Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-25
Making Co11ar-Buttons


they at every mans finger-ends every day
in his life they must certainly be included
among articles in general use Now, here's
the button we manufacture, he went on,
holding up a card of his wares. I've made
ten of these buttons for every man, woman
and child in the United States"
How many YEAR,"
About three hundred and sixty million"
be replied, and we are only drop in the
bucket There are collar-buttons Of wood
collar-buttons of bone, pearl Celluoid compo-
sition, agate and various metals, including gold
and silver which aggregate an industry amount
ing to five million dollars yearly, and our part
of the business alone, the manufacture of COM
position buttons retailing at five cents card,
means an income OF many thousands OF dollars
annually. The wonder is where they all 60"
Probably under the bureau" | suggested.
Yes, and that calls to mind a deplorable
fact in connection with the Collar-button.
Perhaps there is no other article of mans dress
that is responsible for more profanity Haven't
you seen the aggravating little things slip from
the fingers and roll suddenly out of sight?
Who wouldn't wax profane over their per-
versity? Some of the inventors who have
contrived buttons that will not break, rumple
the linen, slip from the buttonhole ought to
set their wits to work to produce one that
would be warranted not to produce profanity.
Indeed, the story of the Collar-button from its
origin up to its present fiourishing condition
would make an extended history full of do
nestle scenes as well as thrilling tales of mer-
camille venture
Aside from the wood, agate and inferior tin
buttons used principally in laundries, the
composition or mud button, as it is called
by competitors in other lines of the collar
button industry, ranks, according to the in
fornant, as the cheapest button on the mar
ket. 1t is made of preparation of clay and
Shellac, which is run into dies and cooled under
extreme pressure. The process is simple and
the number turned out by a single factory is
FIVE or six hundred thousand daily. These
mud !" buttons, when perfect, are carded and
sold at fair price, while those having inper-
fections disposed of as seconds or
thirds" by the great gross in boxes and are
almost given away.
1t is common belief that in the manufac-
ture of this appurtenance Of dress the material
is fed into a machine at one end and perfected
cOllar-buttOns drop out at the other end; but
such is not the case, the processes that each
button passes through in the better class of
goods numerous and surprising.
Take, for example, the one-piece collar
button that is being made by several manu-
facturers throughout the East. The machine
into which the metal gold or gOd-plate) is
first fed is also used in making eyelets and
other similar articles. As the strip of metal is
| run into the machine it is cut in the form of a
disc about the size of a twenty-five-cent piece
! This disc then passes on and is stamped into
its first upright form. Thus it moves to an
| other and another stamp, until 1t has been
| through six OF these processes and resembles a
diminutive hgh-crowned hat.
| Another machine accomplishing twice as
many processes, and requiring the attention
of one person for watching and feeding, is now
| supplied with the hats" and by gradual steps
| hammers the crown into the head and post of
a collar-button This immature button is
then fed individually into machine that
turns up the lower edges while another pro-
| cess rolls them over and attaches the back lin
ing lin the case of plated article); and still
! third presses the head into flatter and more
convenient shape. But after all these operations
are performed the button is not finished for
| it must be FURNISHED and it passes through
several hands, one person polishing the head
| another the post and inner surface of the back
| and another the outer back. 1t is then carded
or not as the case may be, and is ready for the
market at retail price of fifteen to twenty
| five cents for a plated button, and a dollar
and half for solid-gold one
| The manufacturer of buttons of more than
| one piece will have a different story to tell
about making his productions. While in the
one instance machines do all but the feeding,
III the other there is much handwork to be
done. The lever buttons, for example have
! several parts to be adjusted and soldered or
pressed and riveted together. There are over
| four million of them produced annually The
actual cost of each button is one and three
/ quarters cents. though the retail price after it
has passed through the hands of the various
II. l. Il