NVLeatherWorx

The answer to you question will be based on what is the original thickness/weight of the main belt leather and what is your desired overall thickness when finished. One thing to carry forward on any project you undertake is that suede is not a good material for lining as it collects and traps all moisture and dirt which ultimately causes the leather to become glossy and eventually can get to a point where it stiffens and cracks. Suede looks pretty and it has a very soft and supple feel but it is like a sponge, just not as easy to clean.

Absolutely correct but I don't care whether it meets the legal definition of leather or not, it just ain't leather. This type of fake product use is what has hit our industry and trade (the leather worker) and gives that consumer the information to question whether or not what we do is worth what we charge. All I ever do is let them know that they can buy that fake thing pretty reasonably priced and keep doing so every once in awhile or they can have it made for them out of real leather and have it for life. I even sat with a customer and calculated out how much they have spent (and will spend) on a cheapo wallet and when they found out that after 10 years they will have bought one of mine twice over they decided that it was worth it to have me make one for them because they would have it much longer and for much, much less overall. Lightbulb moment.

As a personal carry individual myself I have never had any issues with a belt sagging or stretching and I make all of mine from 9/10 oz. veg-tan. If a person wishes to have an area reinforced for their holster then I offer to add an overlay in that area (which also has a decorative look to it). My experience with weapons is far more than the average concealed carry civilian so I know that it isn't the leather that is the issue (unless you use belly leather of course); it is in how it is worn; the same was true for us in the military.

And let us not forget that every so commonly used "man made leather"; the ultimate result of recycling fiber, paper, and adding resins to it to create a paste that is then heated and compressed into a product that is intended to look like leather and even smell like it (amazing what they can do with chemicals to create the smell of leather).

Basically you just need to remove one of the handles and then disassemble it entirely. Use the leather piece as a general template guide to base your new handle off of (I actually made the replacement handles about an inch longer and have had requests to make then up to six inches longer) and then cut a piece of your cord/rope and cement it into place on the leather strap. After about an hour add some more cement on each side of cord/rope and roll the rest of the leather into place on the cord until you have the edges to be stitched set. Use a diamond awl to punch your stitching holes and then saddle stitch away until done. They really are quite easy.

Only use one product as a resist, not multiple. Once you have applied the Tan-Kote you basically sealed the leather and defeated any potential for the Clear-Lac to work as a resist. Don't reduce anything and don't apply heavily. Tan-Kote is a finish and not a resist (contrary to what some may say) and for Pete's sake, quit using those stupid Eco-Flo products; they have to be the worst stuff on the face of this planet and they don't give you any permanent color base either (they will rub off like no tomorrow and you will have nothing but issues). Just put a single coating of your Clear-Lac on the area that you wish to resist and let it dry; apply your antique and then buff it out. Once you have the look that you are going for THEN you can apply Tan-Kote or whatever other finish you want. Your problem was caused by applying everything before your antique.

I would have to agree with you about the pick-up of dye, antique, dirt, etc.; I have never had that issue with Tiger thread and I have also never had to wax Tiger thread during the stitching process.

I use Ritza 25 Tiger Thread and Osborne harness needles that I get from Buckle Guy (www.buckleguy.com). I use 1.0 for standard stitching and .8 for the finer stitching requirements. I did get some from Egyptian Leather earlier this year but he is not as consistent on maintaining inventory whereas Buckle Guy is pretty on top of it. I also have some of the waxed Poly cord from Maine Thread in both .030" and .035" but I don't use it that often (also, it is only available in 70 yard spools whereas my Tiger Thread is 547 yards per spool and works much nicer). I have tried other threads and found them to be inferior to the Tiger so I stick with what works best and is the most sought after within out trade. Buckle Guy also has a thread to needle chart so you can't go wrong getting the correct sized needles.

If you plan on making a lot of items then it is much more cost effective to buy your leather by the side versus the smaller cuts as every supplier charges premium for cut sections.

The easiest for way someone new to get a feel for what is needed to make the various items that they plan on is to visit the Tandy Leather website and look for the link that will explain all of the various weights of leather and what projects that they are best suited for. It isn't quite the Gospel but it is a great start for a newer worker. You will need to have a different weight for just about everything that you have listed and also different types of leather based on the application of the finished product so you can't solve your issue with just one item and you might want to consider more than just one color; black is not the most popular one for demand so maybe some natural veg-tan leather and some dyes would be a better start for you.

