19beavers Report post Posted August 21, 2010 Hi from the U.K. I am hoping that you guys could give me some advice regarding my latest project, which is refurbishing vintage buckles and making belts. Firstly I feel that I must explain that my main hobby is Treasure Hunting or Metal Detecting, I have been messing about in fields for about 30 years now. Just recently I have been looking at some of my everyday finds to see what I could make from them, and it was whilst I was looking through a whole pile of what we call "droppage" or "hedge fodder" that I happened to chance upon some old buckles I had found. I got to thinking what if I cleaned them up and fitted them with a new prong and found/made a nice belt to go with them they would make great gifts or possibly I could sell some at my local craft market. I have refurbished a few now and I must say that am very pleased with them. They are all different and I guess that some of the crude ones are pretty old - possibly hundreds of years. My question to you guys is what belts do you think I should be at fitting to them ? the cheapy ones with snaps (poppers) or do you think I should investigate a better quality undyed blank that I could sow or rivet the buckle to ? I have also thought about making guitar straps. These are some before and after pictures, most of the buckles fit either a 1 1/4 inch or 1 1/2 inch belt but I have loads of smaller ones as well. If you look closely at the pictures you can see the corrosion on the surface of the brass caused by the all the various chemicals that are spread on the fields of the U.K. ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rdb Report post Posted August 21, 2010 Hundred years old, and they still make the exact buckles for bridles and such, ...cool I'ld hand stitch them on to good bridle leather, the same way they've done it since those were brand new. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
19beavers Report post Posted August 22, 2010 I appreciate that a buckle is a buckle and that they are the same as the new ones you still get today, but things that make them special to me is the wear and the corrosion on them, I always look at them when I dig them up and think what stories they could tell ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BIGGUNDOCTOR Report post Posted August 22, 2010 Soooo, is it pretty common over there to lose your belt? Or is that from having a few too many pints You probably know this, but be careful in your detecting, there is still a lot of ordnance in the fields. Amazing the amounts that were dropped, and never went off. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
8thsinner Report post Posted August 26, 2010 I have to say that that is some very impressive cleaning up. If you wanted to do them for craft fairs I would take them to an antique shop if you can find the right specialist and see if you can get them dated and detailed. Market people are always asking things like that I think, like whats an items story... Great work. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
