History

• History of thread button •

Eagle Mountains East Czech Republic Area

1680	Around this year history of thread button starts. Originally was called “Dorset button” and was created in Great Britain shire Dorset. In that period sheep horn and coarse cotton yarn were used to make buttons.
1874	In 1874, this unique textile button has began to produced in Bohemia. Thanks to evangelical preacher brother Eugene Schmidt, who in addition to pastoral service expressed interest in difficult social circumstances of craftsmen and farmers visited and initiated the protestant sister Berta Boullaire of the Dutch church School Wees & Weis from Zeist. The church organization needed a new manufacturers of thread buttons for English and overseas markets. On the initiative of sister Berta Boullaire representatives of Wees & Weis taught local weavers and lace makers how to make thread buttons and export their production expansion.
1921	Traditional family production in Eagle Mountains in winter.
1924	Antonín Šlesinger founded in Jabloném nad Orlicí workshop for industrial machinery production. Aluminum ring is looped and sewn with soft, but very solid cotton yarn. Amount of manual work is still at a high percentage. The company retains a traditional 100% handmade production of thread buttons to satisfy the demanding European market.
1938	During World War II export completely stopped. After the war production of both machine and hand made buttons continued on a limited scale. Attempts to establishing ties with former customers did not develop favorably and making buttons was further intended only for internal trade.
1951	This year company was nationalized by communist regime and was set up the national administration, which was conducted by national company KOH-I-NOOR Vyškov. The company has undergone many changes since 1960 and was transferred to the Dřevotex industrial complex, located in Žamberk.
1991	New company Antonín Šlesinger ltd. was founded and with respect to the former founder has put his name into title. Thread buttons production successfully continues, keeps the tradition and trying to establish a successful export abroad and expands.
2015	Company Antonín Šlesinger ltd., was re-sold to a new owner again, and was renamed to A.S. Buttons ltd., but trademark Slesinger Thread Buttons has been kept. New owner and his team is very keen to keep old traditional techniques of production and also innovates for extension of possibilities to meet customer demand.