More battlefield whitizits...

[Dwight S]

A friend & I were hunting on a skirmish site Monday and we both pulled one of these, several hundred feet apart. It is approximately the same size as a percussion cap, but the top is more like half of a clam shell. The bottom is open through the base with the top attached on the side with the ribs. It is pinched down against the opposite side of the base. The size and the way the base has the split fingers gave me the impression that this may be a percussion cap.

The other items are "clips" but the size is so small, they can't be suspender, and I don't think they are garter belt. Any ideas on use?

As for the hunt, several pieces of melted lead, a fired three ringer, a lead "chip" some other brass/copper pieces that I think are more recent... Not bad for a first hunt of the year.

Thanks for any help ya'll can give!
Dwight

 

[duggap]

I'm not sure if we are seeing two different items are all the same in the first few pics but it is a modern fired bullet that is mangled. The last item is off of an old chest or diary with a lock on it.

 

[allan]

The bottom item is from a corset or similar item, and the top item looks like a quick loop hook for shoes , like the top of a jump boot pic blatantly stolen from another site

 

[Dwight S]

Top four pictures are of the same item, I don't believe that is a mangled bullet, It's hollow, brass and open from the base up through the sides of the top part. (I also recovered several mangled small caliber bullets & casings that same day) The shoe/boot "quick" loop is an idea, but two of these were recovered on different parts of the field and they are identical. What are the odds?
Also, they are both pinched down against the base in the same manner.

The corset hook, I can buy into... Both of them were recovered in a corner of the field and there was some broken pieces of pottery & china in the area.

 

[Dave44]

Those are bootlace eyes,, Go look at justin boots- ropers. They are made exactly like that. I would show a pic of mine but that would mean more effort

The corset hooks are cool though,, I have found Alot of those,, I always thought they were clips of some sort!

 

[kuger]

The bottom item is from a corset or similar item, and the top item looks like a quick loop hook for shoes , like the top of a jump boot pic blatantly stolen from another site

Yep,on both counts.The way I use my shovel has torn off the lace eyes on my left boot!
We have found the metal strips with those clips still attached from the corsets

 

[Dwight S]

May be boot eyes...
Heck, I'll call it solved.
It's really odd to me that two were recovered far apart and both are pinched shut in an identical manner.
Apparently, someone didn't have much to do in their spare time...

 

[kuger]

May be boot eyes...
Heck, I'll call it solved.
It's really odd to me that two were recovered far apart and both are pinched shut in an identical manner.
Apparently, someone didn't have much to do in their spare time...

I guarantee thats what they are.When I get home tonight I will photograph mine.The shovel smashed mine in before tearing them off

 

[Dave44]

May be boot eyes...
Heck, I'll call it solved.
It's really odd to me that two were recovered far apart and both are pinched shut in an identical manner.
Apparently, someone didn't have much to do in their spare time...

Mine get pinched shut or torn open all the time, I guess I am rough on boots. It does not mean they are not old, I am sure they have used these for years.

 

[DCMatt]

From the farmer's work boots...

DCMatt

 

[pumice]

From the farmer's work boots...

DCMatt

Well, at least there is an American arrow pointing at the Chinese boot.........

 

[CC Hunter]

The metal hooks are indeed from boots, and often referred to as "speed laces" (enables quick lacing up of boots, without the time consuming threading through eyes or holes).

From my experience, these are never seen in 19th century site context, therefor Civil War period is out of the question. I have only seen these turn up at sites that date to the Turn-of-the-Century and certainly also later into the 20th century.

The clip items are definitely the fastening eyes from a lady's corset busk. Nice to see folks finally identifying these correctly! Over the years, I've witnessed these common items misidentified as a lot things, and rarely ever as the correct items they in fact are. These can certainly be Civil War era.

CC Hunter

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

May be boot eyes...
Heck, I'll call it solved.

Do the same thing you did but to the original post and the green check will appear in the correct place. Thanks.

Great patent searching CC Hunter