These handles on all LV bags are actually a thin veg-tan style leather that is wrapped around a braided nylon cord (much like a rope) and then stitched together. I have replaced/repaired the handles on LV bags for about the past 7 years and was quite surprised at how simple and cheap quality they were when you take into consideration the price of one of these bags. I have probably done repair/replacement work on over 200 LV bags in the past few years and I have accidentally become the local go to repairman for these things; I keep getting contacted by people who were referred by previous customers. These bags are nothing really extraordinary once you get into their construction and are very easy to work on. I would say that you can replicate this style handle with any thinner leather; all you need is the right sized core (cord/rope) and some adhesive and away you go.

Ray was a beacon of inspiration for most who trek these forums and will be greatly missed. My condolences go out to friends and family but we all can now rest easy knowing that when our time comes, Ray will be the leather god in heaven and we also know that the big man upstairs is finally getting some high-quality leather for his daily needs. Rest in Peace Mr. Dodge and keep the benches ready for the rest of us.

Actually, if you have tooled the belt properly you started at the tip end and ran towards the buckle end. By having the tip end already punched you are now only trimming from the end that you should be anyway, so the answer to your question would be "no, if you made the belt the proper way." Basically what I said, cut to length, attach the buckle, done and sold.

You can apply an antique to dyed or stained leather but there is a certain order in which these things are to be applied and it is only valuable when trying to create the multi-tone effects, i.e. resisted effect. Here it goes: Finish all tooling/stamping and let leather dry overnight to ensure all moisture is out If you are going to do vibrant color elements such as floral or other very decorative coloring then this is the time to dye/paint them and then let them dry for no less than 12 hours. Dye/stain main body if this is the direction that you are going and then let it dry for no less than 12 hours. If your project has the color elements as above remember: you cannot resist an element against dye, it will penetrate right through that stuff. Now is the time to resist any areas that you DON"T want the antique to penetrate as deeply; you can control the amount of penetration through the number of times you apply your resist medium. Let this dry no less than 8 hours before moving on. Apply your antique using a sheep's wool pad (synthetic pads work well too) and rub it into the leather in circular motions ensuring that you get the antique down into the texture of the stamping/tooling and the leather. Once you have the leather covered IMMEDIATELY remove any excess, again using the sheep's wool remnant and start to buff it to a sheen. Make sure that you are not leaving the leather with a flat dull look, this means that you still have some antique that hasn't been removed. When buffing off the excess you will notice where your un-protected areas may have darkened while those areas that you resisted have retained very little, if any, of the antique. This is how it is supposed to work. You cannot get the antique effect that you are looking for from a piece that has been totally sealed with an acrylic or Clear-Lac, it has blocked the pores of the leather already so there is nowhere for it to go at this point. If you are looking to give a fully dyed project a bit more depth in color in some areas then you need to apply your coloring agents BEFORE any finish/sealer, otherwise you are just wasting time and materials for an effect that you won't be able to achieve.

I too was wondering what the overall intent was here. I think that we already covered the proper application steps for dyes/stains, finishes, etc. and it was previously noted that once you have the Clear-Lac applied you have now created a seal which is only going to resist. I thought that I was the only one sitting back here scratching my head. Thanks terrymac for hitting this point.

It is in my signature block, just click the one that says Online.

And to further support this suggestion that you have provided, I will use old denim rags to do my final buffing so as to ensure that I get all of it off that I can and it also creates a little bit of heat that kind of gives a burnished effect to the sheen. Also, don't forget to make sure that you wipe the excess off IMMEDIATELY after applying; don't let it set overnight or cure, it must be wiped off immediately and then you let the antique cure. In all of my years working with antique paste (and I use it religiously) and the Clear-Lac (formerly Neat-Lac) I have never had residual pull-up from it, not even on dyed projects.

I just use a standard buckle; the design is just like any other belt with the exception of it consisting of two separate straps (one with a 2-prong strap hook and the other with 9 pairs of holes for the hook and a guide loop to keep it aligned) to create the adjustable feature. I have a version from not so long ago posted on my website but am always finding ways to try and tweak the design (as I do with everything I make). My buckle of choice is a heel-bar style because I always use a handmade leather keeper (yup, I make them too because I can add a little something to it and I use heavier leather than those thin things you get from suppliers).

