BUCKLE  BASICS

          In this section I will try to give some basic information on 3rd Reich Era belt buckles. The information contained here draws on numerous written sources and personal experience. Two sources I have drawn heavily on are "German Belt Buckles" by Thomas Reid and "Belt Buckles & Brocades of the Third Reich" by LTC (ret.) John R. Angolia. These are by no means the final word on the subject of buckles, as there are many other equally good reference books available. As with any endeavor the more information acquired the better chance of success.

          For purpose of clarity I will use the same numbering system employed by Thomas Reid in his book, especially for the production techniques applied.

         Buckles can first be broken down into two main types, 1) enlisted man buckles and 2) Officer buckles. The enlisted type being rectangular in shape and the Officer type generally being round or oval. Both have further sub-types as to construction methods used. For a starting point we will take a look at the various types of methods used for the Enlisted type buckles.

          One of the first methods of construction employed is called the Type II ( again Reid's #'s ). This type buckle is of 2 piece construction with a separate main body and face plate. The face plate (insignia) was attached to the body by 2 solder points on the through the reverse of the body. The body itself also having a half circle depression punched out and used as the catch. This is the type most often encountered with SA enlisted buckles (shown below)

NOTE:

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        A  second method was the one piece stamped type, we'll use Reid again and call this Type III.

This was done using a die which imprinted the insignia directly into a buckle blank. They are recognized by being able to see a mirror image of the insignia on the buckle back. Early buckles of this type were generally made from iron , brass or steel . They have an elongated "U" shaped brass  attachment bar  * I_____I * spot welded directly to the back. This bar is typically 2.5mm to 3mm in diameter and 18mm in length. Shown below is an early RSLV ( Reichluftsport- Verband ) buckle.

This method continued through the war but with a difference in the "catch" attachment method. As a labor

saving effort brazing replaced spot welding. This was facilitated by flattening the ends of the catch to provide more material for the brazing process. Shown is a steel Army buckle with field grey paint. The flatten tabs can be found angling slightly to the center as this one, perfectly vertical or angling to the outside edge and can vary in size and shape. This construction method can be found on a multitude of buckles , including Army. Luftwaffe ,SS, Kriegsmarine and numerous politcal organizations.

A third method -"Type IV" is usually limited to 45mm enlisted buckles made of aluminum. This method employed a separate insignia which was attached with 4 small tabs which were inserted into and then folded over 4 corresponding holes in the buckle blank. Both pieces were made of aluminum. This method also eliminated the skilled task of brazing / soldering.  Shown is an Enlisted Fire Police buckle.

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