need help on buckle?

[Deftone]

Ive found a few buckles like this, with dif designs. I know they r brass. Was just curious of what they r called? thx for lookin and helpin!!

 

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[ramjet2187]

Def, trk5cpt will be right with you.

CPT? Are you there?

Roger

 

[dugupfinds]

Is that a bum design or heart??

 

[Gribnitz]

I just found 2 of those heart buckles the other day. They used to call those buckles with hearts on them confederate bedroll buckles. But now they now they had several civilan uses as well, but what for is still unknown. Mid 1800's to the early 1900's.

 

[DCMatt]

Harness buckle.

http://www.antiquehorse.com/bucklepage.html

DCMatt

 

[Night Stalker]

I'm sure once PBK gets a glimpse he'll be able to put the ID on it....very nice indeed. Thanks for posting the digs and happy hunting. NS

 

[dugupfinds]

Night Stalker - see link above your comment. Its been solved.

 

[PBK]

Although it's often listed as a horse harness buckle, this heart-embossed item is really a buckle shield, made to fit on top of the actual buckle. Supposedly, the shield would keep the buckle from snagging, but it also served an ornamental purpose. The same design has been around since the 19th century, and in fact it's still being made today.

Incidentally, it's often misidentified as a "Confederate blanket roll buckle," an unfortunate attribution which found its way into print into an early edition Dr. Francis A. Lord's Civil War Collector's Encyclopedia, and into a later edition which reproduced the original pages without corrections. However, it was acknowledged in Vol. V, which was first published 'way back in 1989. Quoting from p. iv of Vol. V:

"Additions and Corrections to Volume IV, Civil War Collector's Encyclopedia.

"Page 27. Mr. Durham [Roger S. Durham, then curator of Fort Bliss Museum, Texas] identifies these blanket roll buckles as hardware from horse harness. He is very probably correct."

This mistaken ID was also debunked by Charles S. Harris, the author of Civil War Relics of the Western Campaigns, in an article titled "Hearts in Harness" in North South Trader's Civil War magazine, Vol. XXIV, #6 (Dec. 1997), p. 62-63, which was accompanied by several photographs showing identical buckle shields or covers in place on harness straps.

 

[dugupfinds]

PBK - Your splitting hairs now.

Same difference. Would you say buckle frame when you had no pin, because you should, but who does??

I know you haven't in the past.

The rest of the info was good background though.

 

[PBK]

PBK - Your splitting hairs now.
Same difference. Would you say buckle frame when you had no pin, because you should, but who does??
I know you haven't in the past.
The rest of the info was good background though.

I know I'm going to regret responding to this, but since you felt that it was important to call me on it...

As a matter of fact, it's not a distinction without a difference. As explained, the purpose of the buckle shield is not to serve as the harness buckle, but to cover it, providing protection from snagging— and in most cases, adding a certain amount of ornamentation to the harness as well. They are two separate and distinct pieces of hardware— made separately, sold separately— not two integral parts of one, as in your "buckle frame & pin" example.

I agree that to many it may seem a minor point— but it's certainly not a wrong one.

Let's move on.

 

[diggummup]

PBK - Your splitting hairs now.

Same difference. Would you say buckle frame when you had no pin, because you should, but who does??

I know you haven't in the past.

The rest of the info was good background though.

I wouldn't call it splitting hairs.I would call it an appropriate identification of a harness buckle shield.Not a confederate blanket roll buckle or a horse harness buckle,but a harness buckle shield,hence the term "shield".Something that has obviously been mis-identified many times in the past.Splitting hairs? naaa. Good detective work? most definitely.9 out of 10 experts would of mis-id'd this probably.It helps to have good up to date reference books.Contrary to popular opinion,you can't find everything on the internet.

 

[dugupfinds]

My point was:

DC Matt found the exact item & a good link. They may be commonly called a "harness Buckle" but those in the know, know its a shield. Still a harness buckle shield. Like when you all say its a buckle when really is a buckle frame. That was all. I did say the rest was good info.

Never said it was wrong.

 

[allen]

looks like a buckle off of a girls suspenders to me...keep on digging

 

[trk5capt]

PBK, Nailed It Plain And Simple. trk5capt...

 

[Postalrevnant]

Congratulations on your find. Looks like a very cool buckle to me.

Postalrevnant

 

[Deftone]

Hey that's enuff fer me!! Thx alot for the help.