Buttons

[Fox]

Hi,

I'm in the middle of making a RN middie's (circa 1805) coat for a friend, and I'm about to embark on a USN lieutenant's coat (1802-14 pattern) for me, and I'm having the devil of a job finding the correct buttons. So, can any of you chaps point me towards a supplier of replica buttons for both or either of these projects. For the middie's coat I need small flat buttons in gold or brass with a fouled anchor motif but no border, for the USN lieutenant's coat the buttons should also be brass or gold, and flat with a fouled anchor with an eagle over the top, the whole ringed by 15(?) stars.

Anyone?

[Sjöröveren]

Jas. Townsend & Sons has a PDF document showing the buttons they stock, mostly American Revolution Regimentals, but they say they can make custom buttons, including brass plating. Worth checking out.

[Capt. Morgan]

brass or gold, and flat with a fouled anchor with an eagle over the top, the whole ringed by 15(?) stars.

Those sound EXACTLY like the buttons the Marines have been wearing since 1805... 'cept we have 13 stars, for the 13 original states... Jas. Townsend be the place ter go, though!

Follow this link, and look in the upper left corner...1st Marine Corps Insignia... same as on our buttons

Tell me if that is the same button... I'm interested to know!!

And here is a pic of an actual button from a USMC uniform... Button

[Fox]

Thanks guys, I'll check out Jas Townsend.

The USMC button is pretty similar, but I think the USN button should have the same design as the front of my USN sailor's hat

Since I'm planning an undress coat I may actually just go with plain flat brass buttons if I can't get the right USN ones. In the RN of the period uniform regs were more what you'd call... guidelines, so I'm assuming that the USN of the same period took the same attitude. Then the same coat can be used for a whole host of other stuff too. Would be nice to find the right buttons though, might even make it a dress coat if I can.

[Patrick Hand]

Foxe..... obviously a tarpline hat..... but is it just the photo, or is the brim "thick"? The ones that I've made don't have a very thick brim.... just wondering........

[blackjohn]

Foxe, have you tried Najecki's site???

http://www.najecki.com/repro/Contents.html

[Fox]

It's a japanned card hat (as worn by the crew of HMS Tribune to name but one vessel). The basic hat shape is made of card about 3/16 inch thick, which is then laquered, painted (or tarred in this case) and laquered again. I painted the design on before the second coat of laquer and bound the brim to protect it. The result is that the brim is about 1/4 inch thick.

Thanks John, I hadn't tried that site. Unfortunately my pc seems to have given up reading PDF files so I've emailed them. SOMEBODY must do the buttons I want!