I know what the strap buckle is

[todd]

It's really simple - so simple it has to be right. Ready? Here is is:



Yep. That's it. How do you make it look like the Raiders buckle? Easy. Don't punch holes in the strap. The strap will fold over the prongs. The prongs will rotate to the front side of the buckle, making a very secure lock. They will also cause a roll on that side of the strap, which will cover the front-side bar perfectly. I tried it with some single prong buckles, and it works perfectly and creates the exact same look as in the photos.

Now I can die a happy man.

[Tyrloch]

Todd,

So it is the prong buckle like the one on the screen-used ToD jacket? So I was right? What'd I win??

~Jace

[Kaplan]

Hey Todd, I read and reread your post and I think I understand what you mean, but is there anyway you could demonstrate this in a few more pics?
Will this be on my jacket?

[aeriscanon]

Isn't this esentially the same theory as the tri-glide? Or are you talking about which actual piece of hardware is used to do it with?

I didn't think punching holes in the straps was ever supposed to be a consideration, just that the leather slips in through the grooves of the hardware.

I tested this a while ago without any prongs and the strap holds tightly on a regular tri-glide buckle. (The one I used was from the Tapco gunstraps and is a bit thick for looks but the strap did not slip out of place once positioned.)



So, you're saying you've found the hardware that looks the part? Without being too thick in the middle section, etc?

Nice!

[GCR]

Hey Todd,

Glad to see you're still researching and trying to work out all the details for the jacket. I can see how this setup might be possible, but I'd love to see a few pics of how you've duplicated this.

My only question is: Were any buckles like that actually used on the Raiders jackets?

I am, admittedly, no jacket expert. Not even remotely. I know what little I know simply from being around this hobby for the last 8 or 9 years and reading through the info other folks have posted. Hell, I'm not even a "jacket guy"! ;D

BUT, from what little I do remember, I seem to recall the following:

- The stunt jacket examined by Patterson had the two black rectangular loops for a strap hardware setup.

- I don't believe Peter ever mentioned using anything other than the black metal loops for the strap hardware. (Granted, Peter might be remembering it wrong, as it was 25 + years ago, so I'm not taking anything he or anyone else says as "gospel" without some form of proof. Plus, I could be wrong entirely that Peter ever made that assertion about the hardware, as he's been the king of "D" rings for years. ;D )

- The jacket pictured above is a ToD jacket. Though it has been argued that it could also be a leftover from Raiders.

- I believe Peter has said he did not make the jacket pictured above.

- There were doubtlessly a variety of jackets made for Raiders from several different sources, so I can see how it would be possible that some might have come from the same source as the jacket pictured above (which could have subsequently been reused for ToD) and thus feature the same hardware. However, this does not explain why some other details from the jacket above seem to differ from the Raiders Hero jacket(s) we see worn by Ford. It also implies at some point Ford may have been wearing a jacket made by someone other than Leather Concessionaires.

I'm not trying to refute your theory here, Todd. So please don't misunderstand, I'm just trying to wrap my mind around all the possible details. Thinking out loud, so to speak.

If anyone can verify or correct the information I've posted, please do, as I have said, I'm no jacket expert, so there are doubtlessly some errors or omissions in my post above.

Anyway, Todd, you've got a big round of applause from me for your dedication on this project.

If it turns out that this is indeed a likely strap configuration, will this become the standard setup for your jackets?

-GCR

[todd]

Yes, I believe it is TL's left over stunt jacket, or an exact duplicate.

Here you go:

Buckle



Insert strap



Pull tight



Oops! There it is!

[Tyrloch]

So that it! It looks the same as in the screen grab -- minus the curl in the beat up strap of Indy's jacket. Also, if you look at the last pic, you can tell why it always looked like rect. sliders to everyone. So is this going to be the official hardware on your jacket, Todd?

~Jace

[aeriscanon]

AHA! Okay. I see now. The prongs actually work in creating the "missing" other side of the buckle so to speak.

[GCR]

Okay Todd, I see exactly what you mean now, and I have to say that the configuration seems very likely to me, based on some of the newer HD screen-caps.

I take it that the pics you posted represent the strap on the right side of the jacket, where it is attached to the front, passes through the buckle and then faces the rear of the jacket, correct?

Is this new hardware choice going to be the standard configuration on your jackets now?

-GCR

[Deleted]

Excellent

Cheers,
G-MANN

[todd]

Absolutely. I am 100% satisfied with this set up.

[Kt. Templar]

I've chatted with Peter on the subject of these type of pronged buckles. They have something like them in the shop even today. He maintains that he never put this type of buckle on the screen jackets, and won't do it for the jackets he makes today because the prongs damage the leather.

[GCR]

kttemplar said:

I've chatted with Peter on the subject of these type of pronged buckles. They have something like them in the shop even today. He maintains that he never put this type of buckle on the screen jackets, and won't do it for the jackets he makes today because the prongs damage the leather.

If that's the case (about the prongs damaging the leather) then perhaps this is another one of those situations where accuracy might have to be sacrificed in favor of longevity? While I like the look this hardware arrangement produces, I don't want a strap that's ripped or torn or worn through after wearing the jacket a few months, or even a year. Would there be a way to replicate this look while protecting the straps from damage? Perhaps dulling down the prongs or something?

