Gut end braces

What exactly is meant by "gut end" braces? People have often touted them as the braces to buy and have mentioned that Thurston makes them.

meow.


Sorry... I believe it's like catgut. Very hard to find nowadays; Thurston's used to have some on clearance on their site. Cable Car Clothiers in SF had some.

meow.


Sorry... I believe it's like catgut.  Very hard to find nowadays; Thurston's used to have some on clearance on their site.  Cable Car Clothiers in SF had some.

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I think it is catgut. I have no idea why that is used. I have a pair that I picked up in london, can't remember the name of the maker.

The ends are made of a very thin, round, strong catgut strap with hand sewn white kid tabs that attach to the trouser buttons. The cat gut starts out almost white and over time takes on a lovely cream patina. I have yet to hear a clear answer why they are no longer being made.

The ends are made of a very thin, round, strong catgut strap with hand sewn white kid tabs that attach to the trouser buttons.  The cat gut starts out almost white and over time takes on a lovely cream patina.  I have yet to hear a clear answer why they are no longer being made.

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I would venture to say that it has something to do with cats being more of a domesticated animal in the Western/Eastern/whole world than, say, fox, chinchilla, raccoon, and the like.

The cat's probably didn't like it, and neither did the cat lovers.

Dan

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(Manton @ Jan. 25 2005,17:01) The ends are made of a very thin, round, strong catgut strap with hand sewn white kid tabs that attach to the trouser buttons. Â The cat gut starts out almost white and over time takes on a lovely cream patina. Â I have yet to hear a clear answer why they are no longer being made.
I would venture to say that it has something to do with cats being more of a domesticated animal in the Western/Eastern/whole world than, say, fox, chinchilla, raccoon, and the like. The cat's probably didn't like it, and neither did the cat lovers. Dan
I believe "catgut" is actually made from sheep intestines, not cats.

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(amirrorcrackd @ Jan. 25 2005,14:03)

Originally Posted by Manton,Jan. 25 2005,17:01

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The ends are made of a very thin, round, strong catgut strap with hand sewn white kid tabs that attach to the trouser buttons. Â The cat gut starts out almost white and over time takes on a lovely cream patina. Â I have yet to hear a clear answer why they are no longer being made.
I would venture to say that it has something to do with cats being more of a domesticated animal in the Western/Eastern/whole world than, say, fox, chinchilla, raccoon, and the like. The cat's probably didn't like it, and neither did the cat lovers. Dan
I believe "catgut" is actually made from sheep intestines, not cats.
Ahh. Don't I feel like an ass. Dan

The ends are made of a very thin, round, strong catgut strap with hand sewn white kid tabs that attach to the trouser buttons.  The cat gut starts out almost white and over time takes on a lovely cream patina.  I have yet to hear a clear answer why they are no longer being made.

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Thanks for your responses. How would one recognize these? I am assuming that not all suspenders that are white are catgut.

Thanks for your responses.  How would one recognize these?  I am assuming that not all suspenders that are white are catgut.

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You'll know em when you see em. They won't look simply like white-colored leather ends.

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(Smooth Jazz @ Jan. 25 2005,14:28) Thanks for your responses. Â How would one recognize these? Â I am assuming that not all suspenders that are white are catgut.
You'll know em when you see em. Â They won't look simply like white-colored leather ends.
Right. The white leather ends are now ubquitous. But the shape is exactly the same as brown or black leather ends. The "strap" -- both buttoning tabs and the connecting strip -- is all one piece. On the gut ends, the connecting strip is a thin, round catgut cord. The ends are sewn on separately. You can clearly see the hand stitching where they are attached.

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(RJMan @ Jan. 25 2005,17:35)

Originally Posted by Smooth Jazz,Jan. 25 2005,14:28

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Thanks for your responses. Â How would one recognize these? Â I am assuming that not all suspenders that are white are catgut.
You'll know em when you see em. Â They won't look simply like white-colored leather ends.
Right. Â The white leather ends are now ubquitous. Â But the shape is exactly the same as brown or black leather ends. Â The "strap" -- both buttoning tabs and the connecting strip -- is all one piece. Â On the gut ends, the connecting strip is a thin, round catgut cord. Â The ends are sewn on separately. Â You can clearly see the hand stitching where they are attached.
Thanks a million. You could right a book on Men's clothing... Wait, I think you mentioned you are . . . I greatly look forward to getting a copy when it comes out. Thanks again.

I have ordered directly from the Albert Thurston Website several times.  I highly recommend it.  Recently, I sent the following redacted message to Albert Thurston asking about purchasing braces with the catgut ends.  

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"I am interested in ordering some of your remaining box cloth braces with "cat gut" ends. However, it is difficult to ascertain from your website which braces have these ends.

Am I correct in assuming that the (1)Purple Boxcloth Brace (with hand stitched buttonholes)...have gut ends?"  
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I promptly received the following redacted response:

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"The 'catgut'(no cats involved) was originally made for the long line fishing industry and was superseded by nylon monofilament in the 1970's-and we have been unable to get the relatively small quantities we use for some years.

Having said that we have gone back to the way we used to make them - the gut was always covered with white gloving leather prior to the 1960's, and all we have done is substitute the gut inner part with a modern, and better, alternative. The button holes are still hand stitched. It is these ones that you can see on our website."
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I have not seen in person the braces that currently appear on the website, but they appear to use a modern and better alternative. Has anyone seen them?  How does this subsituted gut look compared to the old material?

Bic

Interesting; catgut was also used for guitar strings, until it was replaced by nylon. I have seen silk-end and your average calfskin or croc-end braces, but never gut. Any pics of this?

Interesting; catgut was also used for guitar strings, until it was replaced by nylon. I have seen silk-end and your average calfskin or croc-end braces, but never gut. Any pics of this?

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I bet someone will be able to post a picture of their catgut end braces. Contrary to my exchange with A. Thurson, they look an awful lot like the Purple Boxcloth Braces here: http://www.albertthurston.com The real catgut ends are not pure white. Â They look to me a bit like a twisted up, lighly used tissue. Bic

Wow, they have cool braces there. (Well, if such an adjective can be applied to braces). I'm surprised I've never heard the name before.