Max Knives FP2401 — Titanium belt buckle with tungsten glass-breaker inserts

Overview

The FP2401 is a titanium belt buckle drawn by Fred Perrin and issued by Max Knives. It measures 60 mm long by 58 mm wide, for 7 mm of thickness and 38 grams on the scale. Titanium gives it its particular balance: a piece you barely notice at the waist, yet one that keeps the plain hardness of metal under the finger. Two tungsten inserts sit in the body of the buckle and add a glass-breaking function to it. The buckle mounts on the CEINTUREMAX leather belt offered by the brand.

Tungsten and toughened glass

Tungsten is among the hardest metals we know how to work, and that hardness is the whole of the glass-breaking function. A car side window is made of toughened glass: put under stress during manufacture, it takes a load spread over a wide area very well, yet falls apart at once into small fragments as soon as a very hard point bites into it over a minute surface. This is the principle rescue crews rely on during vehicle extrication: the pane is not opened, it is made to give way. The two inserts of the FP2401 concentrate the effort on two precise points around the buckle.

Technical specifications

Titanium belt buckle. Length 60 mm, width 58 mm, thickness 7 mm, for a weight of 38 grams. Two tungsten inserts are built into the body of the piece and provide the glass-breaking function. The buckle mounts on the CEINTUREMAX leather belt. Elsewhere in the range, the FP2402 offers a longer and slimmer titanium buckle, 78 mm by 50 mm for 5 mm of thickness and 36 grams, while the FP2401C brings the buckle shown here together with its leather belt as a single set.

Care

Titanium does not rust: it covers itself spontaneously with a thin oxide layer that leaves it stable in open air and in damp conditions. A soft cloth is enough to lift fingerprints, and a more stubborn mark comes away with lukewarm soapy water followed by thorough drying. The tungsten inserts are cleaned the same way, simply taking care that nothing builds up around their housings. Keep abrasive creams and scouring pads away, as they would mark the finish of the metal.

Legal notice for international buyers. Carrying it in public without a legitimate reason is an offence in France and in most European countries. It is the buyer's responsibility to check the law that applies where the order is delivered before purchasing.