Belt Buckles that Inspire…Riots

Posted on April 15, 2008 by admin Filed Under Articles, Celebs, Collecting Belt Buckles, History, Special Buckles | Leave a Comment

Collecting vintage belt buckles is a popular endeavor. Archaeologists and historians often chronicle their finds in books focused on buckles of a particular type. Some books, however, are bound to be controversial. Confederate Belt Buckles and Plates, a compendium of Civil War relics, is one such book.
It may have historic value–so does a Confederate flag but I wouldn’t buy one of those either– but for anyone considering wearing a Confederate Belt Buckle, well, let’s just say it’s probably best not to stroll through any neighborhood within walking distance of a MLK Boulevard.
Wearing the wrong belt buckle can get you in a tight spot. Witness the flap over Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2007 Time Magazine cover. His pinstriped suit looked nice. Mayor Mike appeared shell shocked. The article was interesting. But what people were talking about was The Governator’s belt buckle. The silver skull buckle is a hand-me-down from his Father, an alleged member of the SS–there is much disagreement about whether he was a member of the SS, SA or German Military Police–and it has been suggested that the buckle is a Third Reich original. Before solving that mystery, the question that comes to my mind is ‘Doesn’t Arnold have a publicist or a stylist or Maria Shriver to keep him out of trouble’?
Collecting artifacts is one way to honor human history. Just be advised, your belt buckle may advertise and if the message you’re sending could get you shot, reconsider.

For other, less controversial books on collecting vintage and western belt buckles, click here.

Everything Old is New Again

Posted on March 4, 2008 by admin Filed Under Articles, Collecting Belt Buckles, Fashion, Special Buckles, Vintage Belt Buckles | 1 Comment

union pacific buckle When I was young we called old stuff “antique”. Today, it’s vintage. And, according to fashion mags and ezine articles, vintage is in. To my dismay, it’s often referenced in the form of Punky Brewster type legwarmers and metallic Members Only jackets. If you don’t know what either of those are, be grateful.
Anyway, I found a great story of a guy whose friend stored all his 70’s belt buckles when he went away for college. The friend returned them more than twenty years later and, as their original owner explains, his kids went nuts for them. The point is this: Get your vintage on. Dig through Dad’s closet and Mom’s jewelry box. And don’t fret if your padres didn’t hang on to their flare jeans and big belt buckles. Vintage stores and stoop sales have plenty of fun stuff to satiate your “antique” appetite.