Buckle Basics
Posted by adminThe buckle has a long and extensive history. It is a device used to connect two loose ends in a temporary fashion. The buckle can be buckled and unbuckled with relative ease, making it an ideal way to keep pants up, put collars on, and secure certain types of shoes.
The buckle is typically connected permanently to the leather, or other material, with its chape. The chape is a small protruding end of the belt. The chape runs from the connecting piece to the center of the belt where it is connected to a central cross-piece called the bar. The bar runs vertically from the top of the frame to the bottom.
On top of the bar is the prong. The prong is the small thin piece of metal that hooks into the appropriate hole in the belt or collar, in order to size the item to fit. Finally, the whole belt is surrounded by a frame. The frame is usually rectangular in shape.
The frame holds the prong into the selected sizing hole, once placed, to keep the prong from slipping out. The frame is also made to provide extra stability for the whole buckle.
The frame is typically the part of the buckle that is used to make a fashionable statement. While many belt buckles are relatively plain, there are also many variations in styles, colors, and forms to fit the personality or mood of the wearer.
Girls have lots of options for buckles with rhinestones or other decorations, buckles that are painted in fashionable colors, and buckles that have sayings printed on them. For men, a variety of metal types and finishes offer choices for everyday wear, but there are also wildly different styles such as those used in western wear. The buckle may often be taken for granted, but it is one of the longest lasting inventions in the human wardrobe and is still used today to make a statement.
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This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 6th, 2011 at 3:55 pm and is filed under Hardware. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.