A couple belt questions/ advice needed

Robocarullo

Robocarullo

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Aug 20, 2006
Messages
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Hello folks,

I am going to start my first belt project shortly and have a couple questions to get to the bottom of before I order my materials. The plan is for two 1 1/2 inch wide belts. One for everyday and one that needs to handle a medium sized belt knife.

I am thinking 8/9 for the everyday should get the job done. Does adding stitching to a single layer belt add any noticeable structure or help prevent sag?

For the heavier belt, I am thinking about 12 ounces total with a double layer construction. Thoughts? For the buckle, I am looking at a thicker, slightly wider than square center bar. are there dimensional considerations I need to account for with leather this thick?

Thanks!
 
I have been wearing a belt I made 6 years ago from some 12-13 oz English bridle leather I purchased on eBay shipped from England. That weight is good for a holster but is probably too thick/stiff for most people. It has stayed pretty consistent in straightness and is holding up well, I do wish I had added a row of stitching at each edge, I believe it would have added a bit more edge stiffness. You will want a pretty wide buckle so the belt doesn't have to bend so tightly and it will make the overall thickness at the buckle area spread out more. The belt I made is so far beyond store bought quality it is insane. It's the only belt I wear year round at work and the rest of the time too, I work outside in the summer heat and humidity with zero issues. Good luck on your project, it actually had a hard time sourcing a buckle of good enough quality to go with the belt, I ended up going with a steel roller buckle because all the other options were pretty much trash.
 
Generally I like a lined belt. I don’t necessarily need a heavy belt but the lined ones I’ve made just last longer, stretch less and remain straight better.

I recently made some belts for summer use from 5/6 oz, both the outside and the liner. They are a good weight for me with my summer pants and shorts. Usually when I make any other belt I use 8/9 oz. or 9/10 oz. and line it with 2/3 oz. or 3/4 oz. I find the stitching does add stiffness although you can’t go without stitching on a lined belt.

Lots of ppl skive the bend end so it is not so thick going around the buckle.

Everybody makes their belts their own way to suit them. That is the beauty of making your own.
 
Thanks, good info. I’ve got some 8/9 and 2/3 on the way. I did see someone skive down the fold over on one of the videos I watched, that looks like a good move for the thicker belts. I have a 1 1/2” slot and 5/16”oval punch on the way, all that’s left is the buckle. Definitely a lot of trash buckles out there as far as I can tell. I did find a nice place with some hand cast solid brass and bronze buckles, I will be giving them a call this week. They only take money orders, though, so definitely not jumping into this project as quickly as I would like to.
 
Robocarullo said:
Thanks, good info. I’ve got some 8/9 and 2/3 on the way. I did see someone skive down the fold over on one of the videos I watched, that looks like a good move for the thicker belts. I have a 1 1/2” slot and 5/16”oval punch on the way, all that’s left is the buckle. Definitely a lot of trash buckles out there as far as I can tell. I did find a nice place with some hand cast solid brass and bronze buckles, I will be giving them a call this week. They only take money orders, though, so definitely not jumping into this project as quickly as I would like to.
Click to expand...
Where did you find the cast brass on bronze buckles?
 
Yes you will probably want to thin the folded part where the buckle attaches but it isn't an absolute. I used chrome plated brass Chicago screws to attach the buckle end so I could change buckles easily if I wanted, they still look brand new after 6 years of wear. I had solid brass ones as well but I don't like the look of brass.
 
Some people diss offshore buckles but I’ve been happy with the ones I get from Buckleguy. If you want less expensive, take a look at the Closeout section.
 
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