1. Why Pocket Seams Get Pulled Every Time You Put Your Hand In
When you put your hand into a pocket, force is applied to the stitching at both ends of the pocket opening. This happens every day. The 1873 US patent text describes this problem directly. It states that seams often tear or begin to unravel due to the pressure and load of putting a hand in the pocket [1].
The solution was to let something other than the thread bear the force. The patent explains that if rivets clamp the two layers of fabric at the seam together, the load no longer falls on the thread [1]. But who came up with this idea?
2. How Tailor Jacob Davis Put Workbench Rivets on Pants Pockets
The idea came from Jacob Davis, a tailor in Reno, Nevada. According to his own testimony, in January 1871, a woman customer asked him to make sturdy pants for her husband. Davis recalled the rivets on his workbench. These were originally used to attach straps to horse blankets [2].
Davis applied this idea to the seams of the pockets. Levi Strauss & Co. explains that the plan was to place metal rivets at points of stress, such as the corners of pockets and the base of the button fly [3]. However, obtaining a patent costs money. Davis could not afford the $68. In July 1872, he wrote to his fabric supplier, Levi Strauss, proposing to share the rights in exchange for Strauss paying the costs, according to multiple accounts [7].
The patent was filed on August 9, 1872, and granted on May 20, 1873. The rights are shared by Davis and Levi Strauss & Co. [1]. Levi Strauss marks this day as the "birth of blue jeans" [4].
3. How Rivets Became Standard After the 17-Year Patent Expired
The patent term was 17 years. It is said to have expired in 1890, allowing other companies to use the same method, and rivets became a standard feature of workwear [7]. Counting from 1873 to 1890 gives exactly 17 years.
Davis first used copper rivets. However, no source found in this research explains why copper was chosen [7]. Rivets were not only placed on front pocket corners. According to Levi Strauss, the 501 model’s back pockets had their top corners fastened with rivets from their release in 1873 to prevent tearing when pulled. By 1901, there were two back pockets, and the second one was also fastened with a rivet [5].
So far, this is the success story of the rivet. But these back pocket rivets would soon cause unexpected complaints.
4. Why Back Pocket Rivets Drew Complaints for Scratching Saddles and Seats
The copper rivets on the back pockets protruded from the fabric. Levi Strauss explains that this led to complaints that they scratched horse saddles, chairs, and car seats [5].
A letter from a Nevada customer named Tom Mansfield is also featured. It complains that the rivets are terrible for both saddles and, by then, automobile seats [5]. As the era shifted from horses to cars, the objects being scratched changed, as seen in this single letter.
The metal that protected the pocket was damaging the place where people sat. The rivet had become a part that was "useful but also troublesome." Did the company stop using metal?
5. How Levi Strauss Hid the Back Pocket Rivets in 1937
In 1937, Levi Strauss switched to a method of hiding the back pocket rivets inside the fabric. This kept the strength but made them invisible from the outside. This method became US Patent No. 1,999,927 [6].
To ensure customers did not think the rivets had disappeared, signs were placed in stores. These signs used arrows to show the rivet’s location and stated, "The rivet is still there." They also advertised that it would not scratch saddles, automobiles, or furniture [6].
Even though they were hidden, the rivets continued to work. They went to the trouble of adding signs just to convey this message.
6. Why Levi Strauss Replaced Hidden Rivets With Stitching
However, Levi Strauss explains that by 1966, the hidden rivets wore through the denim, creating a related problem. So, they stopped using rivets on back pockets and replaced them with a stitching method called bartack (a bar tack). Bartack is still used today [6].
Let’s count the years. The back pocket rivets were exposed from 1873 to 1937, a period of 64 years. By 1966, the hidden method had been replaced by stitching. The corners of the back pockets went from visible metal, to hidden metal, and finally to being protected by stitching.
This is the story of the back pockets. The rivets on the front pocket corners remained. Today, some jeans have rivets mainly for decoration, while some manufacturers use them for function and others do not use them at all [7]. The metal born as a substitute for thread has survived by changing its form and role in response to complaints.
7. How to Inspect the Rivets on a Pair of Jeans
Take one pair of jeans from home (borrowing from a family member) and observe them as follows. Look for metal rivets on the corners of the front and back pockets. Count them by dividing them into three categories: present, absent, or hidden.
If there is no metal on the back pocket corners, look closely for parts where thread is layered many times to hold the fabric (these are called bartacks).
Compare whether the ends of the pocket opening are fastened with metal dots or firmly stitched with thread. Touch gently so you do not catch your finger on the edge of the metal. If interested, read the article "The 80-Year Coverup" on the Levi Strauss official website to see the explanation of the hidden period.