The cowboy belt buckle did not originate until the turn of the 20th Century. Though the thought of collecting antique belt buckles of the famous cowboys who rode the ranges of the Wild West is nice, the reality of it was the cowboys usually wore suspenders or buckles that were derived from military friction buckles. It was Hollywood and the Western Movies that gave rise to what is known today as the Western Belt Buckle.

From the first half of the century there were famouse names in the manufacture of belt buckles. These include: Don Ellis, Michael Srour, Al Pecetti, William Nelson, John McCabe, Les Garica, Edward H. Bohlin, and Robert Schaezlein. Today there are many producers of custom buckle makers but these pioneers of the industry are the ones that are most prized for collections.

Some of the most popular belt buckle styles include the patriotic flag belt buckle; the American eagle is another common symbol on belt buckles and a very good seller for manufactures. The eagle design varies greatly, sometimes depicting the eagle in flight, or just the eagle