The Red Hand of Ulster Belt Buckle

[tyger]

Thank you all for your compliments. I sincerely appreciate each and every one.

Fantastic work, as always. I love your bi-metal work. The background is VERY nice and sharp, with no 'muddy' pattern over-stamp.

I think I may have to start a collection of X-Marks craftsmen's work. Buckle from you, bonnet from Ryan, kilts from Matt and Barb, sgian from Drac, etc. Eventually my whole outfit will be hand made, and I'll know who made each piece.

Yes, that has been my approach so far. Nothing that I have is from the catalog or off a rack somewhere. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Thing is, I like the look and feel of artisan goods. And there is a certain satisfaction in knowing the person, the materials, the source, and the method. That is what got me started: I could not find a belt buckle that I liked. Made in a factory, a thousand at a time? No, thank you.

And yes, I also like the married metals look. Mixed metals and leathers work for me. I think we will see a resurgence of this as time goes by. We are already seeing a renewed interest in brass sporran cantles, and this will carry over into buckles and other metal accessories.