Button placement on cuffs

[ton312]

Yes indeed, a adjustable cuff. I thought they were spares, but they are for rolling up. Inside cuffs are finished and button is exactly placed for use.

I’ve been pouring over all your posts on Sears Hercules jackets Terry. You’ve had (and I’m sure still have) some incredible examples. I’ve decided to sell off everything else I have and make these jackets my sole pursuit. I’ll keep the Goodgal and the Bates but everything else is outta here.

 

[Peter Bowden]

I understand that these machines were very expensive. In fact so expensive that companies used to lease them instead of owning them.

Nowadays hand sewn button holes are still found on high end suits. This is an example from a Ralph Lauren suit, made in England. It takes a skilled laborer about 15 minutes to make one of these. View attachment 249791

Some leather jacket makers also make their button holes by hand, like Whitefeather mfg : View attachment 249792

Dave Himel talks about the Reece button hole machine in this podcast and I think uses one in one of his videos
https://www.heddels.com/2016/03/podcast-5-dave-himel-himel-bros/
Starts at around 51 minutes

 

[tmitchell59]

I’ve been pouring over all your posts on Sears Hercules jackets Terry. You’ve had (and I’m sure still have) some incredible examples. I’ve decided to sell off everything else I have and make these jackets my sole pursuit. I’ll keep the Goodgal and the Bates but everything else is outta here.

I saw you were looking at the Hercules thread so I updated it with everything I think I own or owned. Most of the jackets I have found in the Sears catalog, including yours. Sears was one of biggest retailers in the world and moved these jackets into homes all over the world.

 

[Marc mndt]

Dave Himel talks about the Reece button hole machine in this podcast and I think uses one in one of his videos
https://www.heddels.com/2016/03/podcast-5-dave-himel-himel-bros/
Starts at around 51 minutes

Just listened the part where he eleborates on his button hole machines. That's a fun fact: The Reece buttonhole machines had counters on them, you had to pay the Reece company depending on the number of buttonholes you made with the machine.

 

[navetsea]

there is video on youtube or google image guide to handsew button hole finish, it looks thick since inside you put a loop of a thick thread (or multiple threads into a loop around the buttonhole) before wrapped around with threads, I tried to follow one to repair the unravelling buttonhole on my jeans, my first try so it was not neat at all but nice stout edge finisher indeed.

 

[zebedee]

I guess it's the same as buttonned sleeves on suits, they started out functional, then someone one day decided he could save a few bucks by just having decorative buttons and not bother making them functional anymore.
Nowadays it's pretty much impossible to buy a suite with functional button cuffs...

It's just much easier to alter suit arms that don't have actual buttonholes and buttons.

 

[jonbuilder]

I’ve been pouring over all your posts on Sears Hercules jackets Terry. You’ve had (and I’m sure still have) some incredible examples. I’ve decided to sell off everything else I have and make these jackets my sole pursuit. I’ll keep the Goodgal and the Bates but everything else is outta here.

Good to see someone going down the true original vintage road

 

[ton312]

Good to see someone going down the true original vintage road

Head first Jon!

 

[Dr H]

Dave Sheeley uses several authentic period sewing machines and button holers. Here’s an example of his work on a cuff.