What in the heck is this thing?

G-MANN · Post by **G-MANN** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 2:25 pm

This item came with my MARK VII bag.

Dimensions are 6-7/8" Long X 2-1/4" Wide

Any idea what it is or what it is used for?
Cheers,
G-MANN

Snakewhip_Sable · Post by **Snakewhip_Sable** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 2:33 pm

it might help folks if they had a sense of scale about it.

G-MANN · Post by **G-MANN** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 2:37 pm

Snakewhip_Sable wrote:it might help folks if they had a sense of scale about it.

Good Idea. I have added it to the original post.
Cheers,
G-MANN

VP · Post by VP » Tue Mar 14, 2006 2:48 pm

Looks like a key.

Swindiana · Post by **Swindiana** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 3:16 pm

It is a bakerlite button stick.
My guess is it was used to lift up the button when polishing it not to stain the fabric on the uniform or webbing.

Another version was the plain brass one.

EDIT:
More info here;
http://www.bodill-parker.co.uk/html/but ... story.html

Regards,
Swindiana

rick5150 · Post by **rick5150** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 3:43 pm

One of the vendors sent me a p-38 military-style can opener with my order. Cool stuff...

Gater · Post by **Gater** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 3:46 pm

Ah COW. Where nobody knows everything, but everybody knows something...is there any question this board can't answer??

G-MANN · Post by **G-MANN** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 3:47 pm

This object is made of wood and is less about 1/16" thick, so Swindiana is correct.
Thanks and cheers,
G-MANN

Indakin · Post by **Indakin** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 3:47 pm

it looks like one of the knife tools on boba fetts leg.

Swindiana · Post by **Swindiana** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 3:48 pm

I THINK we never sorted out the swallow thing, but others did;

http://www.armory.com/swallow.html

Regards,
Swindiana

Redinight · Post by **Redinight** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 5:50 pm

Indakin wrote:it looks like one of the knife tools on boba fetts leg.

Exactly what I was about to say!!!

Alan Eardley · Post by **Alan Eardley** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 5:54 pm

Snakewhip_Sable wrote:it might help folks if they had a sense of scale about it.

It's a standard British Army buuton stick. You place it under the brass buttons and buckles etc. on a dress uniform so you keep the polish off the cloth. This one could be WW2 - they haven't changed much.

Baggers · Post by **Baggers** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 10:45 pm

No, they haven't, and welcome to the forum Alan. I've got a brass one identical to the first example posted that is broad arrow marked with a NATO stock number and dated sometime in the 1960s. I also have a red compressed fibre version that matches the second one pictured.They are both about five or six inches in length.

BTW, the scalloped cut outs on the edges of the first stick were used to protect the cotton webbing portions of the pattern 1937 webbing set when polishing the brass tags on the ends of the waist belt, shoulder braces, and various straps that were a part of the equipment.

Cheers!

Redinight · Post by **Redinight** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 11:50 am

I was just thinking I could have used something like that when I was polishing the buttons on my MKVII. I used brasso to clean it up and now the area around the brass parts is a lighter green. Oh well, I like these bags so much that I bought another one, and it is waiting at home for me.

Scandinavia Jones · Post by **Scandinavia Jones** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:34 pm

Swindiana wrote:I THINK we never sorted out the swallow thing, but others did;

http://www.armory.com/swallow.html

Hmm... the Swallow issue is long since solved, mon frère... as you well remember.

http://www.style.org/unladenswallow/

Swindiana · Post by **Swindiana** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:37 pm

I remember, my friend.

The http://www.armory.com/swallow.html site has a link to it aswell.

Like stated before, aint nuthin' we can't tackle.

-I can't think of... anything.

Regards,
Swindiana

Scandinavia Jones · Post by **Scandinavia Jones** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:42 pm

'cept possibly brick walls. Oh we can, but... ya know.

I don't know what this is all about any more.

Swindiana · Post by **Swindiana** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:43 pm

Me neither... Uhmm...

-Now, what should we talk about?

Regards,
Swindiana

Scandinavia Jones · Post by **Scandinavia Jones** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:47 pm

Ahmm... beer?

Or... why hijacking threads is a commendable trait?

8-[

Eh...

What in the heck is this thing?

What in the heck is this thing?

Button cleaner