Repair Of A High Gloss Bally Belt I could Use Some Guidance On Please

[Atacama40]

Good day all, my first post here so I hope I have the etiquette correct.

I have a really nice Bally branded belt that is finished in a gloss black finish. The 90% of the finish is perfect but a section approximately 2 inches long has spent time under pressure and the finish has broken and stripped off. I have to admit that maybe the belt was doing a little too much work at a time of wider proportions 

I'm really keen to find a way to refinish or repair the belt. Indeed I'd be very happy to find someone somewhere with the skills and materials to do it for me and pay for that privilege. 

Whilst a fairly practical person, I have little in way of knowledge how to approach this myself. Interested if you think this is manageable or best avoided.

I've attached a few photos to help you see the nature of the problem and I'm more than happy provide more if it's useful.

If anyone can provide a little guidance that would be very much appreciated. If anyone could undertake the work, I'd be more than happy to do that as well and could ship it very easily.

Many thanks in advance for your support on this one.

Note: Apologies, I just noted there is a file upload limit so I'm only able to post the single photo showing the damaged area. If there is another facility to add more images then I have others which show the composition and otherwise near perfect condition of the belt.

 

 

 

[Sheilajeanne]

So, the belt was lined with PLASTIC?? Some sort of fake leather? Or is that shiny stuff the exterior of the belt, and not the lining?

What is Bally brand? Is it a well known brand?

A good leather belt is lined with LEATHER, and that ain't leather. That makes me wonder if this belt is really worth saving. What did it cost you?

No one who works with leather is going to want to try to fix that. The only permanent fix I can think of would be to strip that shiny stuff off the entire belt and replace it with leather. And that is not going to be worth what it will cost. 

Matching that shiny non- leather stuff to fix the spot where it's broken down is, in my opinion, not going to be possible.

Edit: I just googled the brand. The sell for $350 (U.S.) and up! 

Still, I don't really see how that's going to be repairable. The lining is obviously NOT leather, and is not stitched on. Even if someone could find a matching material, gluing a patch in place is not going to be very secure, and it certainly won't look nice, if that's the exterior of the belt we're looking at.

Edited November 5, 2023 by Sheilajeanne

[Bert03241]

need more pictures . there many ways to reduce picture size fotosizer for one free

[Atacama40]

50 minutes ago, Sheilajeanne said:

So, the belt was lined with PLASTIC?? Some sort of fake leather? Or is that shiny stuff the exterior of the belt, and not the lining?

What is Bally brand? Is it a well known brand?

A good leather belt is lined with LEATHER, and that ain't leather. That makes me wonder if this belt is really worth saving. What did it cost you?

No one who works with leather is going to want to try to fix that. The only permanent fix I can think of would be to strip that shiny stuff off the entire belt and replace it with leather. And that is not going to be worth what it will cost. 

Matching that shiny non- leather stuff to fix the spot where it's broken down is, in my opinion, not going to be possible.

Edit: I just googled the brand. The sell for $350 (U.S.) and up! 

Still, I don't really see how that's going to be repairable. The lining is obviously NOT leather, and is not stitched on. Even if someone could find a matching material, gluing a patch in place is not going to be very secure, and it certainly won't look nice, if that's the exterior of the belt we're looking at.

Many thanks for taking the time to reply Sheilajeane. I fear all of your assessment is entirely on the money.

It's a total loss leader. I don't mind to spend on the piece as it has a non practical but personal interest from my side.

 

And yes Bally (a very upscale Swiss make) cost's a load ... disproportionately so  and a lot more again here in Europe. But the quality is very high usually. For a long time, I used to travel an insane amount for work (2-3 return flights a week for 23+ years) and would (occasionally) drink a little more than should in airport lounges ....  and then wonder round duty frees making impulse purchases.  .... no wonder I never had any money in the end!

Yes, the coating does not appear to be bonded particularly well. But at the same time I think I was using it 'too much' as a functional belt rather than a piece of finishing accessory. And then found out the limitations later on.

I guess at best, some sort of colouration could be applied to the exposed area and the edges glued down. Far from ideal but maybe makes it usable again if not perfect.

It's a head scratch for sure. But many thanks for explaining the situation and limitations of what to expect. Is a lesson to look after expensive stuff better.

 

 

[Atacama40]

7 minutes ago, Bert03241 said:

need more pictures . there many ways to reduce picture size fotosizer for one free

Hi Bert03241, was good advice .... here are the photos compressed down in size ... hopefully still usable.

Many thanks

resized-images (1).zip

[Bert03241]

I know this belt has some sort of sentimental value to you but its really not worth trying to fix. You should get a leather worker to make you a nice quality leather belt that will outlast you. I'm sure someone could duplicate this belt for half the price and much better quality .

Just my opinion FWIW 

Edited November 5, 2023 by Bert03241

[Northmount]

20 minutes ago, Atacama40 said:

here are the photos compressed down in size

800 Pixels in the longest dimension is great for viewing on phones and computer screens.  At that resolution you can post many photos in the same post.

Yours are toooo small.  Also best to post without zipping them.  It is extra nuisance to open as have to save to disk instead of viewing as part of your post.

[Atacama40]

6 minutes ago, Bert03241 said:

I know this belt has some sort of sentimental value to you but its really not worth trying to fix. You should get a leather worker to make you a nice quality leather belt that will outlast you. I'm sure someone could duplicate this belt for half the price and much better quality .

Just my opinion FWIW 

No I'm fully inclined to agree ... that seems be the consistent message I'm getting.

Strangely I was in Barcelona last week and did indeed unusually get time to visit Pabol Espanol where I did get to see a very talented lady making some exceptional pieces and did indeed buy a new belt ... I managed get some shots of here making it up. She sat and worked in near silence for a good 30 minutes to make it up. And the cost? A very reasonable 50 Euros.

Just now, Northmount said:

800 Pixels in the longest dimension is great for viewing on phones and computer screens.  At that resolution you can post many photos in the same post.

Yours are toooo small.  Also best to post without zipping them.  It is extra nuisance to open as have to save to disk instead of viewing as part of your post.

Yes apologies, the compression tool I've used in past seemed be playing up and I used another. It seems the result was fairly poor. 

[fredk]

I think I may have come across belts made like this one. The lining is PVC. And that is near impossible to repair. But it can be patched. A new piece of PVC would need to be vacuum formed on to the belt with special bonding adhesive

[Sheilajeanne]

5 hours ago, Bert03241 said:

I know this belt has some sort of sentimental value to you but its really not worth trying to fix. You should get a leather worker to make you a nice quality leather belt that will outlast you. I'm sure someone could duplicate this belt for half the price and much better quality .

Just my opinion FWIW 

Totally agree, Bert! 

And Fred, the shiny stuff is, unfortunately, the OUTSIDE of the belt, not the liner!    

Here's how patent leather is made. And it mentions that it's nearly impossible to repair:

 

Quote

Patent leather is a type of leather that has been treated with a high-gloss coating to create a shiny and reflective surface. This process makes the leather more durable and resistant to scuffs and scratches, and also makes it easier to clean and maintain. However, the synthetic coating can also reduce the breathability and comfort of the leather, and can crack or peel over time reducing the longevity of the product..  https://www.manuel-dreesmann.com/blogs/information/patent-leather#:~:text=The process of creating patent leather involves several steps%2C including,creates the shiny%2C reflective surface.

 

Edited November 5, 2023 by Sheilajeanne

[fredk]

3 hours ago, Sheilajeanne said:

And Fred, the shiny stuff is, unfortunately, the OUTSIDE of the belt, not the liner!    

I was using the word 'liner' in a general sense, that its not the main construction

A simple fix; get a thin piece of leather, if this is on the outside; leather of contrasting colour, like red,  stamp it either with an impression or with ink, a design of your liking or initials, or for the inside leave plain. Glue that piece of leather over the bad part; well beyond its ripped edges and over the belt edges, then sew it to the main belt.

Making a feature rather than trying to make a hidden repair

Edited November 5, 2023 by fredk