Silver Buckles

I get a lot of questions in my western buckle store Beal’s Cowboy Buckles about silver buckles. If it is real silver it will almost always be stamped on the back “sterling silver” or sometimes “SS”. The only way to know for sure is a chemical test that many higher end jewelry stores can do (usually for a fee).

Other “silver” designations include:

German Silver – A white nickel alloy (65% copper, 17% zinc, & 18% nickel). In other words – there is no silver in German silver. Normally a darker surface look than sterling silver.

Nickel Silver – Similar to German silver, contains no silver.

Silverplate – A very thin layer of silver is sprayed over the surface of the buckle which is often a bronze base. This gives a shinny surface the people like and is one of the most popular ways buckles are made today. Sometimes a clear coat is applied over the silverplate to give it better wear because polishing the thin layer directly can result in it rubbing off.

Sterling Silver – A silver alloy consisting of 92.5% fine silver and 7.5% pure copper. Has a bright surface. By adding copper it causes the silver to become less pliable and stronger in its structure which improves both strength and durability.

Solid Sterling Silver – A piece of silver that is top to bottom sterling. It is not plated with sterling, nor is it sterling overlay.

(the picture is a hand engraved solid sterling silver buckle by my Texas friend Clint Orms)

Chet Vogt

One of the premier buckle makers of our time, Vogt Western Silver Ltd., is located in Woodland, California and always has great craftsmanship and interesting designs. The Vogt business is a small 35 year old family business with three generations involved. Cattle rancher Chet and his son Casey own and supervise operations.

Each of Vogt’s pieces are made of solid sterling silver and fully hand engraved. All of Vogt’s buckles are hand crafted one-at-a-time by skilled artisans and silversmiths. All two-tone pieces are 14 k gold fill. These are heirloom items that will last a lifetime.

I’m a Vogt dealer and offer many of his buckles, including the one pictured above, on my Beal’s Cowboy Buckles website.

Cowboy Buckles

Many people think cowboy buckles started in the 1860s when Texas ranchers began gathering wild cattle and moving herds north to railroad yards where they could be sold for beef. But the reality is cowboy buckles were invented in the 1920s by Hollywood. As western movies began popular, there was a standard “garb” that was created with hats and chaps and six gun holsters and wild rags around the neck. And someone created a fancy buckle with horse/cow figures and that became a required item for any male appearing in a movie. As the years progressed some of the famous movie cowboys wore very fancy and expensive buckles that are worth a lot of money today.

General western themed buckles became popular for the average person interested in the west and today literally millions are sold every year. You can see over 700 different buckles at my cowboy buckle store on the internet (www.bealscowboybuckles.com).

(the picture is of a classic Edward Bohlin buckle that you can find on my website)