Buckle Tongue Notch: Do You Need It?

If you are in the process of placing your custom order, you may come across this term: Buckle Tongue Notch. What is it, and do you need it? How does it impact whether you can use the OEM buckle on our straps? Read on to find out!

Buckle tongue refers to the middle portion of the buckle that feeds through the strap holes, while the buckle tongue notch refers to the cut-out on the leather strap to fit the buckle tongue.

Different buckles have different types of tongue, and these can have different widths. For example, our Regular Buckles have a buckle tongue width of 2mm, while the Pre-V Buckles have a buckle tongue width of 3mm. A Cartier Tang Buckle has a buckle tongue width of 1mm.

Can I use the OEM buckle / clasp on your straps?

Assuming your OEM buckle / clasp requires a standard strap design, then whether it would fit on our strap depends on the width of the tongue on the OEM buckle / clasp. As our straps are made with a 2mm notch, if the OEM buckle / claps has a buckle tongue width >3mm, it will not fit. If the OEM buckle / clasp has a buckle width <1.5mm, it will fit but there will be left/right movement of the buckle tongue as the fit is not precise.

For example, if you wish to install the Carter Tang Buckle onto our strap, it will fit, but it won't fit perfectly and will be loose, as the notch is 2mm wide, while the buckle tongue is only 1mm wide.

I am ordering a custom strap, and wish to use your Butterfly Deployant Clasp. Do I need the buckle tongue notch?

Strictly speaking, no. You will not require the buckle tongue notch if you wish to use the Butterfly Deployant Clasp, because the clasp does not have a buckle tongue.

However, without the buckle tongue notch on your strap, you will not be able to switch back to using a regular tang buckle, as the buckle tongue will not be able to fit through the strap. Hence, even if you wish to use a deployant clasp on the strap, we will recommend to have the notch on the strap to give more flexibility.

Are there issues with using the deployant clasp on a strap with a notch? Nope, there are no structural issues with this. However, it might look a little unsightly, as there is a notch on the strap with just a spring bar going through it. 

Hopefully that explains every question you might have about the buckle tongue notch. If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to us!