This is an ANTIQUE, VINTAGE, EXCELLENT Condition, Marked “French Ivory Rounded Peaked Beveled Handle Metal Shoe Boot Corset Button Hook" made by Dupont in the early-1920s. It belonged to my neighbor’s great-grandmother who purchased it around 1923. Stored in a box in my neighbor’s mothers garage, this lacing tool is recently rediscovered - please see pictures. In EXCELLENT Condition, there are NO chips, cracks, breaks or other damage, it comes from a smoke-free, pet-free home. Measuring approximately 6 1/8th inches long, the handle has a width of approximately 7/8ths of an inch; it is Marked “French Ivory” which is an early form of celluloid plastic.
HANDSOMELY Beautiful with a SIMPLE, rounded points, beveled design style, it can still be used; the hook is securely attached to the handle. This LOVELY Victorian/Edwardian Button Hook is VERY Collectable. PERFECT for use, this piece of history is also IDEAL for display.
The Victorian love of innovation led to the production of a great variety of tools and gadgets designed to make life simpler and to highlight the sophistication and refinement of the owner. One of these tools was the buttonhook. Although almost unknown now, back in the 1890s it was a common household tool. The buttonhook was generally the size of a fork although it ranged in size from less than an inch to around 2 feet in length. Most were used for shoe buttons, spats and gaiters, although the smaller types (glovehooks) were used for buttons on dresses, sleeves and men's stiff collars. Buttonhooks can usually be dated from between 1880 and 1915.