Philippine Made Belt Buckles

[vforvictory1945]

I know its a bit of reach and its a blurry picture but I'll bet these guys are wearing Philippines buckles.  The photo is circa 1940's, taken in PI, from an Ebay seller.  Maybe just my imagination but my best guess is that the sailors are wearing engraved buckles.

 

The third photo down is another PI 1940's shot and that USN sailor's buckle is definitely custom.  If not PI then possibly Chinese? 

 

[vforvictory1945]

In response to the picture directly above, I got a better pic from the seller and it's still blurry but definitely not a PI buckle.  It kind of reminds me of those 1946 Tientsin, China buckles with the Dragons and USMC Globe Anchor so this guy must be USMC.

 

Definitely the original photos are even tougher to find than the buckles.  The search continues! 

 

[Will Aguilar]

19 hours ago, PhilippineBuckles said:

Hello Will -- Thank you for joining USMF and joining in this discussion.  I love your Facebook site and seeing your different engravings!  And it's great to know that Philippine Belt buckle engraving still lives on!  Please share as much first hand insight into belt buckle engraving.   I'd love to hear all your stories related to engraving buckles for American service men and women -- the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Personally, I'd love it if you would write a book about engraving Philippine belt buckles.  Seriously, let us know if you have any interest in writing a book or working with someone to publish a book about belt buckle engraving both pre & post the US closing down its bases in the Philippines.  Give it some thought.

 

A couple of questions to start with...

 

1.  On a technical level, can you explain where you currently get your rectangular blank buckles?  If you make them yourself, was this always the case back in the 1970s and 1980s?  I'm wondering if there was a wholesale source or specific person or shop that specialized in making the blank buckles that different engraving shops bought from. 

 

2.  Can you give us any insight into the number of rectangular or oval US military belt buckles you have been engraving the past couple of years? 

 

3.  Thank  you for sharing your Facebook page so that anyone who wants to commission a buckle from you can do so.  They can also Private Message (PM) you on this site.   That said, I'm sure a lot of USMF readers are curious for a ballpark estimate (or rough price range) of how much it currently costs to have a custom rectangular military belt buckle engraved?  Obviously, everyone should understand that each commissioned buckle may have a different price depending on engraving complexity and other factors.

 

Best Regards,

Bill

Hi Bill,

 

First of all, thank you for accepting me on this forum. I have been in this engraving without any former training and so as my mentors from my Dad's shop. As far as I can remember my Dad started the business way back the 70's with his buddies from Cavite City to Olongapo City. But we all know it all started in Sangley point Naval Air Station. There are so much stories to tell and the thought of writing something about it have cross my mind before but I just did not have the time or skill to write a book about engraving in Philippines. If you can I would be very interested to work it out and get you all the information you need. To start I can answer you the following information you need:

 

1. the blank rectangular material of the buckle or plate are actually made of monel metal pipe from the naval ship yards. It is Nickle or (70% stainless & 30% copper). This pipes are cut to pieces and patterned & forged to the needed size and shapes of the buckles. We all fabricate our material, all handcrafted in the shop. Now a days its not available but I use commercial brass metal plates.

 

2. I can only estimate how much buckle my Dad's shop (Aguilar & Sons Engravingf Shop - Gordon Avenue) has made. What I remember is every individual order during the 80's would come out around a dozen every day, and a hundreds every month for all those purchaser from the naval ships. I can name a few regular design we receive as an order during those times....Submariner, Pilot wings, Seabees, VA's, P-3, Navy Seal, Insignia, AC wings, Adak Alaska, Santa Fe, Master Diver, EOD, and a lot of each carrier ship design of the 7th fleet.

 

3. Usually, I charge 60 USD for regular design oval shape buckles and 70 USD for the rectangular shape navy buckle. Price range differs from design to design ...some are too detailed will cost more. Shipping is costly. DHL here charge 60 USD for anything under a (+-10 estimated buckles) kilo of their box for 1-2 weeks delivery time. Local post office charge around 20 usd but will take 1-2 months time.

