A Guide to Western Cowboy Trophy Buckles

Master Craftsmen Make Belt Buckles That Are Wearable Works of Art

Sep 12, 2009 Norman Kolpas

Trophy buckles, also known as Western buckles, rodeo buckles, or cowboy buckles, are wearable works of art. This guide explains how to find the best Western belt buckles.

For one of the most definitive emblems of the American West, thank not the cattle drives and frontier settlements of the late 19th century, but the flickering black-and-white movies that began to enthrall mass audiences in the 1920s. Old West Cowboys usually used suspenders to hold up their pants, or sometimes sturdy cloth belts with military-style friction buckles with metal flaps that grip the fabric when closed.

Movie cowboys had to look more glamorous. Early Hollywood designers were drawn to the ornate regalia of Mexican vaqueros and of the high-plains buckaroo style they inspired.

Large, beautifully engraved and ornamented belt buckles of precious metal caught the eye, a calling card that all could see whether the wearer sat on horseback or strode down Main Street. Soon, that Western buckle style caught on among real-life cowboys, and by the 1940s such buckles had replaced loving cups as the coveted prizes in rodeos and other cowboy events, as well as hallmarks of Western style.

Buying Trophy Buckles Online

Today, true trophy buckles and trophy-style buckles are more popular than ever. For a readily graspable measure of that popularity, look no further than the online auction site eBay. Searches using the words “trophy buckle” or “rodeo buckle” or “Western buckle” yield impressive numbers of auction listings.

Quality can be variable online, however. Among a few true antiques of exquisite beauty, many listings display astonishingly low prices, and descriptions sorely lack such details as materials, maker, or place of manufacture.

Not even high-resolution digital photos can offer a sense of a buckle’s heft or fine design detail. Quality may be slipshod, and buyers who think they’re getting a bargain might want to think again.

Buying Trophy Buckles in Western Wear Shops

Without too much more effort than an eBay search, and without paying substantially more than for possibly deceptive bargains, it’s possible to find quality handmade buckles in Western wear shops and from individual American craftsmen.

Beautiful, high-quality, ready-to-wear Western buckles can still retail at under $100. Custom creations, complete with original designs commemorating an event or individual recipient, will run upwards of a couple of hundred dollars and as high as a thousand or more—a relatively small price to pay for a true work of art.

Price ranges reflect a wide variety of choices. First, of course, come materials. Less costly buckles are stamped from blanks of “German silver” (a term for the same sort of nickel used to make 5-cent coins).

The next choice up the scale is silver overlay: a sheet of the precious metal bonded to a nickel backing, with the layer of stamped or engraved precious metal being some 50 times thicker than the electrostatically applied silver plate of bargain buckles, and therefore more resistant to wear and scratching. Solid Sterling silver costs still more, and can climb still higher in price with the addition of solid-gold lettering and other ornamentation.

Western Buckle Sizes and Shapes

Price is also affected by a buckle’s size. While some might joke about trophy buckles being as large as hubcaps, the most common sizes are in fact not much bigger than a business card, measuring anywhere from 3 by 4 to 3 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches. In the Southwest, sizes can get slightly larger, averaging 4 by 5 1/2 inches. It stands to reason that the more metal needed to make the buckle, the higher the price.

Shape presents customers with yet another decision. Most buckles are either oval or rectangular, although custom designs can range from circles to squares to heart shapes for ladies. There’s a sound, practical reason, however, behind the oval buckle’s enduring popularity: Lacking corners that can jab, it’s more comfortable on horseback. That contour, however, can take on extra character with the trim that traditionally finishes off most buckles: delicately sculpted ropework or beading or, very popular nowadays, a scalloped edge.

Custom Ornamentation for Trophy Buckles

Most of a buckle’s character, however, comes from its custom ornamentation, including lettering, decorative engraving, reproductions of organizational or company logos, and tiny sculptural additions ranging from riders to horses to wildlife like elk, deer, bear, and eagles. Add semiprecious or precious stones ranging from turquoise to diamonds, and a Western buckle can become one serious piece of valuable jewelry.

Such handiwork comes not just at a price but also with patience, as completely original custom designs can take anywhere from four weeks to several months to complete, depending on the maker and how elaborate the design might be. But the wait is well worth it, yielding a wearable piece of craftsmanship or work of art.

(For another look at a hallmark of Western style, see Why Stetson Hats Are the Best Cowboy Hats.)

The copyright of the article A Guide to Western Cowboy Trophy Buckles in Shoes & Accessories is owned by Norman Kolpas. Permission to republish A Guide to Western Cowboy Trophy Buckles in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

A trophy buckle adorns a Western movie poster.	A modern trophy buckle features a cougar.	An classic oval buckle has an antique look.
Silver buckles feature detailed ornamentation.	Even an inexpensive buckle offers visual pleasure.