Gun Belt - Ordered Blanks

[K-Man]

Never mind.

Edited February 17, 2011 by K-Man

[Haystacker]

Jeff,

You do glue your two layers together before you sew don't you? I cut my belt blanks with an inexpensive strap cutter from Tandy. Never have a problem. 8/9 oz. top, 3/4 oz bottom/inside cut exactly the same width, glue them with contact cement, sand the edges, burnish edges, then sew.

I just don't think the belt blanks are an economic solution if you intend to make very many belts.

ferg

Yes I do glue first. I recon I'm just a spazz. I have to cut the bottom larger and I still have to be careful with the line up. I guess that's why some of us are artist, some of us are craftsman and some of us are - me.

[Ferg]

How many blanks can you get out of a hide? I seem to remember someone here saying you can get about 12-15 blanks out of a hide. If you're paying $150 for the hide, that's well over $10 per blank. I ordered mine from Weaver, and payed $4.61 per blank.

My point here is this: You lay out the leather so you have a specific area you wish to cut the belts from. Take the "Off-All" from the hide and use it for other small projects for instance. When you cut the entire hide into belt blanks you destroy leather that could have been used. Get my drift?

ferg

[gregintenn]

$4.61 each for belt blanks sounds like a great price to me. Did you ask if they'd make some thinner for you if you bought several? That would be worth a shot.

Edited February 17, 2011 by gregintenn

[particle]

Didn't think to ask them that when I called in my order. Probably should have, just didn't think of it...

[BigRiverLeather]

I've ordered blanks in the past from Springfield Leather. They would cut them from whatever weight I wanted (I got 6/7). I've not done the math but I know it was pretty dang close in price if I got the strips from them. You can get them blank or pre-punched. I've been cutting my own from Zach White Bullhide double shoulders which are usually pretty good.

[Samuel]

In addition to a saddle shop, I would also consider taking them to a shoe shop or shoe repair shop as well. I had to get my leather dress shoes changed a little and I remember the shoe shop having belts and gun patterns in the corner. I asked him what he was doing, and he said he was doing some outsourcing work for a holster company.

Since then, I've seriously thought about outsourcing some of the work to him since demand is getting more and more for me.

[colt1911]

Zack White has precut leather strips from 2/3 ounce all the way up to 9/10 ounce in any width you want. Theyre $6.00 ea. for 10-24 of em and $5.25 ea. for 25 + of em in any thickness for 1.5. I use a 8/9 ounce belt blank with a 5/6 ounce inner strip glued and sewn flesh to flesh to i can finish both sides....sometimes 2 different colors if thats what the customer wants. I hope this helps ya out!

[Cap]

a local belt maker puts a layer of kydex in between the two layers of leather . makes for a sturdy belt

Any idea where he is getting the kydex strips from?

[Big G]

Any idea where he is getting the kydex strips from?

you can get kydex from almost any plastic , plexiglass,lexan,abs , kydex at plastic supply houses . most will cut for you or you can score with a utility knife and snap it off. cope plastics is one supplier i know in okla city. added benefit is you can heat and mold for sheaths and holsters etc.