 

Just to let everyone know. I do not work everyday in my work shop at home so sometimes a piece of buckle will take a week or more but if I don't have any errands I can normally finish a buckle or two a day. I wanted to have an apprentice to train but unfortunately I could not find anyone here interested. 

 

Got to go back to work....

 

Thank you again Bill, for this opportunity.

 

Regards,

 

Will Aguilar

[email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/olongapo.metal.engraving

 

[Will Aguilar]

On 8/5/2021 at 4:40 AM, easterneagle87 said:

@vforvictory1945 has found a recent posting of "new" Philippine belt buckles being made. To those of us who are and have become fans of vintage Philippine buckles, this adds a new twist to the field. We can't necessarily call these "repos" , but since these are "made to order" and made in the Philippines there probably isn't any design that can't and won't be copied. On one hand, this totally makes sense. Even though the US reduced our presence in the Big P.I. back in the early 90's, why would this craft totally disappear? Diminished significantly, certainly, but extinct, not. What is old, is now new ... again. Do I say be "wary" when the claim is, vintage? Like the "juicing" in baseball, do we add an asterisk to the description? We'll see, Here are the images posted to me.     

 

The buckle I made this days are totally different material from the material that was made during the 40's to the 80's. All of those buckles are made of monel pipe metal. It's not available ever since the US naval base left (totally expensive material when I tried to purchase abroad). Now, I use what is commercially available which is a brass plate metal and just silver & gold plating to get the same grayish finishing. All of my work are stamped with "A&S" with the year it was made. I respect those who started and invested so much time collecting the vintage Philippine made buckles (I wish I have some of them). What you have there are precious metal with the original engraving craftsmanship that cannot be match by today's engraver. What I do now is a hobby and to preserve the craft that was started by the "Cavitenyo"...unfortunately, until now I could not find anyone interested to learn the trade. I was offshore abroad for a long time and now that I retired early I have all the time to work on my engraving...hopefully doing other engraving crafts done buckles. Below are some of the engraving I have work on other than buckles. If some of you guys purchase some vintage buckle and not sure if it is....send a photo to me and I will be gladly help you out. Just to let you all know...all my works are posted either on Instagram or FB page with some YouTube videos.

 

https://www.facebook.com/olongapo.metal.engraving

 

[Salvage Sailor]

Ah, the Memories.....

To garner some period perspective, here's the Olongapo of days gone by

 

 

This is the intersection of Columban, Gordon and Magsaysay just over the Bridge.  That's the Jesse and the Economical Club on the left and the Coconut and California Bar are across the street as was the Club Oceans-11 (interior photo below).   The Agiular's shop is down the street to the right. 

 

 

Club Oceans-11 above and below

 

 

Another view of the bridge looking down Magsaysay Drive to the Gordon Avenue intersection

 

 

Another block down Magsaysay Drive, Boston on the left, Copacabana was on the right side across the street

 

 

Center of Olongapo - halfway down the block on Magsaysay Drive, Tunnel Club, Empire, New LIfe, 

 

 

The General's Intersection - Gen. Vincente Lim & Claro Recto Streets at Magsaysay, Pussy Cat Club, Aztec Club, ThunderBall, Whiskey a-Go-Go, Zanzibar etc.

 

 

This is the intersection of Rizal at the other end of Magsaysay Drive looking down towards the Naval Base

Queen Bee Club, Alamo Club and Playboy Room on the left, Florida and the President on the Right

 

 

....and a competitors shop, The Naval Bazar (Note the rolled sailor being trailed by the PC with a sawed off shotgun)

 

 

More Here --->  USN Duty in the Philippines - now just a memory.....

 

 

 

 

There ya go

Aloha

[easterneagle87]

Really nice, fairly early engraved buckle that just sold on ebay;  Joseph R. Breton, 46 - Philippines - 47. Nice score!  

[easterneagle87]

Continuing on with the "Named" buckle threads, page 17,  #410 & page 18, #442,

Here's a "PAUL" that's posted on Etsy now.   