-GCR

[Tyrloch]

I don't really think that the prongs would do more than put 2 indentations in the strap, unless you really yank on it. But I think to replicate the look you could have a u-bar instead of the prongs -- essentially, the 2 prongs connected at the top with a crossbar...

~Jace

[GCR]

Yeah, Tyrloch...something like that U-bar might be the key. Then again, I wonder if a U-bar might be more prone to strap slippage, since it would have no way to secure itself to the leather?

-GCR

[Tyrloch]

GCR,

Yeah, it seems to be a give-n-take -- either the prongs, that'll hold real good but maybe damage the strap, or possibly a u-bar, that'll not damage the strap but maybe slip...you could always use prongs that end in a blunted edge, as you stated. They would probably push into the strap enough to hold tight, but if rounded enough, wouldn't have the ability to push through the leather...

~Jace

[GCR]

tyrloch said:

GCR,

Yeah, it seems to be a give-n-take -- either the prongs, that'll hold real good but maybe damage the strap, or possibly a u-bar, that'll not damage the strap but maybe slip...you could always use prongs that end in a blunted edge, as you stated. They would probably push into the strap enough to hold tight, but if rounded enough, wouldn't have the ability to push through the leather...

~Jace

Good point...why is nothing in this hobby simple? ;D

-GCR

[Tyrloch]

gcr said:

tyrloch said:

GCR,

Yeah, it seems to be a give-n-take -- either the prongs, that'll hold real good but maybe damage the strap, or possibly a u-bar, that'll not damage the strap but maybe slip...you could always use prongs that end in a blunted edge, as you stated. They would probably push into the strap enough to hold tight, but if rounded enough, wouldn't have the ability to push through the leather...

~Jace

Good point...why is nothing in this hobby simple? ;D

-GCR

Well, if it was simple, what fun would it be? You would order you hat, jacket, whip, etc, and then you'd be done! No need to come on this forum & ask questions...

~Jace

[GCR]

tyrloch said:

Well, if it was simple, what fun would it be? You would order you hat, jacket, whip, etc, and then you'd be done! No need to come on this forum & ask questions...

~Jace

True...but after all the years I've spent in this hobby with gear options that were hit or miss in terms of quality or accuracy, I'd be happy to have everything be as simple as possible. Then I could spend more time goofing off on the forum instead of worrying that the prongs on my jacket buckle might rip through the strap. ;D

Todd- Have you actually sourced these buckles for your jacket yet? Based on the thickness of the leather you use for the straps, how well do you think they will hold up if used with the pronged buckle?

-GCR

[Tyrloch]

Ahh, don't worry about it -- just put a strip of duct tape on the inner side of the strap to protect it!!

The more I think about it, I feel that the u-bar possibility wouldn't really be prone to slippage. With the way the strap is going to be throught the one end of the buckle, then around the u-bar, then through the other end of the buckle, there's enough twists & turns to have sufficient friction to hold it in place...

~Jace

[GCR]

tyrloch said:

Ahh, don't worry about it -- just put a strip of duct tape on the inner side of the strap to protect it!!

The more I think about it, I feel that the u-bar possibility wouldn't really be prone to slippage. With the way the strap is going to be throught the one end of the buckle, then around the u-bar, then through the other end of the buckle, there's enough twists & turns to have sufficient friction to hold it in place...

~Jace

Yeah, you're probably right about that...good call

-GCR

[Tyrloch]

gcr said:

tyrloch said:

Ahh, don't worry about it -- just put a strip of duct tape on the inner side of the strap to protect it!!

The more I think about it, I feel that the u-bar possibility wouldn't really be prone to slippage. With the way the strap is going to be throught the one end of the buckle, then around the u-bar, then through the other end of the buckle, there's enough twists & turns to have sufficient friction to hold it in place...

~Jace

Yeah, you're probably right about that...good call

-GCR

One can only hope! If Todd's only going to offer the 2-prong set-up, then that's okay with me. I don't think it'll poke holes in the strap once it's locked in place -- not unless you pull them too tight. But if the u-bar is a possibility, then I think it would be better, just to not have to take the risk of putting holes in the straps...

~Jace

[todd]

Well, I pulled on the strap really hard and didn't poke holes in the strap. I pulled hard enough to rip the strap right off, if it had been sewn to a jacket. I don't think you have to worry about it, really. I think the buckle would break before you poked holes through the strap. As long as the prongs aren't sharpened like ice picks, I'd say there's no danger. It does really provide a positive grip on the strap.

[Tyrloch]

So blunt-tipped prongs...sounds good to me. I thought you would have to really yank on the straps to force the prongs through the leather, and Todd has now proved it. Well done, carry on...

~Jace

[GCR]

todd said:

Well, I pulled on the strap really hard and didn't poke holes in the strap. I pulled hard enough to rip the strap right off, if it had been sewn to a jacket. I don't think you have to worry about it, really. I think the buckle would break before you poked holes through the strap. As long as the prongs aren't sharpened like ice picks, I'd say there's no danger. It does really provide a positive grip on the strap.

Excellent! Glad to hear it! Thank you for addressing that concern, Todd! With this news, I'm all for this setup...though I admit I'd like to see how it looks on an actual jacket first!

-GCR