Buttonhook
A buttonhook pulls buttons through buttonholes. Boot-buttoning examples belong to the same tool family. A hook is attached to a handle and passed through the hole to catch the button. It should be distinguished from a crochet hook or an awl.
Buttonhooks were also used for gloves, gaiters and other garments. Diss Museum documents plain and decorative handles in different materials. A shiny handle is therefore not automatically silver, and small size alone cannot establish the garment it served.
Examine hook, shaft and handle together when buying used examples. Record bending, loose joints and missing parts. Any fineness mark must be associated with the correct component rather than automatically the whole tool. Retain information about cases or dressing sets, but do not describe a single surviving hook as a complete set.
