Question On Making Double Layer Gun Belt?

[Bobby hdflame]

I want to make a heavy duty belt for carrying a holster as well as daily wear. I am sewing it down both edges of the belt.

I plan on making it 1 1/2" wide. I will be using a buckle. When I get to the area where the belt will be going through the buckle, should I stop the back layer of leather so that it's not too thick to go through the buckle?

I think I read somewhere that the back piece was skived on the buckle end so it would be a smooth ending and stopped short of the buckle. Thanks.

[Shooter McGavin]

On the buckle end I drop down to a single thickness of leather about 1/4" before the slot for the tongue starts. Hope that helps!

[mlapaglia]

On the buckle I stop the liner layer so I am at one layer thickness 3 inches before the fold. This way the folded back part is the equal in thickness to the width of the belt. I end up with 6.25 inches of single layer leather before I fold it back at the slot. On the billet end I skive it down to a single layer about 2 inches back from the inner most hole.

[Bobby hdflame]

Guys, thanks for the replies!

I just got in 1 Hermann Oak Single Belt Bend 7/8oz and 1 Hermann Oak Single Belt Bend 6/7oz. My plans are to glue and stitch these two together for a gun/duty belt. That seems to be pretty close in line to what others are doing.

I haven't decided on a design for tooling yet, maybe I'll do another basketweave?? The next question is should I tool and dye the outer piece first, then glue together and finish the edges?

I've seen where some people will coat the leather with neatsfoot or olive oil and let soak in overnight before casing and tooling. Is that the recommended procedure? I know everybody has their own way of doing things and I'm sure I'll eventually settle on my own and not have to ask so many questions. Thanks for your patience and help!

I was going to use some Fiebings Bag-Kote Neutral Finish for the final coat, top and lining. I also have some Fiebings Leather Balm w/atom wax, would that be a better finish than Bag-Kote? I haven't used the Bag-Kote yet so I have no experience with it. Plan on leaving the lining natural. I'm thinking I should cut the lining maybe a 1/4" wider before gluing in order to leave some extra on the sides to sand down.

How far from the edges do you run your stitch line?

[mlapaglia]

Tool first before you glue together.

Neetsfoot oil after its been cased and tooled. Herman Oak is good leather. The only time to oil first is when the leather is really dried out. You oil after to replenish the oils removed by casing and tooling.

I stitch 1/8th to 1/4 from the edge depending on my tooling border.

I tend to antique the tooling to make it stand out so I do 2 coats of 50/50 resolene then antique, then 1 coat 50/50 resolene then finish with Fiebings Leather Balm w/atom wax or a mixture of carnuba wax, bees wax and neetsfoot oil. Rub in with my fingers and a hair dryer to make it soak the waxs in. Then buff.

To be honest I use the leather balm and atom wax more than the homemade carnuba/bees wax. It's just easier. Its like most times I machine sew the belt but if I really want to do it the best, I saddle stitch it. The home made finish is just more hand made effort. Reserved for those people I want to do something real special for.

This belt was tooled with a 1/4" border and the stitch line against the tooled border. its a 1.5" belt. dont make the mistake I did. Make sure you leave the border at the tip of the billet so it does not look like you took a length of tooled strap and cut it off to make a belt. It looks better to have the border around the tip.

This is wrong

This is the better way to do it..

That belt finally finished with a stitch line at 1/8"

Edited September 3, 2012 by mlapaglia

[katsass]

From the grump: Here's how I do mine. This happens to be a 2" wide, tapered belt of 12/13oz saddle skirting, hand stitched and lined with 2/3oz veg tanned cow hide..Just a very plain gunbelt. Mike

Edited September 3, 2012 by katsass

[Bobby hdflame]

Tool first before you glue together.

Neetsfoot oil after its been cased and tooled. Herman Oak is good leather. The only time to oil first is when the leather is really dried out. You oil after to replenish the oils removed by casing and tooling.

I stitch 1/8th to 1/4 from the edge depending on my tooling border.

I tend to antique the tooling to make it stand out so I do 2 coats of 50/50 resolene then antique, then 1 coat 50/50 resolene then finish with Fiebings Leather Balm w/atom wax or a mixture of carnuba wax, bees wax and neetsfoot oil. Rub in with my fingers and a hair dryer to make it soak the waxs in. Then buff.

