What are adjustable strap buckles called?

Question

I have a folding seat for my aluminum boat that is broken. The seam between the two bottom pads has ripped apart after just a few uses.

I want to build my own version of the seat out of plywood (like this or this). I want the seat to be strong enough for me (big and tall) to really lean into it. Also, a solid plywood seat would be easier to position on a narrow boat seat, without the back corners slipping off the back of the boat seat.

The parts I like about that fabric seat are 1) the rigid frame for leaning/sitting back (especially the top cross member) and 2) the adjustable strap. I can easily tighten or loosen the strap with one hand while sitting in the seat. So I'll keep the general design of the seat, just replace the back and bottom with plywood.

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Question:

I want to buy a strap buckle (for lack of a better word) that is made of metal since I suspect the plastic buckle from the old seat will break over time -- due to the elements and from me leaning forcefully into the seat.

What is the proper term for the strap buckle?

Answer 1

One common plastic brand is Ladderlok, often used generically and spelt LadderLock.

There are a few other names too, but metal ones are uncommon. Load-securing straps with metal fasteners tend to use a different mechanism. For prolonged wet use, you probably need to be careful about what metals you use. Stainless steel would be ideal, though some use a mixture of stainless and aluminium. That combination suggests we should look at marine supplies.

Here's a shop page that would probably be more use to me than to you (given your spelling of aluminum) that indicates what's available.

It's also possible to use 2 D-rings to make a similar adjuster - the webbing follows the same path - but that shouldn't be necessary given what's available at least at the site I linked.

When you sew them in, the stitching can be a failure point. If possible I recommend bar tacking on a sewing machine, probably 2 or 3 lines in each place you have to sew. Hand sewing is possible for repairs (my kayak wouldn't fit under my sewing machine!) but tedious.

Answer 2

Fasteners, Adjustable buckles, strap buckles, ratchet buckles, belt buckles. Within the sports industry there are thousand of unique buckle names and types. Its like naming every type of button in the clothing industry. I worked in the sports technician end of the ski industry repairing ski equipment like ski boots using clasp buckles, ratcheting buckles when possible, plastic welding etc...