Manufacturer · Fashion & Home Accessories
How do you recognise a bone button? Real bone is heavier and cooler to the touch than plastic, it sounds bright when tapped against glass, and under a magnifier it shows fine dots and short lines from the natural channels in the material. The tone varies slightly from button to button. Plastic imitations are usually lighter, with a uniform pattern and a dull sound.
Why it matters to recognise the material
For a collector of old buttons, the question is one of value and authenticity. For a brand and a garment factory it is practical: if the product is described as having "natural bone buttons", the material must match. In addition, bone and plastic react differently to washing, ironing and dry cleaning, so the care instructions on the label also depend on the material.
How to recognise a bone button: 7 quick tests
1. Weight
Compare the button with a plastic button of the same size. Bone is denser and feels noticeably heavier in the hand. The test is most reliable when you have a reference for comparison.
2. Temperature
Touch the button to your lips or the inside of your wrist. Natural materials such as bone, horn and mother-of-pearl feel cool at first, while plastic quickly takes on body temperature.
3. Sound
Gently tap two buttons together or a button against a glass. Bone gives a clear, bright sound, close to porcelain. Plastic sounds duller and "softer".
4. Inspection under a magnifier
This is the most informative non-destructive test. Under a 10x magnifier, bone shows small dark dots and short lines – traces of the natural channels for blood vessels. They are unevenly distributed. In plastic the surface is homogeneous, and if there is a pattern, it repeats from button to button.
5. Colour and variation
Put ten buttons side by side. Natural bone always has slight differences in tone – some are whiter, others creamier. A perfectly uniform colour suggests plastic rather, although dyed bone can also be fairly uniform.
6. Back and holes
Look inside the holes and at the back. In bone the hole walls are smoothly drilled, without a mould seam. In cast plastic you can sometimes see a thin line along the edge or a gate mark where the material was injected.
7. Hot needle test (on a spare button only)
Heat the tip of a needle and touch it for a second to an inconspicuous spot on the back. Plastic melts and the needle sinks in, often with a chemical smell. Bone does not melt but smells of burnt hair. The test leaves a mark, so do it only on a spare or rejected button.
Old bone buttons
With old buttons there are additional signs. They are often slightly and unevenly yellowed – darker around the holes where the thread passed. The surface may have fine age cracks and the edge may show traces of hand turning on a lathe. Small flat four-hole bone buttons are typical of old underwear, shirts and workwear. All these signs help, but the final judgement is always a combination of several tests.
Comparison table
| Sign | Bone | Horn | Corozo | Plastic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | heavy | medium | medium | light |
| Touch | cool | cool | cool | warms up quickly |
| Pattern | dots and short lines | stripes, blending tones | fine concentric lines | uniform or repeating |
| Natural colour | white to cream | light to dark brown and black | white to ivory, dyes easily | any |
| Hot needle | does not melt, smells of hair | does not melt, smells of hair | does not melt | melts |
Bone or horn
Both materials are of animal origin and react similarly to the hot needle. The difference is in appearance: horn has a fibrous, layered structure with stripes and tonal blends and is often dark and translucent at the edge. Bone is opaque, light and has a dotted pattern. If you need a dark natural button, look for horn buttons; if you want a light, "porcelain" look – bone.
When an imitation is a sensible choice
Plastic imitations are not necessarily bad. They are lighter, more uniform and more resistant to high washing temperatures. For uniforms and workwear with frequent industrial washing, or for budget collections, they may be more practical. What matters is an honest description. If you are looking for the look of natural materials in a more affordable form, see for example the imitation horn buttons.
How to check a batch in production
- Keep the approved natural bone sample as a reference.
- Compare random buttons from the delivery by weight and under a magnifier.
- Check the tonal variation – it should be within the approved range.
- If in doubt, do a hot needle test on one reject.
- Document the result in the style file.
Product description and label
When you use bone buttons, Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 requires that textile products with non-textile parts of animal origin state that the product contains such parts. The wording is usually "Contains non-textile parts of animal origin". Include it on the label or in the product information.
See the available models in the bone buttons category.
Guaranteed material from Polkom
Polkom is a manufacturer of accessories for fashion, furniture, footwear and bags, based in Sofia. We supply natural bone buttons and offer samples for comparison and logo engraving. If you have doubts about the material of an existing sample, send it to us for advice. Write to us via the contact page.
