I don’t have direct experience working with these buckles, but I think the best way to create a gap is to twist the buckle rather than try to create a gap by pulling the sides apart.
Depending on the metal and hardness/brittleness, twisting could cause the buckle to snap/break, but the same could be said for trying to spread the buckle.
The advantage of twisting is it will be much easier to get the buckle realigned/flat.
If that’s not clear I can mock up what I mean with some wire and post pictures later.
Indiana Jeff wrote: ↑Mon Aug 05, 2024 7:43 am
I don’t have direct experience working with these buckles, but I think the best way to create a gap is to twist the buckle rather than try to create a gap by pulling the sides apart.
Thanks! I think we're in the same ballpark here. I wasn't thinking of lifting them apart, but twisting more like you suggest.
With only one set in hand, however, I want to have it pretty straight in my head how it's going to work.
Also, when I see shots like the one below - which seem to be the same buckle - only the sliding piece seems held by the loop on the jacket?
I wonder if this style can only be done by undoing the loop on the jacket? I can't see any way to retrofit the buckle 'as is' to look like this?
Last edited by Rob on Mon Aug 05, 2024 8:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
However, looking at the picture of the buckle on the jacket, you don’t need to create a gap where the square comes together.
The slider in the middle of the buckle is what slips through the loop on the jacket. It looks like you’ll have to pry the slider off one side of the bucket, slip it through the loop on the jacket and then re-wrap the slider around the buckle to secure it.
Looking back at the directions Wested sent you, they described the same thing I did, just not very well. (Assuming my explanation is any better.)
Indiana Jeff wrote: ↑Mon Aug 05, 2024 8:09 am
We are on the same page.
However, looking at the picture of the buckle on the jacket, you don’t need to create a gap where the square comes together.
The slider in the middle of the buckle is what slips through the loop on the jacket. It looks like you’ll have to pry the slider off one side of the bucket, slip it through the loop on the jacket and then re-wrap the slider around the buckle to secure it.
Looking back at the directions Wested sent you, they described the same thing I did, just not very well. (Assuming my explanation is any better.)
Yes, this is starting to make more sense to me now that I'm looking at the image I dug up of how it's meant to look. Cheers Jeff for your help.
I get what you're saying. Wested's directions didn't make any sense to me at all. The slider metal is surprisingly hard. This will need the right tool
You’ll face the same possibility of the metal snapping when you try to pry it open and bending it back. Moving slowly and gently will be the key.
Perhaps heating the slider will help with the malleability, but heating can also change the color of the metal.
The most challenging option would be to take the jacket to a tailor/seamstress to open up the leather loop and re-sew it, but that takes a special skill, if you go that route ask specifically if the person has experience working with leather.
Well the strap has to attach to the middle bar. I can't remember with the Westeds if that bar is held onto the rest of the buckle by a loop that's soldered or braised closed or it's just pressed as a type of butt connection. But either way that's your target. If the ends of that middle bar are just pressed closed then pry it open pop it off the buckle thread it through the strap loop and pop the buckle back on and press it closed to hold it. If it is soldered then try to break the solder or cut it with a rotary tool.
But really the best option is like Jeff said, get the buckles designed to be popped on. The D rings are simple enough to remove.
Illinois_Jones wrote: ↑Mon Aug 05, 2024 12:09 pm
Well the strap has to attach to the middle bar. I can't remember with the Westeds if that bar is held onto the rest of the buckle by a loop that's soldered or braised closed or it's just pressed as a type of butt connection. But either way that's your target. If the ends of that middle bar are just pressed closed then pry it open pop it off the buckle thread it through the strap loop and pop the buckle back on and press it closed to hold it. If it is soldered then try to break the solder or cut it with a rotary tool.
But really the best option is like Jeff said, get the buckles designed to be popped on. The D rings are simple enough to remove.
Thanks mate, yes, when I found that image I thought, 'This is the way...' and it's great to see Jeff had such easy success with them.
The question now is... where to get them? They seem to have disappeared for sale anywhere online. Might have to ping MakeItJones!
Well the other option is to find some buckles you like and get the rotary tool out put a cutting wheel on it and just cut a gap in the bar. When in doubt make your own.
Thanks again all. Today I got out some pointy nosed pliers and bent the sliders. They're stronger than they look and will bend back well.
I also took some pieces of paper and worked out how to attach the buckle to a loop. I'm always better with a practical model in front of me.
At this stage, though, I've decided might wait and see if Make It Jones gets my PM, and also what other options are out there, esp. black and gun metal.
This is the kind of project I feel like doing once, to 100% satisfaction and then just leave it be, rather than just throwing on the first buckles in hand
Those original ones I used to sell were a 25 mm buckle with the tong removed, centre bar partly cut out and lightly sanded to provide a surface for black paint overlay. Discontinued them as wasn't happy with the long term paint adhesion - probably still have hundreds of the basic buckle in my leather shop if anybody want's a fiddly job to prep and make their own!
I've changed to the moving middle bar slide type in a dark gunmetal finish (closest can find to black). I send them out with one side of the bar bent out to allow fitting - no need to tinker with both ends. You can refold it once fitted with tip of flat head screw driver or pliers - it's steel so will take the bending.
To round this tale out, for now, I acquired some gunmetal buckles, and fitted them last night
I know they're not screen accurate, but for a Raiders jacket I like the look a whole lot more than the D-Rings. And they work GREAT. Even with lamb.
Thanks again to MakeItJones for the guide, which helped me visualise the way to do this. Very easy, in the end!
My only advice, with a surface like these buckles have, use something like tape or cloth between your tools the buckle. I managed to crunch part of one.
(But thankfully it's completely hidden when installed!)
The best way I've found to blacken buckles is to gun blue them. Steel bluing is the best known but you can do it to brass as well. Several simple at-home concoctions exist to produce a nice black oxide finish.
Illinois_Jones wrote: ↑Sun Aug 18, 2024 1:43 am
The best way I've found to blacken buckles is to gun blue them. Steel bluing is the best known but you can do it to brass as well. Several simple at-home concoctions exist to produce a nice black oxide finish.
That sounds like a new project for me coming on. Cheers!
