Calling All Makers Of Cowboy Rigs

[malabar]

I need to make a ranger-style cowboy belt for a client. The client had been using a rig by Sam Andrews for many years, but the belt is now as limp as a wet noodle. His old belt is lined with suede, and that is the crux of my question. What's the best weight/type pf suede to use for this purpose? And do you do anyhting special when finishing the edges of the belt?

thanks for the guidance

tk

[TwinOaks]

Since suede can't be edged, you can do one of the following:

Wrap the suede around the edge of the belt, or

take the suede to the edge, and just edge the belt and let the dye try to 'hide' the suede edge, or

stop the suede just a skosh short of the edge and either sand or skive it down to nothing where it meets the back of the belt, or

bind the edge with something like pig skin.

I'm sure there are other options, but those are the ones that come to mind.

[malabar]

Hmm, In looking closely at this belt. Upon close examination, it appears that the suede ends about 1/16th of an inch before the edge of the cowhide and is feathered into the cowhide. The line is almost invisible, and has stood up really well.

thanks for guidance.

tk

[Red Cent]

I glue the suede to the belt then, when dry, use my knife to trim as close as possible. Next is the belt sander. I square both edges then bevel the top edge. Mist the edges with water and burnish. With the right burnisher, the suede edge will blend right in with the belt edge.

[malabar]

Red,

Thanks! That's what I'll try.

tk

[Blackey Cole]

You could lace the edge of the belt doing two things need for the gun belt. 1st) covering the edge of the belt, I like a Mexican round weave type of pattern for the edge. 2nd) the lacing stiffens and strengthen s the belt. Or do like I did on my first couple of belts cut the liner as if you were going to use it as the McCain belt and stack them in the same direction that will put the grain side next to the flesh side of the outer layer your stacking the belt to double the thickness basically and then you can finish the edge per normal.

[JS22]

I can tell you exactly how Sam finishes his belts. First, he gets his suede from Hide House in Napa California. It is 4-5 ounce chap split.

He then glues it to the belt with Barge cement overlapping the belt edges with the suede. When dry, he uses a exacto knife to trim the suede from the leather around the edges. After sewing, to get the bevel on both the leather and sued side of the belt, he uses a #5 Osborne edge beveler.

He slicks the edges with water only, then finishes his edges with a concoction of fiebings and angelus brown edge coating.

Well, there you go! Hope that helps.

I have spent wayyyyyy too many hours in Sams shop

[malabar]

Thanks for the guidance!

tk