Talyn Hawkes always collected belt buckles. After moving to Logan to attend Utah State University, he wanted to add another to his collection in honor of his alma mater. And when he couldn’t find one, he decided to start making his own. In December 2022, HAWX Buckles was born.
And he wasn’t the only person at the agricultural, land-grant school who thought it was a great idea. Now, his unique “USU” belt buckles — featuring the surrounding mountains and an homage to Big Blue himself — are available at four local stores, as well as online.
Customized belt buckles are also offered, and Talyn hopes to grow the business further to serve other clubs, organizations, and special events with stylish and personalized buckles
Building things and bringing ideas to life are not new concepts for Burley, Idaho-native Talyn Hawkes. In fact, many who know him say he’s constantly working on multiple projects. Not only is this true most of the time, it’s also what led him to pick Utah State University as the school to attend while pursuing higher education.
Both of Talyn’s parents are Aggies, which only added to school’s appeal when he discovered the Outdoor Product Design and Development program. In addition letting him learn new techniques, test prototypes, and explore creative avenues, the OPDD program helped the 21-year-old get the proper licensure to turn his passion for belt buckles into a business.
When he’s not working on new designs and schoolwork, Talyn loves to be in nature, experiencing the great outdoors.
Attending