🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Is this bone?

[Nathan W]

How can you tell? It was found sifting church site pit near my work. It's not metal or plastic. It looks almost compressed material. Any opinions ? I'm starting to get more buttons after I've cleaned the place out and they are a bit deeper.

 

[ticndig]

could be bone ,I've found a few bone buttons over the years.

 

[AU Seeker]

• Feel: Bone buttons will feel dry and slightly cold to the touch.
• Sound: When tapped against your teeth, a bone button will produce a sharp, hard sound.
• Weight: Bone buttons tend to be heavier than plastic buttons.
  
  
• Powder Test: You can scrape a bone button with a knife to produce a fine powder.
  
  
• Hot Needle Test: A hot needle test (placing a heated needle against the button) can help distinguish bone from certain plastics. If the needle easily penetrates and produces a burning odor, it's likely plastic; if it doesn't penetrate and produces no odor, it's more likely bone.

 

[Nathan W]

• Feel: Bone buttons will feel dry and slightly cold to the touch.
• Sound: When tapped against your teeth, a bone button will produce a sharp, hard sound.
• Weight: Bone buttons tend to be heavier than plastic buttons.
  
  
• Powder Test: You can scrape a bone button with a knife to produce a fine powder.
  
  
• Hot Needle Test: A hot needle test (placing a heated needle against the button) can help distinguish bone from certain plastics. If the needle easily penetrates and produces a burning odor, it's likely plastic; if it doesn't penetrate and produces no odor, it's more likely bone.

Thanks for that test chart

 

[Nathan W]

Well it makes that sound against my teeth and I scraped a spot and it flakes off in tiny pieces

 

[pepperj]

Looking like a bone button to me.
Plastic, porcelain stays whiter. Bone gets the tan brown look.
Well found

 

[Almy]

I'd guess celluloid. It was invented and used extensively in the late 1800s.
Bone would be very difficult to mount and turn on a lathe to produce a button like the one pictured.

 

[Nathan W]

I'd guess celluloid. It was invented and used extensively in the late 1800s.
Bone would be very difficult to mount and turn on a lathe to produce a button like the one pictured.

I will look into celluloid , thanks

 

[russau]

I'd guess celluloid. It was invented and used extensively in the late 1800s.
Bone would be very difficult to mount and turn on a lathe to produce a button like the one pictured.

Yep on the celluloid ! I'd hate for you to do this on my ole bones someday!

 

[villagenut]

Here are some typical bone buttons I find in my sifter......

 

[pepperj]

I will look into celluloid , thanks

 

[Almy]

Identifying the material in such a small item is fairly easy but it damages the item. Bone emits a characteristic odor when sanded or machined. Heating sufficiently to get the camphor odor of celluloid hardens and weakens the object. So to identify it requires damaging it. Oh such a small item that can be significant. If it were mine, I would keep it as it is.

 

[pepperj]

Identifying the material in such a small item is fairly easy but it damages the item. Bone emits a characteristic odor when sanded or machined. Heating sufficiently to get the camphor odor of celluloid hardens and weakens the object. So to identify it requires damaging it. Oh such a small item that can be significant. If it were mine, I would keep it as it is.

Rubbing it won't hurt it any.
If anything it would give it a bit of a polished look on one side.

 

[Nathan W]

Identifying the material in such a small item is fairly easy but it damages the item. Bone emits a characteristic odor when sanded or machined. Heating sufficiently to get the camphor odor of celluloid hardens and weakens the object. So to identify it requires damaging it. Oh such a small item that can be significant. If it were mine, I would keep it as it is.

Yeah I don't want to ruin anything, I've broken some items in the past I would rather not anymore lol