| Glossary of Back Types (Shanks and other Means of Attachment) |
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| Return to Back Types Page | ||||
| Legend - This list of shanks and back types was compiled from a review of all the references listed at the bottom of this page. Except for the "Other Back Types" section, all items are based on the 2011-2012 Blue Book including relevant invoked references (1995 National Button Bulletin, 1967 Classification of Black Glass Buttons, 2003 Pearl and Shell Buttons Classification, 2002 Classification of Clear and Colored Glass Buttons, 2005 Celluloid Buttons, and The NBS Synthetic Polymers Handbook (undated). Except for Pig Tail and Thread Shank, back types #1 through #62 are identified in the Blue Book and/or the May 1995 National Button Bulletin. The blue and green font color ties the source document and the related comments. Comment entries other than from the primary sources are identified with by a footnote. Comments in red are the editor's. The comments are short contractions, phrases, or key works from the source document. They are not intended to stand alone. Whereever there is a question, the viewer should consult the source document. Comments and corrections are welcome and should be directed to price6@comcast.net | ||||
| Name | Source | Comments | Location of example on back types page | |
| 1 | A-Type | 95 NBB-2 | hand drawn wire brazed to one piece flat metal buttons with unbent tips | Metal |
| 2 | Alpha shank | BB 24-5 / 95NBB-3 | wire eye shank attached to body by soldering or welding / full name for A-Type | Metal |
| 3 | Antiquarian | 95NBB-1 | same as staple - Early term used where glass "squeezed up" between "U" shank wires1 | Glass |
| 4 | Applied | BB 1-3.2 / BB-p71 95NBB-4 |
applied celluloid shanks on
one-piece 30s / Glued-on shanks shank as separate piece applied with adhesive/cemented together/mostly plastic |
Ceramic/Glass/Celluloid Other |
| 5 | Bird cage | BB 3-1.1 / 95NBB-43 | inserted self shank (complex construction) / metal mostly on French Uniforms | Ceramic / Metal/Other |
| 6 | Box | BB 7-1.1 (4-way) 95NBB5/19/40 (2&4 way) |
hollow metal cube with 4
openings embedded in glass - Also called square shank1 box like in shape/always hollow |
Glass/Other |
| 7 | Brazed | 95NBB-6 | brass loop “brazed” to brass or copper button using "hard solder"- e.g. one piece gilts | Metal |
| 8 | Bridge | 95NBB-7 | metal bar extends across groove-examples in BG & VI | Glass and VI |
| 9 | Canvas | 95NBB-8 | tuft of cloth/canvas puffed out thru hole in metal button back | Fabric |
| 10 | Cast | 95NBB-9 | shank part of any metal button that was made by pouring metal into a mold | Metal |
| 11 | Cased | BB 5-4 | entire back is covered with fabric as well as the front for woven fabric cover buttons | Fabric |
| 12 | Cat-gut | 95NBB-10 | on 18th century wood-back or bone-back buttons with cat-gut - Also called gut-loop1 | Other |
| 13 | Claw | BB 7-7.9 / 95NBB-11 | typical Victorian shank/a name sometimes heard for the rosette shank pedal shaped shank plate carrying a loop shank - number of pedels is always four3 |
Glass |
| 14 | Clutchette | 95NBB-12 | pinch clamp device fits over sharp pin on back - Consensus Opinion - This is not a button | |
| 15 | Cone | BB 23-3.1 / BB 10-13.1 BB (p.69) / 95NBB-13 |
metal or glass buttons with metal loop embeded in cone-shaped buildup/cone self shank on French Tights/glass with cone shanks molded for buttons and hat pins/ cone shaped hump with hole (shows self shank)/like Tombac1 | Glass/Metal/Other |
| 16 | Darned | 95NBB-14 | pad of closely interlaced string (instead of four strands) on 18th century wood-back | Fabric |
| 17 | Double | BB 23-3 / 95NBB-15 | button vs. trim / two shanks on the same button/found on extra large or heavy buttons | Glass/Metal |
| 18 | Dresden | 95NBB-16 | porcelain button that is hollow with 4 openings - believed to be Meissen manufacture | Ceramic |
