let's see some nice vintage buckles

[OC Richard]

I realised that I have quite a few photos of interesting old buckles. For whatever reason, I love this kind of thing.

Here we go:

first some crossbelts

[OC Richard]

Now for waistbelt buckles







and shoe buckles

[RockyR]

Wow... some of those are very nice!

I don't have any truly 'vintage' ones, but do have 1 that I think looks "vintage-esque" to my eye:

[davidlpope]

These are attached to my bar buckle brogues!

[OC Richard]

Wow... some of those are very nice!

I don't have any truly 'vintage' ones, but do have 1 that I think looks "vintage-esque" to my eye:

Yes indeed I've long admired that buckle, which can take its place beside the vintage ones in being a unique work of art created to fit the format (unlike most of the buckles available today which are generated on a computer by cobbling together "clip art").

Another is the Cabar Feidh motif buckle made by Glen Esk. Here they are, two modern buckles with a lovely vintage look to them





and up on Ebay now is this stunning sterling silver buckle by Garth Duncan



BTW the set here is one I owned for around 25 years. I picked up the crossbelt and waistbelt set at a local Games back in the 1980s, magnificent celtic dragon/bird & thistle buckles with the leather much worn and deteriorated. Many years later I bought the matching brooch on Ebay sold by someone in Australia.



but I sold the set, mounted on new leather, to a piper in Scotland a few years ago. Wouldn't you know it, but after I sold this set the matching sporran came up on Ebay



I hope my Scottish piper fellow bought it!

[creagdhubh]

These are attached to my bar buckle brogues!

Very nice, David!

[MacRobert's Reply]

Here's one I have. It looks Victorian but is it for a waistbelt or crossbelt and how should it attach to the belt? It measures just over 2 and a half by just over 3 and a half inches, and will accept a belt between 2 inches and 2 and three quarter inches. The square opening in the front is just over one inch by 2 inches. There is no evidence that the buckle ever included prongs.

[creagdhubh]

Here's one I have. It looks Victorian but is it for a waistbelt or crossbelt and how should it attach to the belt? It measures just over 2 and a half by just over 3 and a half inches, and will accept a belt between 2 inches and 2 and three quarter inches. The square opening in the front is just over one inch by 2 inches. There is no evidence that the buckle ever included prongs.

Very smart!

[oldscubaguy]

Amazing!!!

[OC Richard]

Here's one I have. It looks Victorian but is it for a waistbelt or crossbelt and how should it attach to the belt? It measures just over 2 and a half by just over 3 and a half inches, and will accept a belt between 2 inches and 2 and three quarter inches. The square opening in the front is just over one inch by 2 inches. There is no evidence that the buckle ever included prongs.

Yes that is a crossbelt buckle. I have one of those, complete with the tip and keeper. As I recall that was called "pattern No 102".

Yes the crossbelt buckle usually has a prong (on rare occasions two prongs, as in the stunning vintage Seaforth Highlanders Pipe Major's set) but you sometimes come across photos of military Pipe Majors wearing crossbelts without prongs.

Here's your crossbelt buckle in situ, worn by a piper of The Gordon Highlanders