✅ SOLVED Buckle Experts please

[Dug]

I dug both these buckles at two different locations both sites dating mid to late 1800s.

One buckle still retains some silver wash on it. Buckles are about .5 inches wide.

Anyone know what these tiny buckles may have been used for?

 

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[TheCannonballGuy]

It's a pants-waist adjuster buckle, from the mid-1800s into the early-1900s. (But a few are still being made and used today.) See the photos below, showing a couple of them "in place" on the pants.

I've seen a few used for the same "adjuster/tightener" purpose on the back of a vest.

They can be recognized by their two-tines-on-a-bar form, and small size, and especiailly, having sharp narrow tines for piercing the cloth to get a super-firm grip.

Some French-made ones have the year-date stamped on them, such is 1857, 1858, etc. Similarly, some are marked simply "Paris."

 

[cmthunder]

Very nice buckles and to find a matching set pretty cool.

 

[Dug]

Thanks CBG!

 

[gunsil]

When we had pants with those buckles in the back in the 1950-60s we called them hiney binders!!

 

[CRUSADER]

I disagree with the ID it's an 18th C Knee Buckle as illustrated in (Whitehead 2003, pg 109, no. 709-713):
https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/951185

 

[CRUSADER]

https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/951185

 

[Dug]

https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/951185

Thanks Crusader. I will admit your reference buckles are very close resemblance, but are much larger than mine. The reference lists them at 16mm X 14mm. Mine are 11mm X 9mm.

 

[paleomaxx]

"Buckles 1250-1800" has them identified as boot buckles:



Size is about the same as the ones you found too. I've found about a dozen over the years, but typically only at 18th and very early 19th century sites. All are quite small and pretty poor signals so I'm sure I've walked over many more than I've dug.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

I have to acknowledge that Crusader appears to be correct about the time-period of Dug's buckles... because they look like they are solid-cast, instead of being the mid-1800s-&-later stamped-brass pantswaist-adjuster buckles in the photos I posted.

As Dug noted, "The reference lists them at 16mm X 14mm. Mine are 11mm X 9mm."

11mm by 9 mm is indeed smaller than any of the knee buckles or boot/garter buckles shown in the references. Seems too small for those purposes... but maybe so... or was for some other purpose. I suspect the latter case is more likely, because 11mm is less than half an inch (approx. 13mm).

 

[Dug]

"Buckles 1250-1800" has them identified as boot buckles:

View attachment 1912690 View attachment 1912691

All are quite small and pretty poor signals so I'm sure I've walked over many more than I've dug.

My buckles must have been laying flat when under the soil as on both occasions my F75 screamed at me. Of course I run my machine on Thermonuclear mode: BP boost, high sensitivity, and low discrimination and the soil here is sugar sand. F75 is constantly picking up on my silver fillings

 

[CRUSADER]

"Buckles 1250-1800" has them identified as boot buckles:

View attachment 1912690 View attachment 1912691

Size is about the same as the ones you found too. I've found about a dozen over the years, but typically only at 18th and very early 19th century sites. All are quite small and pretty poor signals so I'm sure I've walked over many more than I've dug.

Yes, there are split theories, I quite like the boot buckle one

 

[Dug]

Now it's time for me to eat crow. I must apologize to everyone for wasting their time with incorrect sizes. I initially used a cheap plastic harbor freight mic and read 9mmX11mm.

Using my metal Chum Mic the buckles are actually 15mm X14mm.

Not only is it imperative to provide clear pictures but it is crucial to provide accurate measurements which I failed to do. Everyone's opinions are based upon accurate measurements being provided. Sorry

 

[Dug]

Since I had my 2 tongue buckles out I thought I would share some variations I noticed. As CBG mentioned a few of them have Paris and France marked on them, others with various maker's marks. A few even have dates. They seem to range in size and I would assume that likely has to do the manufacturer. All measurements are in mm.

1st row measures 32X23 and the last one which was dated 1855 is also slightly bent giving it the appearance that it is smaller.
2nd row measures 31X22
3rd row measures 30X20 the first one is dated 1860 and the 2nd 1872
4th row measures 29X21 and is dated 1874
5th row measures 28X21
6th row measures 23X17
7th row are the trouble makers at 15X14.

I notice that the last two rows that are much smaller than the rest also have the center post in the middle versus to one side like the rest.