Abstract: A buckle for maintaining tension in a serpentine article includes a main buckle structure having an internal chamber and at least one load bearing portion therein and rotable mounted therein a cam also having at least one load bearing portion. The cam can rotate between first and open positions so that, in the first position, a serpentine article with which the buckle is used is pinched between at least one load bearing portion of the main buckle structure and at least one load bearing portion of the cam; thereby maintaining tensile force or tension in the serpentine article and transmitting same to a structure to which the buckle is coupled at the coupling portion of the main buckle structure.