Oak Leaves Sleeve Buttons

Made in the USA

Sleeve buttons were used on the sleeves of men’s shirts and armbands of women’s shifts and are often confused with cuff links which is a late 19th century term. People of all social classes wore them; they were also issued to soldiers of many military regiments including the 17th of Foot in 1776 and the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment in 1778. For example in The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, London of 1768 in a trial for Breaking Peace it was recorded that he “asked me for my sleeve-buttons to load a piece with to fire it at Mr. Green . . .  he had a musket, I had seen him fire it several times before”.

These five eights inch sleeve buttons are copied from an original pair excavated from Fort Ouiatenon, Indiana and are made of the highest quality pewter. We sell these buttons by the set which includes enough buttons for one shirt or shift. In other words two pairs of buttons each pair connected.