And this is the OPTIMAL concept when it comes to belts. It is easier to have your belts pre-punched on the running (tip) end and then just "cut to fit" for the final length on the buckle end (and then just put the buckle, keeper, and whatever method of securing them together when you fit it). I have chosen my Adjustable Belt concept as I don't have to have any tools lying around or extra hardware stashed somewhere to trim a belt and sell it; just adjust the belt to your waist size and off you go. They sell themselves actually.

On the thinner leather I will oil it first and let that set for about 12 to 24 hours before applying dye. When applying the dye it needs to be done very lightly so as not to soak the leather (which is easy to do with 2 to 3 oz.). I have never had the shrinkage problem as I always put the thinner leather on a rigid backing so that it can't really "draw up".

Hold the leather between your index finger and thumb about a 1/2" from the edge; make sure that your leather has started to return to the drier side and then carefully burnish the edges. I have found over the years that when someone came to me with a problem trying to get a good burnish on their edges that they were trying to work the leather while it was still too wet. You have to wait until the edges are almost dry (just like when stamping or carving & tooling) in order to get a good a result. This why people also have issues with beveling and pear shading when doing tooled patterns; it makes all the difference in the world.

I even hand burnish/finish 2 to 3 oz. leather, the trick there is to NOT edge it, just burnish it as it is. Doesn't take as much pressure and time either as it is so thin and quick to heat up to get the proper sheen. We all have our ways of doing things and I always end up back at the beginning of my training and education in this trade and rely on my 40+ years of hands-on experience; it is nice to learn something new though that actually can find a way into my program.

I participate in several shows/events each year including County and State Fair venues and such and the only belt that I take with me is my adjustable style belts (been making this one for years, modeled after the old leather slings that were used on the M1903 Springfield rifles that the military carried back in the day). By having this as my only belt (available in 3 sizes with each one giving a 9 inch adjustment range for the wearer) I can cover every waist size from 28" to 50"; I have 4 hardware finishes to choose from and offer them in 7 colors (including Natural). They are what I call Classic (plain) but if a customer were to request one with some stamping or carving & tooling then we can arrange for a custom order. I typically have at least 4 of each size belt hanging at all times with the emphasis on the more commonly desired colors (black and browns) and hardware finishes (antique brass and nickel plate) but I have some on-hand under the table that cover all available options and sizes. I have chosen this type of belt (and it has been very successful for me for quite awhile) because the base section (the buckle section) is standard across the board so the only variable is the running end of the strap; I can have 2 of each color and hardware finish for the bases and all I need to do is swap out a matching color (finish and hardware) strap if someone needs to swap out for a different size. I make them at 1-1/4" wide and they are made from 9 to 10oz. vegetable-tanned cowhide (Hermann Oak, Grade A). All hardware is low lead solid brass so there is no tarnish or rusting down the road and I use Chicago screws to secure the buckles. All hardware on each belt matches from the buckle to the screws to the rivets, it all is of the same finish and I get all of this from one source (who owns their production/manufacturing facility so there are no middle men in this process). When trying to gauge standard styled belts in the past I found myself sitting on several finished belts because the size ranges were not commonly sought and it wasn't feasible to keep replenishing belts by predetermined sizes; way too time consuming when I could be making other things. I put this adjustable belt out there and have never displayed another traditional belt since. I will still take orders for them, and I do, but I don't openly stock them anymore.

I have tried the Fenice and am not overly impressed with it. I find that it takes several applications just to get the look that I want and solid coverage and I can't find myself investing that much time in finishing the edges. So, as a result of that, I have returned to the old school (original teachings here) way of doing things: water, my ancient wooden slicker, and some good old elbow grease. This gives me the glowing finish that I want and then I run a small dauber with some dye on it down and around and done. Every time I give some of this newfangled stuff a try I just can't understand where some find it to be a quicker or better method. Nothing beats just having a true finished leather edge; nothing to crack, peel, or rub off because the dye has penetrated deep into the fibers and the edge has been burnished naturally to a solid finish.

Finding "Made in USA" snaps and rivets is venture all its own; however, there is a supplier for solid brass rivets and snaps (they do come in a wider range of finishes than Tandy would ever offer) and they are very top quality. The source for them is Buckle Guy (www.buckleguy.com) and they own their own production facility. They are located in the Northeast US and I use quite a few items from their product line as everything is made from low lead solid brass and they are very sturdy. I too use a setter and have had no issues with their hardware and my current dies. All of their measurements are basically in millimeters but you can easily convert them and you also get to choose how long the posts are so you can get them for various thicknesses of projects.