PhilippineBuckles Posted October 1, 2020 Author Share #276 Posted October 1, 2020 The only other dated buckle with a flag is from 1954 but is has the flag of the Philippines which is kind of unique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilippineBuckles Posted October 1, 2020 Author Share #277 Posted October 1, 2020 @easterneagle87 Thanks for showing the back of the Aviation Electronics Technician buckle. It has the same triangle cutout on the "tab" seen on all Hong Kong buckles. Here's a 1956 Hong Kong buckle. Can someone tell me the rating of this sailor? Looks like a treasure chest to me :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted October 1, 2020 Share #278 Posted October 1, 2020 That's the discontinued Fire Control Technician rating mark. Pretty certain it was changed around 1946-1948 so the 1956 date on the buckle is of interest. Guess the engraver in Hong Kong didn't get the NAVPERS memo on the insignia change..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vforvictory1945 Posted October 1, 2020 Share #279 Posted October 1, 2020 Here's a great one that sold on Stewart's Militaria website, not sure when, but for $50.00. This one is super cool with the Hula Girl motif! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilippineBuckles Posted October 1, 2020 Author Share #280 Posted October 1, 2020 @Salvage Sailor Thank you for identifying the rating symbol as a Fire Control Technician! Now I see the radar scope and antenna, but I have to say I would have preferred it to be a treasure chest. 🙂 @vforvictory1945 I'm the new owner of the 1946 Hula Girl P.R.Helm buckle. I bought it about a month ago. It's one of my favorite buckles. The engraver used a metal punch on the back of the buckle to push out the metal on the front for the 3D effect. I wonder if this engraver ever tried to do a mermaid. I hope one shows up one day. Are the wings in the lower right for an Aircraft Observer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vforvictory1945 Posted October 1, 2020 Share #281 Posted October 1, 2020 Bill - That's definitely easily one of the best PI buckles out there. Nice score! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vforvictory1945 Posted October 4, 2020 Share #282 Posted October 4, 2020 Here's a pretty cool and unique Philippines bracelet that sold back in 2011 on Ebay but appears to be done by the same PI engraver, or at least with the same style, with those rectangular flowers, as these two 1930's buckles shown below. I thought it was interesting as its the first time I've seen a Philippines theater made bracelet done that mirrors the early belt buckle engraving style. This one appears to have engraved cast metal affixed to an aluminum band / bracelet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mds308 Posted October 5, 2020 Share #283 Posted October 5, 2020 Not a belt buckle but looks Philippine made to me. A pair of napkin rings from the USS Long Beach CGN-9. One's from the Wardroom Mess Food Service Officer and the other one Wardroom Mess LTJG-13. Cool pair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hink441 Posted October 5, 2020 Share #284 Posted October 5, 2020 Here are some Philippine hand made USN Master at Arms badges that I have accumulated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hink441 Posted October 5, 2020 Share #285 Posted October 5, 2020 Some hand made wings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vforvictory1945 Posted October 7, 2020 Share #286 Posted October 7, 2020 @hink441 - Those engraved PI badges and wings are really nice! I'm sure all are very rare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilippineBuckles Posted October 8, 2020 Author Share #287 Posted October 8, 2020 Lots of really cool stuff! @vforvictory1945 -- Nice Ring. @hink441 -- I love the rocking chair wings. I wonder if it was for someone retiring or as a joke about someone (perhaps an air crew member) who just sits around with nothing to do)? Funny either way! @mds308 -- The napkin rings definitely look Philippine made. Pretty cool! Thanks for sharing guys! I recently picked up the following Harley Davidson buckle (probably from the 1970s)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vforvictory1945 Posted October 9, 2020 Share #288 Posted October 9, 2020 Piggybacking on Bill's last post is a shot of eleven PI Harley Davidson belt buckles I've seen while doing online searches. These are pretty well done for the 1970's variety. The winged skull and bones cut-outs are especially cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilippineBuckles Posted October 9, 2020 Author Share #289 Posted October 9, 2020 Wow that's a lot more HD buckles than I've ever seen! Great searching! Here are two more HD buckles you can add to your image collection that i've seen... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted October 10, 2020 Share #290 Posted October 10, 2020 Here is a hand made Philippine made USN Trident with three clutch back pins just like the regular ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easterneagle87 Posted October 10, 2020 Share #291 Posted October 10, 2020 ANOTHER CAME IN THE MAIL YESTERDAY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vforvictory1945 Posted October 10, 2020 Share #292 Posted October 10, 2020 Bill - Thanks for the Harley pics. Here's a couple I picked on Ebay earlier this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vforvictory1945 Posted October 10, 2020 Share #293 Posted October 10, 2020 Here's a couple of '48 dated PI buckles that some got a great deal on back in July. I saw these in a completed auction search the other day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easterneagle87 Posted October 12, 2020 Share #294 Posted October 12, 2020 Hit the monthly Sacramento Antique Fair to today and found these gems. While they are not military, these are definitely Philippine made. They are TRAIN themed! * B & O * New York Central System * Chicago and Northwestern System, October 28, 1956 They were all being sold by the same lady and couldn't get just one, so I picked up the set of three. They are a lot bigger than the smaller military themed. No markings on the back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vforvictory1945 Posted October 12, 2020 Share #295 Posted October 12, 2020 Here's a few pictures of the first PI buckle I've found at an antique flea market. It appears to be early 60's and its got the more generic lagoon scene on it. It's not really the date range I'm looking for so I threw it up on Ebay. If any of the forum collectors are into it we could negotiate a transaction off Ebay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vforvictory1945 Posted October 12, 2020 Share #296 Posted October 12, 2020 @easterneagle87 - The buckle shown below is the only other train related PI buckle I've seen photos of to date. This one was dated 1945 on the top and apparently was sold on Ebay years ago. Its definitely one of the coolest Philippines buckles I've seen to date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easterneagle87 Posted October 12, 2020 Share #297 Posted October 12, 2020 Fellow forum member, who has become a kindred spirit when it comes to these buckles, pointed this one out to me. FUNKY!!! Great subject matter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vforvictory1945 Posted October 13, 2020 Share #298 Posted October 13, 2020 I've wanted to share a bit of insight on dating buckles by looking at the backs provided they don't have any dates on the front. Here's a quick study on 1930's PI buckles. You basically have the brazed on brass mechanisms, I'm guessing those were the earliest variety, and then it morphed into a more crude hand finished swivel buckle look version that seems to evolve through the years. In the 40's you have your crude swivel variety and the baseball diamond shape belt keeper that you see in 1944 - 1946 typically. Lastly is the seldom seen slider variety, the earliest version of which I've seen is dated 1946. The 1950's are characterized by what I call equal swivel to equal belt guide versions. The swivel and the guide the same distances and basically divide the buckle in the back in equal parts. Secondly you have your slider variety with the twisted metal to grab into the belt webbing that I've seen mostly on Seabees buckles of the early 50's. The twisted bar replaces the knurled bar you see in the late 1940's. The early 60's has a thicker cast portion characteristic of the 50's and earlier buckles but you'll see that the belt guide portion of the buckle grows longer. Also the keeper shape changes and has more of a bend and flare out. The mid to late 60s buckles through the early 70s get thinner and you can see the engraving sometimes punch through a bit to the back of the buckle. The 80's and 90's back have a more modern webbed beck mechanism that folds over and clamps to the webbed belt. As far as the ovaled buckles are concerned it seems that they are mostly 1970's or 1980's and have the normal bar and post on the back like a majority of modern day belt buckles. Feel free to chime in or correct me but you can use the back of belt knowledge to help date a PI buckle that doesn't have a date on the front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hink441 Posted October 17, 2020 Share #299 Posted October 17, 2020 Just received this one from an eBay purchase. This buckle has a sad story though. The USN LT. that wore this buckle was killed in an unexplained ejection from the back-seat of an F-4B Phantom during a supersonic fly-by of the USS F D Roosevelt. His body was never recovered. He had made the previous FDR Vietnam Cruise and probably had this buckle made in the PI. RIP Lt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easterneagle87 Posted October 17, 2020 Share #300 Posted October 17, 2020 1 hour ago, hink441 said: Just received this one from an eBay purchase. This buckle has a sad story though. The USN LT. that wore this buckle was killed in an unexplained ejection from the back-seat of an F-4B Phantom during a supersonic fly-by of the USS F D Roosevelt. His body was never recovered. He had made the previous FDR Vietnam Cruise and probably had this buckle made in the PI. RIP Lt. Good grab. I bid on this one, but decided not to pursue it. I'm glad you have some history on it. Makes it even nicer. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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