When you receive a custom belt buckle in Utah from A Cut Above Buckles, you’re not just getting a stylish accessory — you’re getting a lasting memory of an achievement. Many of our clients buy our buckles as gifts, but intend to keep them in the family as heirlooms. But whether you plan on sharing your rodeo belt buckle in Utah with future generations or not, you’ll need to know how to keep it in its best condition. From your favorite custom belt buckle maker, here is a guide on how to maintain your buckle.
There are several different methods of making rodeo belt buckles. One of our most used techniques starts with casting a buckle using a non-precious metal and a mold. Using non-precious metal for the base of the buckle maximizes the product’s durability, and using a mold allows us to work tiny, intricate details into the buckle.
Next, we plate the cast buckle with a precious metal, such as silver, gold, bronze, brass, or copper. This creates the elaborate shine and color you usually see in a trophy buckle.
Knowing how your buckle was made and what materials it’s made from will help you better understand how to clean and maintain it. Using the wrong tools and materials to clean your plated buckle could cause some of the plating to be damaged.
Although we recommend finding out what type of metals your buckle is made of before cleaning, if you’re unsure you can always use a 100% cotton polishing cloth. This can be used safely on all metals. Start by simply wiping the buckle with the cloth. However, you can add some mild soap as needed. Be sure to always remove all excess soap and water when you’re done cleaning.
If your belt buckle has many tiny relief details, a cloth may not be able to reach all of the nooks and crannies of the design. For buckles like these, you can use a soft bristled toothbrush to gently remove tarnish and dirt from your buckle.
You may be tempted to use silver polish or jewelry cleaner on your belt, but it’s better to avoid these items. Abrasive silver polish pastes, aerosol silver cleaners, and other jewelry cleaners can be far too harsh on your belt buckle. Using the wrong products on a rodeo belt buckle in Utah can actually cause the buckle to become more tarnished.
Whatever materials you end up using, be sure to clean the buckle slowly and gently, and never soak your trophy buckle in water.
You can make cleaning your belt buckle easier on yourself by doing some routine maintenance on your buckle.
Storing your belt buckle in cloth bags designed for silver, or even in an old tube sock, can help to prevent scratches and tarnishing. Buffing your buckle with a cotton cloth once a week will also help keep the tarnish away. And finally, avoid getting lotions, perfumes, hand sanitizers, and other harsh products on the buckle.
At A Cut Above Buckles, our products are made to last. If you take these steps to clean your rodeo belt buckle in Utah, it’ll look good as new for years to come.
