kbar463 Report post Posted July 7, 2011 Hello everyone, I've lurked here for a while but now have a question for the experts that I can't really find an answer to. Before that though, I would like to say that this site, and its contributors, provide an astounding resource and all around enjoyable place to spend time learning about leatherworking. I am a hobbiest and some of the designs and ideas and institutional knowledge are something that has allowed me to have even more fun poking and mashing leather than I thought it would be. On to my question. I have a buddy who is a federal law enforcement officer, and I want to make him a belt because he always has trouble with store bought belts because the gun and holsters weight always end up twisting those cheap belts into uselessness very quickly. So I was thinking that I could make him a nice belt that might stand up to the rigours a bit better. I have little experience with belts other than tooling a few for some family memebers, but I was thinking that I would like to make him a lined belt, with maybe a little geometric tooling on it. I was hoping that by lining the belt and making it like 1and 1/2 or 1 and 3/4 inches wide, it might be a better gun belt than whatever he has been using. I probably should keep the width something that he can wear with business casual/ casual trousers (ie 2" width is probably out). So will lining it with some tooling leather accomplish my goal? If so, what thickness' would be best? 7oz lined with 2/3 oz? or maybe 5oz lined with 5oz? Or maybe there is a solution that I haven't even thought of. Any help would be appreciated. Mark Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big O Report post Posted July 7, 2011 I've had good luck with dual layered 6/7 oz veg tan (tooling) leather. Beefy and rigid across its width, but still flexible enough along its length. As for the width, I'd match it to the holsters and mag pouches he's using. I hope you either have a sewing machine, or really really REALLY like your buddy, because belts take a LOT of time to hand-stitch. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luke Hatley Report post Posted July 7, 2011 Hello everyone, I've lurked here for a while but now have a question for the experts that I can't really find an answer to. Before that though, I would like to say that this site, and its contributors, provide an astounding resource and all around enjoyable place to spend time learning about leatherworking. I am a hobbiest and some of the designs and ideas and institutional knowledge are something that has allowed me to have even more fun poking and mashing leather than I thought it would be. On to my question. I have a buddy who is a federal law enforcement officer, and I want to make him a belt because he always has trouble with store bought belts because the gun and holsters weight always end up twisting those cheap belts into uselessness very quickly. So I was thinking that I could make him a nice belt that might stand up to the rigours a bit better. I have little experience with belts other than tooling a few for some family memebers, but I was thinking that I would like to make him a lined belt, with maybe a little geometric tooling on it. I was hoping that by lining the belt and making it like 1and 1/2 or 1 and 3/4 inches wide, it might be a better gun belt than whatever he has been using. I probably should keep the width something that he can wear with business casual/ casual trousers (ie 2" width is probably out). So will lining it with some tooling leather accomplish my goal? If so, what thickness' would be best? 7oz lined with 2/3 oz? or maybe 5oz lined with 5oz? Or maybe there is a solution that I haven't even thought of. Any help would be appreciated. Mark If he is having problems with the store bought one....the Thicker the Better.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kbar463 Report post Posted July 7, 2011 Well, I am indeed dreading the stitching, but I have a local leather store in town that I am plan on asking a favor, for compensation of course. If not, I know how my evenings will be filled for quite some time. Also, good point about the mag pouches, I think they are plastic, I need to make sure of their max specs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dwight Report post Posted July 8, 2011 (edited) Kbar, . . . get yourself a cheap, . . . DIAL caliper from Harbor Freight tools or someone like them. Don't get the digital, . . . too much trouble to use for this. When you lay the two pieces of leather together, . . . flesh side to flesh side, . . . you then measure the overall thickness. For a sturdy "dress only" belt, . . . you want to be in the .165 to .200 range, . . . and kind of think about the length. For a 48" belt, . . . you definitely want to be in the .200 thichness range, . . . for a 28" belt, . . . then the .165 is good enough. If the person is wearing a gun on it, . . . then I use .190 as my minimum, . . . and .250 as my max. I have never had any problems with them, nor have my customers complained. The reason I stress using a dial caliper, . . . 6/7 leather is just that, . . . somewhere between 6 and 7 ounces. That "somewhere" can range from .093 all the way up to almost .120 and still be "legally" correct. I've found that using the caliper to buy my leather, . . . and check what I'm using for a particular project, . . . has saved me from some real aggravation. One final note: use vegetable tanned leather for both pieces, . . . contact cement them together, . . . flesh side to flesh side, . . . and either get a 32oz mountain dew or a "large" coffee when you go to stitch that thing if you don't get someone to stitch it for you on a machine. At 5 stitches per inch ( a good standard ), . . . you are talking in the neighborhood of 1100 stitches in a 36 inch belt, ...................... ugh! May God bless, Dwight Edited July 8, 2011 by Dwight Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big O Report post Posted July 9, 2011 At 5 stitches per inch ( a good standard ), . . . you are talking in the neighborhood of 1100 stitches in a 36 inch belt, ...................... ugh! Grrrrrrrrr! I knew there was a reason I never did the math! Where did I put that mental floss.......? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kbar463 Report post Posted July 9, 2011 Lets see, its going to be a 46" belt so... maybe if I train my 3 kids and work shifts, then factor in the health care when my oldest gets angry and tries to 'awl' the youngest. Can you dye over a blood stain? Many thanks out to you fella's for the great advice and hints, it is exactly what I needed to avoid some of the trail and error I was dreading. The kids and I are doing pretty well on progressing, only about 60% of our projects look like a soup sandwich. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rayban Report post Posted July 13, 2011 (edited) A second row of stitching adds a noticeable degree of stiffness to a belt, but I guess he better be a REALLY GOOD BUDDY if you're gonna hand stitch it. These are all between 38-42 belt size and are 1/4" thick. I favor 6 SPI. Edited July 13, 2011 by Rayban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
