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Is this a US Navy belt?


338thRCT
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For what it's worth, I've never seen or heard of a painted buckle or tip on a Navy belt.Expecially on a white belt. Not saying it didn't start life as a Navy belt with standard brass buckle and tip and then somewhere along the line got painted, just sayin' I've never seen one.

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Salvage Sailor

For what it's worth, I've never seen or heard of a painted buckle or tip on a Navy belt.Expecially on a white belt. Not saying it didn't start life as a Navy belt with standard brass buckle and tip and then somewhere along the line got painted, just sayin' I've never seen one.

 

Ditto

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I also have seen a number of painted Army buckles. Just never saw a painted Navy white belt. Some thing new every day

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  • 9 months later...

About 3 months ago acquired a USN stenciled white web belt with black buckle and tip with a purchase of two WWII Neckerchiefs, and some Donald Duck hat ribbons.

 

A few months later, I purchased a WWII working white uniform from a Veteran (who was discharged in 1946) with an immaculate White belt with black buckle stenciled with the same stencil as the uniform.

 

I started doing some research, and found a pic of sailors wearing them. I am attaching a pic of the uniform I bought, and the sailor photo.

 

For what is it worth, Clarissa from Museum at Naval History and Heritage Command, Washington Navy Yard says they have one WWII documented belt with black buckle and tip in their collection, but the rest are brass buckle. She says the 1941 regs do not specify brass or black buckle, simply "non-tarnishable metal slip buckle and end tip."

 

So it appears the black buckle and tip is likely WWII era. The one with the uniform in the pic attached is factory finished black, not painted. Very smooth and finished. The other one I have...I'll get a pic of it, has most of the black scratched up...and appears to be steel not brass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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post-25502-0-65249000-1393598662.jpg

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Yes, the black buckles are steel. I have also seen them painted olive drab too. Usually in with late WWII-early postwar groups.

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Yes, the black buckles are steel. I have also seen them painted olive drab too. Usually in with late WWII-early postwar groups.

 

Another guy in our group has one that is painted black but is stamped solid brass on the back.

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THe 41 Reg simply specifies a non tarnishable metal slide buckle and tip. Most of the belts I have seen have painted steel.

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  • 5 years later...

Just picked up this old thread. I had thought all navy enlisted white web belts had brass or brass-plated buckles and tips until I saw a blackened brass one myself. Then I got to thinking, did all the USN white web belts of the war have the blackened hardware and not brass? I do know the black web belt typically had brass as did of course U.S. Army officer OD and khaki web belts. Like I said, I just assumed brass on white USN belts but then I don't think I have ever seen of a colored period photo of sailors in undress White B's.

 

p.s. the painted steel may be mid-war to save brass, just like army equipment started going over from blackened brass to painted steel hardware. I have seen web belt buckles (just the buckle) that were marked "solid brass" on the rear, and others that were marked as brass-plated.

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MastersMate

Interesting little tidbit reminder for All Hands as to the :why" for stencilling uniform items ..

 

 

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