Civil war saddle piece?

[SCDigginWithAK]

A person I follow on instagram has also found one of these at a CW site. Mine is the bottom picture. His is at the top of his display.

 

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[duggap]

For lack of a better term, I would call that a snap. The end goes thru the middle and is twisted to the indents on the sides. Fairly modern.

 

[SCDigginWithAK]

For lack of a better term, I would call that a snap. The end goes thru the middle and is twisted to the indents on the sides. Fairly modern.

I used to call it a snap. Dang I know a couple of other guys who have found these at CW sites.

 

[creskol]

No, unfortunately it is not a Civil War saddle piece. Here is a link to a previous discussion about your "twist catch" / "turn latch" piece: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/w...hings-wood-round-thing-clamp-like-things.html

 

[SCDigginWithAK]

No, unfortunately it is not a Civil War saddle piece. Here is a link to a previous discussion about your "twist catch" / "turn latch" piece: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/316246-3-things-oval-metal-things-wood-round-thing-clamp-like-things.html

What were they used for?

 

[creskol]

What were they used for?

They were and still are used on all sorts of things. Many of the ones found may well have been curtain fasteners for buggies.

 

[SCDigginWithAK]

They were and still are used on all sorts of things. Many of the ones found may well have been curtain fasteners for buggies.

Thank you!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

SCDigginWithAK wrote:
> What were they used for?

As Creskol said, the SPECIFIC form of "twist-catch" you found the bottom piece of was and still is used on all sorts of things. Four examples that I've personally seen:
1- A Volkswagen pickup truck bed-cover tarp, which I owned.
2- My high-school backpack had a twist-catch for keeping the main cover-flap at its top closed.
3- My wife's purse has one for keeping its main flap closed.
4- Some 20th-Century US Army packs and belt-pouches have the form of twist-catch you found.

I should mention, for any diggers here who don't already know:
That specific form of twist-catch (the turning part fits through a flat metal oval or ring which is attached to cloth or leather) seems to date as far back as the latter-1800s, but not to the civil war.

However, there is a different version of twist-catch (or "turn-catch") which does date back to the civil war. It is found on at least one type of epaulette (shoulder-scales). The turning part fits through a slot in the epaulette's body. See photos below.

 

[SCDigginWithAK]

Thanks cbg. Would you mind checking out my last thread? Somebody said you could help. It's about dating an eagle button

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

 

[creskol]

Here is a photo that may apply: