Hi everyone, Newbie to the forum in need of some sage advice. I have been working on a number of belt projects on my own with pretty good results (photos attached below). However, I am running into a few issues with finishing / staining. My standard process has been as follows:
1. Tool / Stamp Belt
2. Coat back of belt with Neatsfoot Oil to make it more playable. 3. Stain belt with Deco Flo Prof. Water Stain
4. Once dry, coat stained surface with Carnauba Creme 5. Once dry, finish belt with Fiebing's leather sheen First question, how are you finishing the back (non-viewable surface) of your belts? Outside of the Neatsfoot application above, I have been leaving mine the natural leather color, mostly for fear that the stain will come off onto the clothes of my friends / clients. That being said, the belt feels unfinished without a bottom stain. Should I just do one coat with a water stain and then seal / condition with another product? Second question, I have been having the issue of surface cracking on my painted belts (the blue long belts). After completing the process above, the first time I ran my belt through the buckle it peeled off a lot of the edging and stain material which looked awful. I solved the problem partly by rounding the edge of the belt more, but I am still having pealing / cracking around the area where the belt fits into the buckle. The surface looks almost cracked or worn, after wearing it only one time, so in my mind this is a finishing issue. Any ideas? If this is unclear I can take more pics or a video. Thanks for input. I'm happy to be on the forum. Leo