[PhilippineBuckles]

@Will Aguilar  Thank you for answering my initial questions! I'm so glad to hear that you are interested in recording your stories (and the stories you've heard from your dad, mentors, friends, etc.).  There are lots of people around the world who would love to hear.  We'll have to figure out a way that works best for you.  It's great to hear that you mark and date your buckles!  People are or will be collecting your buckles someday.  I'll have to think of what I'd like to commission.  I love that you post your work on Youtube/FB/IG maybe you'll inspire someone else to become an "old school" engraver.

 

@Salvage Sailor Thank you for posting the pictures and the link to the USMF thread with more pictures.

 

Here is an "Armed Forces Police Subic Bay" buckle I picked up on an ebay BIN this week.  Clearly it is a "homemade" job and it looks stamped rather than engraved.  Note on the back of the buckle there are some practice or false start attempts.  Can anyone give an explanation of the "Armed Forces Police" (AFP) in Subic Bay?  Is this buckle USN, USMC, USCG? Or maybe any of them?

 

   

[Will Aguilar]

Bill, I am all ears on how we can make documentary of the buckle making in former Naval Base in Olongapo City & Airforce base in Sangley Point, Cavite City.

 

Just some photos to show you guys....... cruise liner & Japanese ship visit last 2019 in Alava pier. The former Naval base is thriving with businesses and factories from different countries.  There are news that the former Korean Hanjin ship yard will be leased by  American/Australian company for ship repair facility. And for those who have been here before...Barrio Baretto is still with a lot of retired US service man along with other nationalities. You will see them up front the Bars drinking their daily beers and chit chats with anyone. The good old days never dies.....

 

[easterneagle87]

A few Philipp buckles now posting on ebay ... 

Some how I think I've seen this UDT buckle before because the "calypos" rings the bell, but I can't find any postings in this topic.   

 

USS Carl Vinson, CVN-70, XO LCDR HOVER

 

Non-military, Devil Mountain Chorus, SPEBSQSA Belt Buckle CHORUS Singing California Barbershop Quartet

[PhilippineBuckles]

Here is the Calypso Team Twelve SEAL buckle sold in March this year.

[Tonomachi]

6 minutes ago, PhilippineBuckles said:

Here is the Calypso Team Twelve SEAL buckle sold in March this year.

There is no Seal Team 12 so the person who wore this buckle must have been former UDT-12 before becoming a Seal.   I thought CALYPSO was possibly a nickname but with the second buckle surfacing with COCOA CALYPSO my guess is that they might have something to do with a bar in Virginia Beach that may or may not be frequented by members of the East Coast Seal Teams.  There is a place called the Calypso Bar & Grill and I believe COCOA is a mixed spirts drink so it kind of fits.  Anybody have any other ideas?

 

[PhilippineBuckles]

Here is an undated Aviation machinist's mate buckle for Eugene Peeples that sold on ebay this week.  The deep engraving is really nice and without "Philippines" engraved across the top, the rating insignia is nice and large.  Perhaps some research to try and find out when Eugene served will pin down when it was likely made, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is a 1945 buckle.  That said, it could have been made sometime in the 1950s too.

 

 

[easterneagle87]

Really nice SAKE P. GANTZ buckle that just sold on the 'bay'. Nice engraving for a Naval Aviator. 

[vforvictory1945]

Here's a buckle I picked up for resale recently but thought it was kind of interesting with PHLI   PPINES split around the top of the naval aviator anchor.  I'm sure there are others that have been done this way but this is the first one I can recall seeing.  Also look at how the "Q" is done, basically an O with a couple of carved lines.

[Will Aguilar]

I would have done it this way.......but that is me..... I say this one is unique as it,s a fine detailed engraving.

[easterneagle87]

Here is a "small" buckle that was recently listed, but got picked up on the "best offer" off of the 'bay'.  This one was small, as the picture showed it in the palm of a gloved hand. The carving was really good on it.  It was actually a good pick up at a good price.  I just prefer; jets, planes, ships, boats, etc than generic Philipp scenes.  

