Distinguishing hand-sewn button holes?

[subculture]

Good morning,
I've read about the differences between hand-sewn and machine-sewn button holes, but the descriptions seem to imply that the major factor is the stage at which the actual hole is cut in the fabric. Does this mean that a hand-sewn hole will show the hole sewn smoother and tighter? What I'd love is a picture or two showing the difference, but I'm not able to find any online.

Thanks in advance,
A

[manton]

Machine:





Hand:



Underside of hand:

[Solitarias]

The best way is to check if there's a 'dimple' at the (sharp) end of the buttonhole... also works for shirtbuttonholes....

[Solitarias]

Machine:

Are you sure this is machine?

[JamesT1]

I assumed that one was hand, due to the fact that it said "hand" underneath the picture.

[mathew]

Solitarias, that is definitely a machine buttonhole.
There are buttotholers that can be set to cut the hole before embroidering. There are very clean-looking machine buttonholes such that sometimes it's actually difficult to tell which it is. The edges are absolutely devoid of the usual loose threads, the stitching is "tight" like when done by hand, the stitch width is different along the length and in the keyhole, etc. Not a bit irregular, either, not as though they were trying to foll us into believing that it was done by hand. The knots usually tell it. Also no machine I know of takes glazed/waxed thread.