Quick answer: Vintage brass shank buttons are round, carved metal buttons with an antique brass-tone finish and a small loop (a shank) on the back for sewing. Instead of the flat, two- or four-hole buttons you see on everyday shirts, each one is a decorative little ball covered in openwork floral patterns, so a single … Continue reading Vintage Brass Shank Buttons: Carved Metal Buttons with Old-World Charm