FAQ

The old dress rule is to match the buckle metal to other hardware, so a silver buckle with a silver watch, and to match the belt leather to the shoes. It is a guide rather than a law. For workwear and casual belts, most people choose a buckle on finish and weight instead.

The buckle is the whole fastening. Its parts have their own names: the frame is the outer loop, the prong or tongue is the pin that passes through the hole, and the bar is the crosspiece the belt wraps around. Common styles are the single prong, the double prong, the centre bar and the roller buckle.

Belt buckles are sold by leather and haberdashery suppliers rather than general hardware shops, because sizing is tied to belt width. Buying from a leather supplier means the buckle, the belt blank and the fittings all match. Woodheads carries buckles in solid brass, nickel and antique finishes at both the Cape Town and Pinetown branches.

No. A buckle fits the belt width it was made for, measured across the bar in millimetres. A 38mm buckle will not sit correctly on a 25mm belt. Measure the belt at its widest point, and check the prong hole spacing too, since a double prong buckle needs two rows of holes.