Testing & Compliance at Our Factory

Hardware made in our own factory

FACTORY TESTING & COMPLIANCE

The hardware we make in our own factory is tested in-house and through accredited third-party laboratories, including SGS. Testing starts with the raw material and continues through finishing and final inspection. This page covers factory-made hardware only, not products from other manufacturers sold on Buckleguy.

For details on a specific item, see the Testing & Compliance section on its product page.

MATERIALS

We make hardware in brass, zinc alloy, iron and stainless steel. Our brass is a low-lead alloy, purchased to a low-lead, low-cadmium specification and tested before it enters production.

RESTRICTED SUBSTANCES

Our factory-made hardware is tested against California Proposition 65 limits for lead, cadmium and phthalates, and EU REACH limits for lead and cadmium. This testing covers the metal and the finishes and coatings applied to it. Lead content is checked in-house on finished parts using XRF analysis and confirmed through third-party laboratory testing.

Our factory-made hardware is not nickel-free unless specified. Nickel-free finishes are available for custom production.

Tested against

California Proposition 65
EU REACH (lead and cadmium limits)

Testing includes

Lead, in the base metal and on the surface of finished parts
Cadmium
Phthalates, in lacquers and finished hardware
Certain PFAS, including PFOA and PFOS

A brass swivel snap clamped in a tensile tester

FINISH & PERFORMANCE TESTING

Regulations cover restricted substances. They say little about how a finish holds up to handling or how much load a part can carry. We test for that too.

Plating Thickness

Plated layers are measured using XRF.

Adhesion

Cross-hatch testing checks how well plating and lacquer bond to the part.

Corrosion Resistance

Accelerated corrosion testing (CASS) in-house, plus neutral salt spray testing through SGS.

Heat & Humidity

Oven testing checks that lacquer and plating do not blister, discolor or lift.

Hardness

Surface hardness testing for resistance to scratching and wear.

Tensile Strength

Load-bearing parts such as swivel snaps, D-rings and buckles are pulled to failure in-house, with multiple samples tested per item.

Application Testing

For custom parts, we can perform tests specific to how the part will be used, such as swing and cycle testing for handbag hardware.

A Note on Compliance

This page describes our testing practices at our factory and is provided for general information only. Testing is performed on representative production samples. It is not a guarantee, warranty or certification that any specific part, lot or order meets any particular standard.

Compliance requirements vary by product category, application and market. Brands and makers are responsible for determining whether our hardware is suitable for their products and for confirming, through their own testing where required, that their finished products meet all applicable regulations.

For custom programs with specific testing requirements, our team can arrange additional testing as part of development.