Plain sterling buckle

[thughes]

Hi all. A friend I ride with wants me to engrave our club logo on a sterling trophy style buckle. Where can I get a plain, unengraved buckle? I know I should make it, but I have no clue how.

Thanks
Todd

 

[leo]

ok you have a lot of choices one could be grs sells them in two different styles and they are nickel-silver and they go for 15.95 or there is a company called www.bucklecity.com check them out maybe they have what you looking for

 

[silverchip]

Hi Todd, when do you need it?I could cut you out a blank but not just right now. Otherwise check with silverama?

 

[GTJC460]

Indian Jewelers Supply has both domed and flat. You will need to attach hardware on the back too.

 

[thughes]

Thanks for the replys guys. Buckle city has a lot of buckles, but not sterling. Dave, he's not in any real big hurry.

 

[silverchip]

PM me with the size ect.

 

[mgdesigns]

Start an account at Riogrande.com and sit down. The prices for oval buckle blanks (small by my standards) are about $140 for raw metal discs. Silver is really high right now, so be prepared to pay $$$$$. I have been making silver items since 1974, and this is unheard of pricing. A 4" long x 2.5" wide oval of 18 ga. used to cost me about $40 max. I thought gold and platinum were getting high. Who knew. So price the job accordingly, you'll have nearly $200 in silver before you ever engrave anything.

 

[rod]

Silver is slowly dropping in price, but still over the top, as we know, because of the financial scare use as a hedge, and we would all wish precious metals were valued for their usefulness as materials, but that's life.

What about silver clad nickel, thick enough to engrave on the silver, less costly per square inch, and stronger?

Rod

 

[silverchip]

Rod, silver overlay-Bimetal might sound like a good deal but First it can't be marked .925.Second,you can engrave right through the silver (at least I can at my average depth) Third it cost way too much for what you get.Last,try to recoop some of your loss in scrap and you might as well throw the scrap in the trash for what they pay on it.

Sterling is a better product and if you recycle like I do, very cost effective. As far as the cost of silver for a buckle- say 4 oz might run you 120.00 for 16 ga.A nice engraving job,unless you give it away will take 4-6 hrs or more x my hourly rate or yours= more bang for your buck.
At least IMHO a silver buckle better be silver!!!!! I just wanted to rebut an argument in favor of sterling,not trying to stir the pot TOO MUCH!!!

Dave

 

[Marrinan]

Dave, I am one of the ones that hope silver stays up in price. I have fifty or sixty pounds of silver coins. Dime, quarters, half's. Some 64-68 60/40 clads but most are older stuff. Sending them to the refiner after one more pass for important dates. Price of silver and gold is just the price od doing business. Fred

 

[rod]

David,

Thanks for that good overview. I have never used the nickel/silver sheet, just read about it. I am a solid silver guy myself, and actually did okay with the sterling price jump, as I have never turned in my scrap during the years when you got about $2.50 an ounce. In fact I was a bit casual in separating my lathe turnings in the old days. Recently I sent in my cumulative scrap, and was astonished when Hoover and Strong told me they owed me $4,400! I kept $1500 credit with them.

Aha, Fred, so you are the one who has cornered the silver market ..... I thought is was the Hunt brothers up to their old tricks!

best

Rod

 

[Marrinan]

Rod, It was my Dad. He passed in Feb and I am left to sort out his stuff. Coins filled 5 foot lookers. Lots of old coins. Some very old. Have not run across any of the $100000 ones unfortunately but a few worth several hundred to a couple of grand if buyers are really out there. My own health is not so hot and my only daughter has no interest other than what they are worth in dollars. I thought Maybe I would offer some of the clad 60/40 65 through 68 Kennedy halves to those who express interest in exposing the copper as they have no collector value. Most are uncirculated or very nearly so. Lots of quarters as well. For so many old coins most will bring only melt value. I have had contact with a couple of folks and when I make a decision or one is made for me they will get first opportunity even through my daughter. Then send whatever is left to the refiner. Fred

 

[rod]

Fred,

It is a profound moment for all of us when a parent passes, no matter how frail. My mom passed in her 93rd year, and I could have picked up the coffin with one hand, she appeared to crumble to dust, with no apparent disease, yet it was a new experience for me, no one left when I looked behind me, I was now to carry the torch. Assuming the job was to hold it high, and make it burn bright, she forgot to tell me, the problem is ...it's the handle that's hot.

The bad news... it stays hot.

My goodness, that is an interesting story about your dad's coins, even if there are no pieces of eight or golden doubloons, it will still give you pause as you decide what to do. Maybe rolling a few into smooth flat silver discs and engraving some pendants in your dad's memory?

Best

Rod

 

[Marrinan]

Thank you very much Rod. That is really beautifully phrased. Quit poetic and profound. Fred

 

[thughes]

Well, Rio Grande sells an oval sterling blank, 3-3/4 X 2-3/4, 16 ga I believe it was, for 144.00. That's just a blank, not domed (I don't know if he wants it domed come to think of it) with no hardware attached. Does that sound reasonable?

 

[silverchip]

What do you think??

 

[Marrinan]

This fellow was in Florida last I knew. Over around Augusta I believe. Fred

http://www.pbase.com/tikkakoski/sterling_blanks

 

[Haraga.com]

Todd, just give Silverchip the specs and be done with it.

 

[Peter_M]

Silverchip cheaper then saw blades?

 

[Haraga.com]

Buy a well made buckle blank from Silverchip and if you want to make one one the future you will know what the end result should look like. Peter isn't it past your bedtime?