| 19 | Eye | 95NBB-17 | another name for loop shank - usage rare | See 29 (loop) |
| 20 | Flexible | 95NBB-18 | another name for a canvas or padback shank | See 32 (Pad back) |
| 21 | Four-way | 95NBB-19 | Any shank with 4 openings placed so that thread sews on in a crisscross | Glass/Other |
| 22 | Gathered | BB
5-4 BB 24-3.2 |
fabric cover is pleated or
gathered and drawn tight in center back/Same as "Overlapped" Passementerie may have gathered fabric or worked thread backs |
Fabric |
| 23 | Glove | 95NBB-20 | arched strip is inserted in cutout on back of button - found only on glove buttons | Metal |
| 24 | Hollow Back | BB 24-1 | 18th century ceramics - Also called primitive type1 - (varient found in BG with metal back) | Ceramic/Glass/Metal |
| 25 | Hump | BB 7-7.9 | 2-way hump is typical shank for Victorian – no definition in BB or NBB | Glass |
| 26 | Inserted | BB 3-1.1 | Ceramic - made of 2 or 3 pieces - inserted back piece forms shank - includes bird cage | Ceramic |
| 27 | Integral (cast) | BB 24-5 | shank and body are cast in one piece | Metal |
| 28 | Key | BB page 73, Popper/ BB 7-4.13/95NBB-21 |
small flat key shaped plate with
two embedded prongs corrects C&CG Handbook as ok for paperweights/only on Poppers-not corrected in BB |
Glass |
| 29 | Loop | BB 3-1.2/BB 7-1.2 BB 23-6.8/95NBB-22 |
ceramic plain & plate and
loop/rosette plate supports a loop shank/elongated for waistcoat a very broad term covering all metal ring-style shanks |
All Materials |
| 30 | Nail-head | BB 9-3 | only cited under horn - no definition in BB - same as pin shank except larger2 | No example/not defined |
| 31 | Omega | 95NBB-23 | like Alpha but ends of shank bend outward for better attachment (common on Jacksonians) | Metal |
| 32 | Pad back | BB 23-3.4/95NBB-24 | canvas-like cloth protrudes through center hole in metal back/same as canvas or flexible | Metal/Fabric/Other |
| 33 | Parallel Wire | BB 24-8 | repoussè with metal disc back with single, crossed, or two parallel wire shanks… | See cat gut shank |
| 34 | Pigtail | C&CG Handbook3 | a wire shank with only one end of the loop embedded3 | Glass (by definition) |
| 35 | Pin-shank | BB(various)/95NBB-25 | numerous citations of pin shank - not defined / wire with head on top/loop on back | Ceramic/Glass/Other |
| 36 | Plastic Back | BB 5-0 | plastic backs/shanks replacing metal backs in some modern fabric buttons | Fabric |
| 37 | Plate and Loop | BB 3-1.2/95NBB-26 | refers to loop mounted on plate that is attached to button / to stabilize shank and/or strengthen button | Ceramic/Glass/Other |
| 38 | Popper | 95NBB-27 | found only on Popper buttons - Not consistent with current BB that allows for paper weights | Glass |
| 39 | Ring Shank | BB 10-13.1/95NBB-28 | brazed two piece mechanical make-up / Same as loop but with perfect circle | Metal |
| 40 | Riveted | BB 25-6.1.1 | overall button with rigid shank, resembling stud but permanently attached to fabric | Metal |
| 41 | Rosette | BB 23-3.2/95NBB-29 | 6 petal shaped plate with loop shank / only on glass/like notched plate - BB more specific | Glass |
| 42 | Self | BB 3-1 95NBB-30/95NBB-44/45 |
china-molded self-shank or
“inserted self-shank”or metal shank same material and integral part of body/self shank used on West German glass buttons |
Glass/Metal/Fabric/Other |
| 43 | Sew-through | BB 23-3.3 | includes whistles, igloos and some dorsets - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, holes | All Materials |
| 44 | Slip | 95NBB-31 | shank designed to be loose/uniform use – not overall buttons that became loose from wear | Metal |
| 45 | Split/Circumflex | 95NBB-32 | short metal band pulled up from base – same as circumflex &split V - also called cut-out1 | Metal |
| 46 | Staple | 95NBB-33 | wire in shape of staple/ends embedded/name used only for charm string/no limitation3 | Glass/Fabric/Other |
| 47 | String-back | 95NBB-34 | heavy thread (versus gut) lacing that makes shank for 18th century wood-backs | Other |
