Solid Brass West End Buckle

[teatree]

Can anyone suggest somewhere that I can get a good solid brass west end buckle or are they all the chinese variety?I'm after one in 38mm and i'm down in Australia.Some of the old English brass was good but seems to all but have disappeared?(When I say solid I mean a good heavy buckle not the stuff I seem to be getting from most of the leather suppliers here).

[Schpacko]

I buy mine at leprevo in England. Price and Quality are pretty good:

http://leprevo.co.uk/brass-buckles.htm

[Matt S]

Contact JT Bachelor of Islington. No online shop but they buy an awful lot of English-cast brass. Solid is an understatement! Very reasonable prices too.

[fivewayswelshcobs]

I'd try abbeyengland.com as they have their own foundry in Walsall and cast their own brass buckles, I had a recent trip around the foundry which was amazing.

[celticleather]

Contact JT Bachelor of Islington. No online shop but they buy an awful lot of English-cast brass. Solid is an understatement! Very reasonable prices too.

I've attached Batchelor's buckle catalogue (below). They source them from the same foundry as Abbey and Le Prevo, and sell at a fraction of the price!

buckles.pdf

[Mike Craw]

Maybe I need an English - English translation dictionary, but what is a "West End" buckle? Thanks, Mike

[cloverpatch]

Good question Mike. Can anyone tell us why it is called a "West End" buckle?

[Matt S]

I can answer "what" but not "why". A West End is a common pattern of single bar buckle, almost rectangular but tapering slightly at the bar end and with rounded corners. Can be found with swelled ends and a roller sometimes.

[cloverpatch]

That helps, thanks Matt.

[Mike Craw]

Thanks Matt! We call those "heel bar" buckles over on this side of the water. If you Google heel bar you might find additional sources. Mike