Button stick

A military issue laminated bakelite button stick, circa mid 20th century. Button sticks, often made from brass, were issued as a tool to assist with the cleaning of buttons and badges on a uniform. It is a thin flat plate with a 100mm long slot running from the bottom edge towards the top. The sides are shaped with notches and curves. As an example, when cleaning a button, the stick was passed under a jacket button to create a barrier to allow polishing without staining or marking the material.

etched: "W^D" (one side)

AIBDC : 009355