Rant About Blevins Buckles

[Go2Tex]

Blevins buckles with the leather covered slide are a real pain and the overall quality has really gone down hill. They invariably have burrs on the edges of the slide which scratch the hell out of stirrup leathers, so you must take time to file them down smooth. The leather they use is not always the best quality and it almost always is marked up with some kind of crud that comes off the metal and reacts with the leather. It looks like crap, so I try to remove it. Apparently, they put some kind of finish or something on the leather, so cleaning it is difficult, requires deglazer and then staining it to match the color of a saddle is almost impossible to get good results.

Normally, deglazer works fairly well to clean them up, but not this time! I had to replace a set of broken blevins because one of the posts just broke off. Well, the leather covered slides I got with the new set I ordered were really dirty, so I hit them with oxolic acid but it didn't remove the stains. OK, so I try adhesive remover, which removed the metal staining, but it seemed to react with something in the leather and formed a hard, shiny blotchy appearance. Then I tried lacquer thinner and that just went from bad to worse. The leather was all blotchy and still had some kind of hard finish in areas. Maybe in my haste, I put too many chemicals on the leather at once and it turned parts of the leather a reddish brown, almost like baking soda burning. Next I try the last tiny bit of deglazer I had and it just formed a dried out whitish appearance. So, as a last resort, I oil them up and they still look like crap.

Well, so now I have to order new slides. This repair job is now costing more money than I am making, all because of a crappy product.

I did read a thread where some suggest replacing blevins with superiors. That might be a hard sell to some old-timers, since the Blevins are an industry standard, and just about every saddle out there has them. If they only knew how crappy they have become.

Hopefully this will get back to them at Blevins and they will respond with some improvments. First of all, DEBURR the damn edges!!! And secondly, don't pack them together so that the aluminum metal reacts with the leather, and for krissakes, stop putting whatever it is you put on the leather, because it makes it impossible to dye them evenly!!! Either that, or stop using that cheap import leather because it has a finish on it, probably put there to hide the defects.

Edited August 21, 2012 by Go2Tex

[Sylvia]

It's sad how poorly things are made these days. I feel for you, Brent. But I do have to wonder why you didn't call and make a complaint directly to Blevins or your distributor about the nasty state of the product upon arrival?

[Blake]

Blevins buckles with the leather covered slide are a real pain and the overall quality has really gone down hill. They invariably have burrs on the edges of the slide which scratch the hell out of stirrup leathers, so you must take time to file them down smooth. The leather they use is not always the best quality and it almost always is marked up with some kind of crud that comes off the metal and reacts with the leather. It looks like crap, so I try to remove it. Apparently, they put some kind of finish or something on the leather, so cleaning it is difficult, requires deglazer and then staining it to match the color of a saddle is almost impossible to get good results.

Normally, deglazer works fairly well to clean them up, but not this time! I had to replace a set of broken blevins because one of the posts just broke off. Well, the leather covered slides I got with the new set I ordered were really dirty, so I hit them with oxolic acid but it didn't remove the stains. OK, so I try adhesive remover, which removed the metal staining, but it seemed to react with something in the leather and formed a hard, shiny blotchy appearance. Then I tried lacquer thinner and that just went from bad to worse. The leather was all blotchy and still had some kind of hard finish in areas. Maybe in my haste, I put too many chemicals on the leather at once and it turned parts of the leather a reddish brown, almost like baking soda burning. Next I try the last tiny bit of deglazer I had and it just formed a dried out whitish appearance. So, as a last resort, I oil them up and they still look like crap.

Well, so now I have to order new slides. This repair job is now costing more money than I am making, all because of a crappy product.

I did read a thread where some suggest replacing blevins with superiors. That might be a hard sell to some old-timers, since the Blevins are an industry standard, and just about every saddle out there has them. If they only knew how crappy they have become.

Hopefully this will get back to them at Blevins and they will respond with some improvments. First of all, DEBURR the damn edges!!! And secondly, don't pack them together so that the aluminum metal reacts with the leather, and for krissakes, stop putting whatever it is you put on the leather, because it makes it impossible to dye them evenly!!! Either that, or stop using that cheap import leather because it has a finish on it, probably put there to hide the defects.

K&S Spur

15353 County Rd. 109

Kaufman, TX 75142-8069

(972) 932 6744

Stainless steel Blevins style buckles in several styles with & without leather covered sleeves. Made in USA Texas

Blake

[Go2Tex]

K&S Spur

15353 County Rd. 109

Kaufman, TX 75142-8069

(972) 932 6744

Stainless steel Blevins style buckles in several styles with & without leather covered sleeves. Made in USA Texas

Blake

Thank you for the lead. I called and ordered a pair. Sweet! By the way, they are priced very competively.

thanks again.

[steve mason]

brent;if you don't mind when you get the new buckles in could you send me a photo of them.

thanks much, Steve

[Go2Tex]

brent;if you don't mind when you get the new buckles in could you send me a photo of them.

thanks much, Steve

Sure, I'd be glad to.

[D.A. Kabatoff]

Brent,

I feel your pain! Everytime I look at the scratches on the stirrup leathers I lose my mind! I'd sure like to see these other buckles as well if you don't mind posting a picture.

Regards,

Darcy

[Go2Tex]

OK, just got the K&S stirrup buckles in and they are very nice. No BURRS!!! Plus, they have locking lugs, or little nipples for the lugs on the slides to help retain them. Sweet. Plus, the leather is nice and clean.

Here is the price list they sent....

scan0001.pdf

[GrampaJoel]

Very nice!

Thanks Brent.