[PhilippineBuckles]

In regard's to Lt. Jeffery's buckle above, I noticed too the uniqueness of splitting "Philippines" into two parts.  I just looked through my files and can't find another instance that an engraver has done this.  That said, I have to say I like the symmetry :-)  I did find a couple of other cases where the engraver / person commissioning the buckle chose symmetry over keeping a word together.

 

The first case is R.T. Allan's buckle where the navy abbreviation COMFAIR (Commander Fleet Air) Japan is split into COM and FAIR to make a visually pleasing symmetry...

 

 

 

 

A second case is in the engraving of Vietnam into VIET and NAM with a huge gap between the two for symmetry purposes.  Here is Larry's 1967 buckle....

 

[PhilippineBuckles]

Someone made a nice pickup on ebay a few weeks ago of three buckles for Grady Perkins. I always like seeing when someone had multiple different Philippine buckles made.  Here we see the transition from the Naval Aviation Observer "badge" to Naval Flight Officer "badge" in the late 1960s during the Vietnam War.

 

[vforvictory1945]

Those sold in a lot of 25 buckles back on 07/11/21 for $98.00.  I think the guy that bought them just re-listed every individual buckle in the $15.00 - $25.00 range so the three PI buckles went pretty cheap.  Not sure who bought them but definitely all three Perkins buckles were all a good buy.

[easterneagle87]

41 minutes ago, vforvictory1945 said:

Those sold in a lot of 25 buckles back on 07/11/21 for $98.00.  I think the guy that bought them just re-listed every individual buckle in the $15.00 - $25.00 range so the three PI buckles went pretty cheap.  Not sure who bought them but definitely all three Perkins buckles were all a good buy.

 

I saw Bill's posting about the Perkins buckles, but have been working a ton of hours to toss in a reply. I got fortunate and picked these up. I offered to keep the group of three together and it worked out.  

[easterneagle87]

Here's one that sold back in May on the Bay, USS Oriskany, CVA-34, Aerographer's Mate (?), Charles Pratt.

Not sure what the symbols mean etched into the top left corner.   

Looks like they got the buckle and then used a dremel to "scratch" the name and other info into it after the fact. Would've been a cooler buckle if the name and other info had been done when it was initially made.   

[Salvage Sailor]

10 hours ago, easterneagle87 said:

Here's one that sold back in May on the Bay, USS Oriskany, CVA-34, Aerographer's Mate (?), Charles Pratt.

Not sure what the symbols mean etched into the top left corner.   

Looks like they got the buckle and then used a dremel to "scratch" the name and other info into it after the fact. Would've been a cooler buckle if the name and other info had been done when it was initially made.   

 

 

That's the 'old way' for marking physical weather observations before digital electronics using the Beaufort Scale.  Looks like the wind symbol for "hurricane" (pennant over single slash) with the corresponding speed ranges.  That's the AO's job aboard a Bird Farm, he's the Weatherman.

 

 

[easterneagle87]

Was just doing a bit of poking around and this buckle popped up Pinterest. Was described as coming from ebay,  but no idea how long ago it was posted. 

 

J,P. HORNING , JULY 1945

[PhilippineBuckles]

The J,P. HORNING , JULY 1945 buckle sold on ebay on Dec 3 2017 -- it's in my collection 🙂.   It's such a classic Philippines scene: hut, coconut tree, boat, and sun over the mountains.  Plus it has "Philippines" in a special banner style which might be a "tell" to who engraved it.  Also I find it interesting that the engraved parts are bright "brass" in color when most buckles are either Nickel gray even in the engraved parts or the brass has mostly oxidized to black by now.  I sometimes wonder how the buckles looked right after they were engraved -- whether they were brassy or whether any products were put in the engravings to create more contrast (e.g. shoe polish or India ink for black).  My guess is that most of the time noting else was done.

 

Perhaps @Will Aguilar could educate us on how plating is done and what is actually used on more recent Philippine buckles to create the "gold plating" we see on the buckles from the 70s and 80s that tends to wear off.  A good example of the wear I'm talking about can be seen on the VX5 bat below.