Article about: I bought a heavily worn luftwaffe belt and buckle from a man here in Houston. He had just moved here from Germany and told me that he wore it in East Germany nearly his entire childhood and
A funny thing happened on Sunday. As some of you may know, I'm a press photographer and I was out on a cycle run from Glasgow to Edinburgh. I wasn't cycling obviously, just photographing those who were... C'monn, that's why the car was invented, so we don't have to cycle...
Anyway, just as I got out of my car to start the full day job, the buckle on my belt broke. I wear jeans for 95% of my time and have a favourite Levi's belt and buckle. I've had it for about, oh 10 years or so. I had the do the whole day with my jeans "hingin' off my erse" to coin a Glaswegian phrase.
I got home late after filing my pics around the papers and turned the house upside down, could I find another belt??? For a belt and buckle collector I found this hilarious, although not as much as my wife did. Not a belt to be found in the whole house, they must have been packed away from my house move 2 years ago.... Obviously I wouldn't use a leather from my collection, and to be honest they are all too small anyway...
Doh, what to do, I've got early jobs on the Monday morning, no time to buy a new belt... Aha, thinks I, where is that cobblers thread and old alloy belt hook. Tadaaaaaa..... a bit of sewing and leather punching later and I have my old jeans belt modified to take a box buckle. Now, I'd personally find it offensive to wear a swastika, and my collecting isn't about promoting the Third Reich. I see my buckles as captured war souveniers... I was going to wear an NVA or a post war, but then thought I'd just go with a Prussian brass/nickle. It was only meant to be temporary, but think I'll stick with it. I'm quite happy with it, but maybe will buy a repro buckle to wear for everyday wear.
Anyone know where the best repro Prussian buckles can be had?
Am I the only saddo wearing an old German buckle????
I used to know a few guys who would wear buckles, not many people noticed but I thought it was a bit off. That's just me... I did have a friend who wore a Tony Oliver OLT fake SS buckle for years... I was never sure if he was trying to give it real wear, but saying that most folk had the OLT's sussed. Wish I still had my old OLT, good to have from a sentimental feeling, the first buckle I ever had, albeit I bought it as a fake.
At college I used to wear a Soviet buckle, but then decided it went better in the collection. People probably thought being a student I was making a political statement. Na too simple for that, it was just cheaper and better quality than a lot of civilian ones
I used to run around town with a WH M43 from 1944Militaria on my head...until a stranger on the street liked it so much he made me an offer I couldn't refuse, lol...!
cheers, Glenn
Last edited by bigmacglenn; 09-11-2013 at 11:35 PM.
Do you wear a buckle?
C'monn, that's why the car was invented, so we don't have to cycle...
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by Kevin Grootaers
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