NOS WW2 era Paratrooper pants. Snaps rusted closed. Any thoughts?

[Jennings Lane]

NOS WW2 era Paratrooper pants with tags. Snaps rusted closed. Any thoughts?

 

These are darker in color than the photo indicates.

 

Any thoughts as to freeing up these snaps or should I just leave them alone.

 

[dskjl]

If you have to have the snaps work I have had luck with a bit of oil (you pick) applied to the seem between the snaps with a needle or toothpick then taking a fine bladed flat screw driver some times they call them "tweekers" and gently spreading the two snap sections apart. I have also used scissors to spread the snaps apart but you have to be very careful and very deliberate.

 

Both may seem a bit sketch but both have worked for me in the past with no damage to the cloth or the snaps.

 

You may also consider just leaving them be as functioning snaps my not add any real value to the pants, others are sure to have opinions on this.

 

Nice looking cutters tag jump pants best of luck.

[Kadet]

I would just leave them. Very easy to accidentally pull the snap out of the fabric on these

[hbtcoveralls]

IMHO you would be best not to mess with them.

 

The material around the snaps may be weakened by the rust or be degraded by whatever storage lead to the rust to form

 

Working snaps won't enhance the already considerable value of dead stock WWII paratrooper pants but torn out material from around the snaps might harm it considerably

 

Tom Bowers

[doyler]

Agreed

 

Wouldn't mess with them.As stated the snaps will more than likely pull through material

[Ronny67]

Take the trousers and use a thin knife blade to insert in between the snaps. Work the point in between the snaps and rotate the blade slightly each way to free the snaps. If they do not start to free with this than gentle work than leave them be, they are toast.

But, by doing this you are not pulling on the fabric, but putting the load on the snaps themselves and using the lower snap body as a lever point, rather than the fabric itself. If you start pulling on the fabric, the micro crystals of the rust that are imbedded into the fabric will start to tear apart the material on the molecular scale. If you manage to start to break them apart, take a thicker gun oil and take a minute amount and apply to each of the buttons, one snap at a time. If you use too much or go too fast, you can stain the fabric with the oil. A thin 2 in 1 oil will run off the snap immediately and stain the fabric. Take your time. Once you separate them, you can then cut a perfect sized snap hole in a piece of blue tape and use that to mask off the fabric around each button, then you can use a gentle steel wool to remove surface rust.

Or sell them to me and I can do all this. I see no problem with gentle restoration here as long as you go slow and do it smart where you put as little strain on the fabric as possible.

[stealthytyler]

Doesn't oil stain cloth though? Just be careful whatever you do and very nice pants btw!

[Ronny67]

Take the trousers and use a thin knife blade to insert in between the snaps. Work the point in between the snaps and rotate the blade slightly each way to free the snaps. If they do not start to free with this than gentle work than leave them be, they are toast.

But, by doing this you are not pulling on the fabric, but putting the load on the snaps themselves and using the lower snap body as a lever point, rather than the fabric itself. If you start pulling on the fabric, the micro crystals of the rust that are imbedded into the fabric will start to tear apart the material on the molecular scale. If you manage to start to break them apart, take a thicker gun oil and take a minute amount and apply to each of the buttons, one snap at a time. If you use too much or go too fast, you can stain the fabric with the oil. A thin 2 in 1 oil will run off the snap immediately and stain the fabric. Take your time. Once you separate them, you can then cut a perfect sized snap hole in a piece of blue tape and use that to mask off the fabric around each button, then you can use a gentle steel wool to remove surface rust.

Or sell them to me and I can do all this. I see no problem with gentle restoration here as long as you go slow and do it smart where you put as little strain on the fabric as possible.

 

Stealthy read the bold

[Beau-Brummel]

Oh dear.

[Jennings Lane]

Thanks for everyone's help. Always appreciated.

 

Andy