee tinu button hole and slip the cotter pin through. It works even better if you put a metal disk between the button and the cotter pin, but the disks are harder to find. Ask wlverine to see a photo of his PC. I used the cotter pins on it.

**Bugbear** · 24th November 08, 03:57 PM

Ah! Thank you. It all makes complete sense now. I was missing the information on the tiny buttonholes, so assumed it was some kind of... voodoo magic.

**Southern Breeze** · 24th November 08, 04:12 PM

Paradestore has pics of the pins.

http://www.paradestore.com/detail.aspx?ID=392

**JSFMACLJR** · 24th November 08, 05:29 PM

My silver buttons for my evening jackets use a split ring, as shown in these scans:

Sandford MacLean

**Bugbear** · 24th November 08, 05:33 PM

I have a card of removable buttons, and they do in fact have a cotter pin with a curved section to accept the shank loop on the back of the buttons. Looking at the cotter pins, they work with all the looped back buttons I have, so I'm guessing the buttons do not have to be purchased with the pins. In other words, you can use the silver Highland buttons as removable ones if they have the loop.

I think I'm going to stick with the safetypins, though because I don't want to make the tiny buttonholes on my jackets.

**puffer** · 24th November 08, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by vmac3205

They indeed have a cotter pin. You can get the pins at police uniform shops, as the metal buttons on uniforms work the same way. The metal buttons have a loop on the back. Just slip them through a wee tinu button hole and slip the cotter pin through. It works even better if you put a metal disk between the button and the cotter pin, but the disks are harder to find. Ask wlverine to see a photo of his PC. I used the cotter pins on it.

Yep, my LEO ( police) uniform shirts & jackets used them. (brass w/crest) (16 on the shirt alone)The reason they were used was so you could send the shirt or jacket to the cleaners & still get it back with out "broken" or missing buttons. Here is an "old" picture

They are also GREAT (as mentioned) for being able to change "decor" on a shirt, vest or Jacket.

This is also how Brit. Military Hat & sporran badges were attatched (usuall 2 "loops", with a "cotter key), until recenly ( they now use a "slider for the hat badges.)

BTW, another source of the "cotter key" is a good local hardware store. Mine carries not only a varity of sizes, starting @ 1/2" up, & in steel,Stainless & brass.

Puffer

**cavscout** · 24th November 08, 06:53 PM

Marine Corps dress blues come with fixed buttons and button holes like any other blouse but we would take them to a alteration shop around base to have them "Button Holed" where they machine the tiny round holes into the button side of the coat. It is not a standard button hole. It is a very small circle that fits the shank of our Anodized buttons that do not require polishing. The buttons can't go through the cleaners so must be removable. The button sets came with the split ring fasteners. I have no idea if a civilian alteration shop would know what or how to do it but it is well worth it if you can have it done. You will sleep better knowing that the cleaner is not stripping your nickel or pewter buttons off your jacket

**Bugbear** · 24th November 08, 07:29 PM

That is interesting information about the cap badges, Puffer. Thank you for bringing that up.

To clear up something about my first post, I bought a card of removable buttons to figure out how they work, but did not have instructions. When I couldn't think of how they would be attached to the jacket, I just assumed that they were marked wrong at the store, and the pin was there to hold them on the card... As I said, it all made sense after the shank holes were explained, so I went and looked at them again.

So, big thank you to svc40bt for asking the question, and everyone else for explaining. Life can go on now.