I need help to satisfy my curiosity. In the movie "The Professionals" I noticed Lee Marvin's character wearing a belt with two buckles. The buckles appear to be over his front pockets and the center of the belt is empty. So my questions are:

1. Is this period correct?

2. What, if any purpose does this set up serve?

3. Does anyone know of a maker still doing belts of this sort?

Thank you in advance for any info you have.

Looks like a simple belt extension to me... often used if the belt was worn alternatively between your waist and then outside your coat...



Lee Marvin was THE Man!

I don't know.
Google Image Result for http://**--80aqafcrtq.cc/img/2/2/5/225243.jpg

Maybe just being 'Hollywood',,like the left handed bolt on the '03 Springfield in the pic.
Maybe like an oldtimer in the neighborhood when I was growing up, his belt looked the same. It was just the result of one being too short, and buckling it up to another to make the needed length.

Good flick,,

I think it's a Mexican influenced design. I think it looks kind of cool but only with two guns like Lee Marvin wore. I made just such a cartridge belt years ago and still have it.

One of my all-time favorite movies.

"You, Sir, are a self-made man."

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Georgia On My Mind

Wyatt, would you be interested in re-creating such a thing? Since I am kinda close to the border myself I think it would fit in right nice.

BTW, thanks for all of the input so far.

I must need to see the optometrist. I think he's just wearing two belts and the buckles are spaced that way so they don't rub on each other or abrade his ribs, in the case of the upper belt.

I don't see an '03 Springfield there. I see an M-'97 Winchester shotgun and an M-94 carbine.

If you saw a photo somewhere of a rifle with a left-handed bolt, you probably saw a transparency that was printed backwards.

Am I missing something?

I see two separate belts: A pants belt (I believe I see the pants belt loops) with the buckle worn off center, and a separate holster belt (outside and just below the pants belt) with the buckle worn centered. Not all that uncommon for “western rigs”. Off centering the inner belt reduces wear between the two buckles if they were to overlap.

Do you guys really see this as one belt with two buckles?

Edit: I stand corrected. I did an image search, and sure enough the inner belt has two buckles - don't know why, it seems a bit silly to do that, but to each his own.

I believe 2152hq is talking about the link. The above photos do not show the belt very well. Yes, he is wearing two belts but the top belt has two buckles which as I mentioned you cannot see well.

Don't know about the belt(s). I do know that I consider "The Professionals" as one of the all time classic westerns,depicting that particular time period.It's right up there with the The Wild Bunch in my opinion.
Lee Marvin was a tough guy. Just his eyebrows scared the wits outta me!

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Blessed be the Lord,my Rock

Some of the images on Google clearly show it as two buckles on one of the two belts he is wearing. I just had to double check myself.

I don't have it in my library so I can't review but it appears he's packing on both hips and each holster has it's own belt?

I make custom gun rigs,but I dont see any advantage to a rig with 2 buckles.It looks cool,but thats about it.If you want to carry 2 guns-get a rig made for that purpose.
Here is one of my double rigs.
Thank you,
Henry

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Henry

Wrong picture.Here it is.
Thank you,
Henry

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Henry

Looks like 2 buckles on the same belt to me...

here's a similar pic:

You can also find more if you have an old book called "Packing Iron" pg 130.

ETA:
They were made that way so when wearing a Two gun rig, you could adjust to keep both guns on your side, and the belt centered.

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Hold my beer and watch this!

Abrade

1. To wear down or rub away by friction; erode. See Synonyms at chafe. 2. To make weary through constant irritation; wear ...

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RIP Shipmate

Like ChiliVega says,,I was just refering to the picture in the link I posted earlier,
Google Image Result for http://**--80aqafcrtq.cc/img/2/2/5/225243.jpg

...not the photos others have posted.
If it was a reversed image, everyone would be a left handed shooter, but they're not.
I suppose the pic is probably an adv poster of some sort that gets touched up by an artist before printing. Someone decided the rifle needed a bolt handle showing,,(and no butt plate either,,Lee don't need no stinking butt plate).

It does show off the twin buckle belt nicely though.

Mr. Marvin could wear what ever he wanted to I'd imagine..

Oh, I was thinking about something else.

Thanks for the clarity.

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Dum vivo cano

Chafe is more like it. But def. 2 Says it all.

.....

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Dum vivo cano

I did much the same thing before I started making my own belts. Another advantage is for fluctuating waistlines==I just cut a piece off of an old belt that matches..

As most cowboys, ranchers, and farmers I know are expedient (i.e. Cheal!), I'm sure the same was done in the Old West.

It looks to me that the "double buckled" belt is holding his pants up AND he is wearing a gun belt also.

I can think of 3 reasons why

1. So the buckles of both belts would be offset and not hit each other (making noise and wear) when both belts were worn at the same time.

2. So the buckles would not create a "bind" into ones abdomen when leaning forward.

3. Hollywood "wow" factor

Actually you all have tap danced all around the real and very practical reason the old timers wore such a belt for their trousers. With the short section across the front of the stomach being built with two buckles and the remainder of the belt constructed with two tongues, the working cowboy, fencebuilder, horseshoer, etc. could easily release the buckle of choice and add or remove a belt holster for changing jobs, i.e. add another pistol, knife, hammer, fence pliers, shoeing tools. With just the one normal buckle the entire belt has to be removed and everything hung on it cleaned off to be able to add or subtracted on the off side. During my early working life as first a carpenter and then as a millwright, I saw several men wearing just such a two buckle belt during the work day. ............... Big Cholla

Thanx to all for your input. Now I just have to find such a belt.

I think I'm starting to get the picture now....
TACC1

There is some footage of Lee Marvin starting at around 3:00 that should help answer the belt question. It's also a great short video about the film itself ...

Making The Professionals 1966 - YouTube

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I'm with the banned ...

I'm surprised none of you realized this, but the real problem (and purpose for the two buckles) is that when you pack the "cohones" that a real man, like Lee Marvin, does, you need extra "clearance" when you sit down or bend over. Hence the need to keep the bottom edge of any buckle well away from that sensitive area!

That's how Billy got left handed. Took folks a long time to see that his Winchester looked funny.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Thanks McSaw brings back memories of seeing this great flick...Men were men then, no apoligies no pretty boys just men,,,and what women,,,,Ryan was in both "the Professionals, and "The Wild Bunch" both great films in my opinion. What a cast!!!! The results of the contract players days of the movies...Long gone now.

Lee Marvin was "the real thing", he was a Marine who served in the Pacific during WWII (not at Iwo Jima) and was awarded the Purple Heart. Audie Murphy and Charles Bronson are other tough guys who are just as tough in real life as on film

Abrade, I thought that was how Hop Sing wore his hair on Bonanza. How stupid of me.
Peace,
gordon

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better have that checked

I bought the DVD of this movie and watched it last evening. I had seen it years ago, but I was a bit surprised at how fresh it was after all these years. Also not much foul language (none that I remember). I got the DVD on Amazon for a bit under $6 shipping included.

I did see some not period correct buscadero rigs though. I noticed a lot of more modern DA revolvers with swing out cylinders. Also a lot of bolt action rifles. I believe this was set around 1916.

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Luke 22:36

Just one more of Lee Marvin. He was the man.

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I type. Therefore I am.

Tried to make my own, turned out terrible. I have found another craft (leather working) for which I have no talent. I think I will leave it to the pros.

mc5aw
That was a great clip from that movie.
Thank you,
Henry

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Henry