The classic denim shank button is a little jewel hidden away on a jean.
It’s attached with a nail tack. And is a great way to permanently fix the button to a jean -— which was useful, especially if you were seeking your fortune in the hills of California.
But this strength is now its weakness because it’s a major barrier to a jean being recycled.
That wasn’t much of a concern in the late 1800s but times have changed.
Our first attempt at a detachable jean button wasn’t great. Sure, it worked but it didn’t look or feel right, not for a great jean. And denim is all about details, right?
Rather than go forward, we started looking back. After all, the button is over 5,000 years old and not much has come along in all that time to better it.
So it was no surprise to discover detachable buttons are not a new idea at all.
In fact, they’re over 150 years old.
And they are amazing.
They’re known as Bachelor Buttons — designed for unmarried men of the day to fix their waist overalls without the need of needle and thread.
Over 30 patents were granted after the 1850s for this type of button.
And we're bringing one back.
Our faithfully recreated Pilcher’s Automatic Bachelor Button will be made from steel. It can be removed, re-used or recycled infinitely without losing any of its properties.
(And we’ll waive exclusivity on this button because we want everyone to use it.)
