[Paul]

I found an old camel hair sport jacket in my closet. What's odd is that one of the button had some odd damages, it's like the surface of the button has come off. The other buttons are also chipped on the side. Any idea what material this button is made of?

 

[SG_67]

A couple of things:

1) I’m immediately craving a chocolate glazed old fashioned.

2) I’m not sure as to the material of the button, but assuming all the buttons are the same, it seems as the they were painted and the odd button out is representative of the real color.

Is this an old jacket or one you recently purchased? Were all of the buttons the same dark brown color before and this just happened?

 

[Mr. B. Scott Robinson]

It looks like it has delaminated. This happens over time as the components holding the material together age at different rates.

It's an early warning sign that it's time to replace all the buttons.

Cheers,

BSR

 

[Paul]

Thanks,

The jacket is old like a decade or so or even more.

I had plan to purchased some buttons, but was curious about what the original buttons were made of and how it could become like this. I am thinking that the original buttons were some sort of wood. Plastic buttons don't usually chip around the edge, but usually start breaking in half.

The reason I ask about the material was to figure out what material to replace it with. I think the usual choices are: plastic, horn, mother of pearl, wood/nut, metal, and leather. Leather and metal seems wrong for this type of jacket. I think horn is probably the most durable out of the group.

Paul

 

[trims]

The material is leather. Whats coming off is the layer of sprayed on color, essentially paint. Wood ages, and is processed similarly, but the texture and lack of wood grain seems to rule that out.

 

[Charles Dana]

Paul: Consider yourself lucky. At least you're only dealing with a simple matter of button replacement. Buttons are cheap, and new ones will make that jacket as serviceable as ever. It would be different if you had found moth holes in the jacket.

Rejoice (assuming you have already joiced. Otherwise--joice.)

 

[Charles Dana]

It looks like it has delaminated. This happens over time as the components holding the material together age at different rates.

That's about what I think every time I see a group photo of somebody's 40th high school reunion.