Belt/Strap Stretch

[RKCrowe]

I’m aware that most of the leather that I will use for belts/straps will stretch over time and use. 
 

if I don’t want it to stretch, I will use nylon ribbon, or fabric book binding tape, between the two pieces of leather. 
 

but if I just want to mitigate some of the stretch, on a single layer, will putting a stitch on the edges do that? 
 Thank you 

Richard

[Mablung]

Using leather from the back portion of the hide will help mitigate that, as will orienting the grain to resist stretching. The stitching process itself can induce some stretch and probably won’t prevent stretching. It may prevent a little bit of lateral stretching, across the body of the strap, but I wouldn’t think it would do anything about longitudinal stretching, along the length of the strap. 

[JDFred]

Use a glass slicker to pre-stretch your strap before tooling.

[Dwight]

Two thicknesses . . . identical thickness of each . . . will do a lot better than one piece of the same total overall thickness.

THAT is why most good CCW belts are double layer . . . stitched and glued . . . and for NO change . . . add a stainless steel liner.

May God bless,

Dwight

[badhatter1005]

I agree with Dwight on this one. When I make my belts I use the same thickness. 6 oz and 6 oz. Rough sides together with a piece of poster board glued in between the straps as a stiffener. Learn this from Don Gonzalez. It works and the belts will not stretch in any direction. I use barges to seal the straps together. I then run a stitch line around the outer perimeter of the belt. Will literally hold forever.  To clarify when I say poster board I just mean a very stiff piece of thin paper. Needs to be about 3/4 of the length of the belt.

Edited July 3 by badhatter1005
addendum

[Cattleman]

One of the best ways I've found to minimize stretch in strap goods is to wet the straps, somewhat wetter than you would case for tooling, nail or clamp one end to a solid immovable object and pull on the other end with all the weight you can muster. This stretches the leather, then let it dry. The strap can then be used to make whatever strap goods you want and the final product will have very little stretch. I learned this from an old saddle and harness maker.

Pre stretching in thus fashion may require that the strap be cut slightly wider than what you intend to use it for, as it can become slightly narrower once stretched.

It is possible to stretch an entire side of leather... But it is very difficult, simply because of the size, and amount of force required to accomplish the stretching without the aid of some mechanical device.