Description

We are very excited again, after a considerable hiatus, to be able to present our latest limited run of these braces which had been quite some time in the development and research and were very well received within our Living History community. This is a sturdily constructed pair of common braces for the man who wants his suspenders to last. Nothing overly fancy here, these are not “Sunday go to meetin” suspenders – just the type of solid utility braces the common working man and soldier wanted, and purchased in droves. As seen in original examples the straps are made of 1 1/4″ sturdy woven cotton webbing, offered in various plain colors in different runs, some with top stitching, some without. The back tabs are sturdy all hand sewn natural leather. A herring bone cotton tape strap, sewn to one side, with the other passed through it, keeps the two pieces in place across the back. The front leathers are sturdy, expertly cut, affairs, hand sewn onto a great buckle patterned after an original wartime production, which we have done extensive research on. The buckle is made by the descendant company of the original maker – still in business! We were first introduced to this buckle by a highly respected museum quality reproduction maker, well known in Civil War living history circles, who produced braces utilizing it in a joint venture. We continued research into the buckle and more recently were able to acquire a pair of vintage examples, with engravings on the flat of the bar along with the pivot, explained hereafter and illustrated in the photos. The result is a versatile buckle which can be used in two different authentic configurations based upon the personal preferences of the purchaser. The buckle type was first developed in the pre-war period and had several variations and makers. (patent claims are varied, dug examples as well) The buckle can be employed in this configuration by simply placing the spike roller on top of the bar, which represents a documented early war buckle configuration. A complaint, then and now, for this type of buckle is the tendency for the points, to stick out and possible catch on other garments. (this is easily remedied as they did in the day by slightly bending/rolling over the ends of the prongs, found done on originals we have examined. Still they are on a roller and as the tension changes when the braces are in use, bending over, sitting, &tc. they can protrude) To resolve this issue, the maker ingeniously modified the specifications on the flat bar so that it could be flipped up and then pivoted over the end of the prongs tucking the roller points in.  One of our vintage pair is stamped as “PATENTED” (the mate has an eagle), however that was a very common practice among makers who never even applied, let alone had patents granted.   A series of early post war patent applications for an added quick release system for the front suspender tabs have been found. The earlier patent for the specific innovation of the flip up bar was apparently either not applied for or possibly disputed. (patent drawing with this lower extension and hook assembly is shown, illustrating the flip up bar already part of the configuration, indicating it was an earlier innovation) It should be noted that such developments based on consumer demand were often in production for quite some time prior to patents being granted. One can safely assume the bar innovation, preceding the patent for the quick release, reasonably places it in the second half of the wartime period. Regardless, the buckle can be employed either way the customer is so inclined – and just as attractively. (note this buckle was produced in steel, not brass, some appear to have been blued and also possible nickeled – dug examples observed are broken, have considerable rust and deterioration and are generally non-functional)  This is not the thin brass wire buckle or back adjustment strap buckle. This is a sturdy steel three prong buckle and bar with a solid gauge bale, just like the originals. We have faithfully reproduced the markings and treated the metal surface to better match the original.  We are very excited to offer another option of an item which dig sites indicate had literally hundreds of types and sizes available during the period.