| 48 | Swaged | 95NBB-35 | shank plate fits under the surface of the button into undercut groove | Shell |
| 49 | Swirlback | BB 7-1.4 | cord-like winding off of the glass around the shank-wire and "plate and loop" are acceptable | Glass |
| 50 | Thread Shank | Black Glass Handbook4 | two types-metal bound like threadbacks and sewn that resemble 18th century cord shanks | Fabric |
| 51 | Threadback | BB 23-3.4/95NBB-36 | threads crisscross on back / back containing a disk completely enwrapped in thread | Glass/Metal/Fabric/Other |
| 52 | Tombac | 95NBB-37 | wire shank embedded in a mound on body – any shank attached to metal button by embedding | Metal |
| 53 | Tunnel | BB 3-1.3.2/95NBB-38 | used in description for sew through igloos / hole through the body/no special projections | Ceramic/Glass/Other |
| 54 | Turret | 95NBB-39 | metal cylinder/one end capped/other end embedded/2 or 4 pierced holes/mostly VI | VI |
| 55 | Wedge | BB 24-5/95NBB-41 | cast wedge shape drilled hole/cast wedge shape-rounded top-center cut out - or handwrought* | Metal |
| 56 | Whistle | BB (p.58)/23-3.3.1 | Defined as a specific back type but also as a specific type of sew through | Glass/Other |
| 57 | Wire | BB 7-1.4/BB 24-5 95NBB-42 |
swirlbacks – most have wire
shank / placed in mold before pouring metal-embedded “wire shank” almost always means charm string glass button |
Glass/Metal |
| 58 | Wire Eye/Alpha | BB 24.5 | same as alpha - soldered/welded to body | See Alpha |
| 59 | Wobble | BB 25-6 | overall - wobble button - no definition in BB | Metal |
| 60 | Worked | BB 5-1 | extension of the top of worked covers on fabric buttons | Fabric |
| 61 | Worked Threads | BB 24-3.2/BB 24-8 | passementerie back / repoussé-series of holes near edge for thread-"Worded Thread back" | Fabric |
| 62 | Wound | BB 5-2 | wound (not worked) | Fabric |
| Other Back Types/Means of Attachment (sources other than BB and 1995 NBB) | ||||
| 63 | American Wire Eye | Ruth E. Watson | like Sanders shank except shank wire is loose in the shell | |
| 64 | Leather | Dorothy Foster Brown | woven leather buttons with made-in shanks of leather | Other |
| 65 | Pitch 7-6.7 | Dorothy Foster Brown | glass reinforced and shank attached with pitch type material on very old glass button | Other |
| 66 | Sanders | Luscomb | earliest metal loop shank in fabric button - shank firmly afixed (c.a. 1815) | |
| 67 | Steel cup | Dorothy Foster Brown | steel back shaped like a cup with integral steel shank | See loop |
| Back types and shanks for synthetic polymers can be found in the National Button Society Section 9A Synthetic Polymer Handbook | ||||
| Click here to see synthetic polymer back type chart | ||||
| Notes: 1. Comments from Sally C. Luscomb reference 2. Comments are from Dorothy Foster Brown reference 3. Comments are from Clear and Colored Glass Handbook 4. Comments are from Black Glass Handbook References (1) Worksheet compiled by Jeanne H. Talbert - date unknown (2) Dorothy Foster Brown - Button Parade (pages 264 - 267) - 1968, Lightner Publishing Corporation (3) Ruth Watson – Just Buttons (pages 589-597) - July, 1972. (4) National Button Society Blue Book - Official NBS Classification and Competition Guidelines - 2011-2012 (5) Button Basics - Jane Ford Adams - National Button Bulletin, May 1995 (Reprint of 1959 Adams article) (6) A Complete Classification - Clear and Colored Glass Buttons, Jane Ford Adams - National Button Society (7) Warren K. Tice - Dating Buttons, 2003, Warren K. Tice, Publisher (8) Guidelines for Collecting China Buttons - National Button Society - 1994 (9) Classification of Black Glass Button - National Button Society - 1967 (10) Its All About Celluloid Buttons - Monica Walker (11) National Button Society Section 9-A Synthetic Polymers Handbook (Howells, MacFarlane, Deal, Smith) - No Date (12) Sally C. Luscomb - The Collector's Encyclopedia of Buttons, 6th edition - 2006, Schiffer Publishing Ltd. |
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