"Walker, Texas Ranger" didn't always offer a realistic portrayal of law enforcement, but there's no denying the respect it showed to the Texas Rangers organization. And that respect is written all over Clarence Gilyard Jr.'s belt buckle.

The buckle he wore as Ranger Jimmy Trivette is an official Texas Ranger Service Buckle, which the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum says is the buckle worn by "many serving Texas Rangers." It features a star with the words "Texas Rangers" engraved around it in a circle.

These are true pieces of craftsmanship, handmade from nickel-silver. The buckles worn on the show were in fact purchased directly from the museum, and they're available to the public as well.

Note that this was the main buckle that Trivette wore -- it's the one that can be seen in all the show's promotional photos, and in the opening credits -- but there may have been others. (Surely he needed to keep his pants up while he was off-duty as well.) 

It remains to be seen if the reboot of the show will keep the same attention to detail, but we know it won't keep the same partner. In the new version, which stars former teen heartthrob Jared Padalecki ("Supernatural") in the title role, Cordell Walker's partner is a woman -- one of the first female Rangers in history, according to the synopsis.

That alone raises questions about the show's authenticity. There have been female Rangers since 1993, when Cheryl Steadman and Marrie Reynolds Garcia were given the iconic star badges.

Of course, there are ways for the reboot to reconcile its plot choice with history. The producers seem to be taking care to say this character is "one of" the first, so they might be covering their bases that way. And for all we know at this point, they could be intending to set the show in the past. That's just about the only other way it could work, since the actress playing the part, former "The 100" star Lindsey Morgan, was only three years old when the first female rangers were appointed. 

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