WWI era brass button stick made by M.S.F.

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M.S.F.

c. 1916

Overview

World War One era brass button stick made by M.S.F. It features a solid piece of brass with a central longitudinal slot allowing a soldier to slide the brass plate underneath a row of tunic or greatcoat buttons.
It has an arched top and a small circular cutout situated directly above the main slot allowing the tool to be tied onto a grooming kit roll or suspended inside a tent or barracks locker.
There are verification markings stamped vertically near the top, including 'W.I. / 4' which represents a military ordnance inspection mark. Below this, the figure 16/8 and the initials 'M.S.F.' are impressed, representing the date of production (August 1916) and manufacturer.
The reverse is plain and there are signs of wear from age and usage on both sides.

Historical information

During World War One, soldiers were required to maintain pristine uniforms, which included keeping all brass uniform buttons, cap badges, and belt components highly polished. However, liquid chemical polishes like Brasso could easily stain, discolour, or rot the wool or khaki fabric of the tunic if it touched the cloth.
Brass button sticks (also referred to as a button brasses or button cleaning guards) served as a protective physical shield between the metal hardware and the uniform fabric. With the fabric completely blanketed underneath the brass plate, the soldier could vigorously apply polish and buff the buttons clean without any risk of transferring residue onto the tunic.

The manufacturer, 'M.S.F.' is not known but it is possible that the 'S.F.' represents 'Supply Factory'.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-119-RoW01001

Item type

Accessories

Collectibles

Ephemera

Objects

Personal Effects

Uniforms

Themes