Buttonhole Maker Scissors (Adjustable): W. Boker & Co.
Context
The 1840 edition of The Workwoman’s Guide by a Lady suggests you “cut the button-hole with a chisel (or the proper scissors made for that purpose)... the same size as the width across the button.” Then a needle and thread were used to stitch around the buttonhole after the fabric was cut.
This tool uses scissor-like handles with an adjustable device that stops the handles from fully closing the blades. When set correctly the scissor blades will only cut the length of the buttonhole and won’t damage the surrounding fabric and stitches.
