Busks, for those of you who have not heard the term, are metal clasps
that close the centre front of a corset. Opening busks did not come
into use until the mid 1800’s. A corset busk consists of two long
pieces of steel, one with steel knobs and the other one steel loops/eyes.
The busk pieces are sewn into the corset on either side of the centre
front, lacing is still used in the back or sides but the busk allows
getting into and out of the corset by oneself.
Corset busks come in three styles and several lengths. Straight
busks are most common and are white with a plastic looking
nylon coating. Wide busks are also straight but are 2"
wide and less flexible. Spoon busks come in two lengths
only and are made of stainless steel and not nylon coated. They
are not very flexible and I have heard that some spoon busks
are not suitable for "tight lacing", this may be due to the
lack of flexibility. To avoid problems I do not recommend these
for any "tight lacing". In fact we do not recommend any of our
"busks" for this purpose as they were not designed for it. This
does not mean they will not work, just that we do not guarantee
them for this use. Several customers do use them for this purpose
and have had no problems.
These
new busks have gold-plated hardware, all visible clasp parts are
gold plated - an elegant alternative
from the regular silver colour (below.) The placement of the knobs
of these new busks is somewhat different from our regular
busks in that the bottom two knobs are
closer together for more abdominal support.
91-8552G-11 11"
(28cm) long 91-8552G-11.8 11.8" (30cm) long 91-8552G-12.5 12.5" (32cm) long 91-8552G-13 13" (33cm) long
Note: Many busks look like this but are not made of spring steel
and bend easily. Beware of a "good deal" when buying busks.
Straight Busk
The placement of the knobs of these new busks is somewhat different
from our regular busks in that the bottom two knobs
are closer together for more abdominal support.
91-8552-11.5 11 1/2" (29cm)
long
Spoon Busk
91-8555-12 12" 91-8555-13 13"
Stainless steel, "spoon" shaped busk. Spoon shape is evident both
profile and frontal view. "Spoon" bowl accommodates the wearer’s stomach.
These are not recommended for "tight lacing’ but if you do decide
to use them for this purpose please purchase 2 #50-8308-30 to
slide in behind the 12" busk OR 2 #50-8308-32 for the 13"
busk. It would be better to purchase four of each for in front
and behind to give the added support these rather rigid busks
require for tight lacing.
The illustration below should give an idea of the profile of
a spoon busk. The rounded end is the lower end of the photo
at left.
Wide Busks
91-8559-12 12" long 91-8559-13 13" long 91-8559-14 14" long
Stainless steel busks, not plastic coated. Two inches wide in total,
each piece is 1" wide. Low nickel levels to minimize allergic reaction.
Good for full-figured people as this busk offers more support.
91-8552G-11 11"
(28cm) long