To be honest I use the leather balm and atom wax more than the homemade carnuba/bees wax. It's just easier. Its like most times I machine sew the belt but if I really want to do it the best, I saddle stitch it. The home made finish is just more hand made effort. Reserved for those people I want to do something real special for.

This belt was tooled with a 1/4" border and the stitch line against the tooled border. its a 1.5" belt. dont make the mistake I did. Make sure you leave the border at the tip of the billet so it does not look like you took a length of tooled strap and cut it off to make a belt. It looks better to have the border around the tip.

This is wrong

This is the better way to do it..

That belt finally finished with a stitch line at 1/8"

I agree with the border around the tip of the billet. That's the way I do mine. I agree that it looks like you used something stamped out with a roller when you don't take it around the tip.

I really like the meander pattern. I've never done a meander pattern and don't even have a tool for it. I see one in my near future. It just has a cool look.

Also like the stitch line at 1/8". I've also seen a double stitch line that looks good but that leaves less space for tooling.

[Bobby hdflame]

From the grump: Here's how I do mine. This happens to be a 2" wide, tapered belt of 12/13oz saddle skirting, hand stitched and lined with 2/3oz veg tanned cow hide..Just a very plain gunbelt. Mike

Hey Grump!

I like the wide belt. Couple of questions. How does it fit through regular jeans belt loops? I guess most holster belt loops would be too small also. Then again, that's what it's all about....a custom belt requires a custom holster!

I'm assuming that this belt was intended to go through belt loops on pants. Or is it to wear over the top of your pants/belt and have a holster slide over it like a police duty rig?

You know, the roller buckle isn't as fancy as some other buckles, but it sure has to be a lot easier to use on thicker, wider belts. I've got some smaller roller buckles, but I'm going to get some wider ones to try on my gun belts.

Can't wait to make a new double thick belt with nice stitching from my NEW Cobra machine!

Edited September 4, 2012 by Bobby hdflame

[mlapaglia]

I agree with the border around the tip of the billet. That's the way I do mine. I agree that it looks like you used something stamped out with a roller when you don't take it around the tip.

I really like the meander pattern. I've never done a meander pattern and don't even have a tool for it. I see one in my near future. It just has a cool look.

Also like the stitch line at 1/8". I've also seen a double stitch line that looks good but that leaves less space for tooling.

I have 3 or 4 different types of meandering tools each in at least 2 sizes. I really like the pattern you can get with it. Once you get the spacing down its easy to do.

Thanks

Michael

[katsass]

Hey Grump!

I like the wide belt. Couple of questions. How does it fit through regular jeans belt loops? I guess most holster belt loops would be too small also. Then again, that's what it's all about....a custom belt requires a custom holster!

I'm assuming that this belt was intended to go through belt loops on pants. Or is it to wear over the top of your pants/belt and have a holster slide over it like a police duty rig?

You know, the roller buckle isn't as fancy as some other buckles, but it sure has to be a lot easier to use on thicker, wider belts. I've got some smaller roller buckles, but I'm going to get some wider ones to try on my gun belts.

Can't wait to make a new double thick belt with nice stitching from my NEW Cobra machine!

Well, as to the 2" wide belt, I don't think it will fit through standard Levi's belt loops. The customer wrote me and ordered a 40", 2" wide gunbelt, with no loops, so I expect it was to be worn over his standard belt with the holster slipped over it. For heavy belts (total of 15oz or so) the roller buckle seems to work better than a standard heel-bar or center-bar buckle. You'll be doing the stitching a lot quicker on your machine - but, there is nothing quite like a heavy, hand stitched rig IMHO. Mike

[Bobby hdflame]

"Well, as to the 2" wide belt, I don't think it will fit through standard Levi's belt loops. "

My bad. I misread that as 3" for some reason! I was thinking, dang that's a wide belt!

[katsass]

"Well, as to the 2" wide belt, I don't think it will fit through standard Levi's belt loops. "

My bad. I misread that as 3" for some reason! I was thinking, dang that's a wide belt!

I do make 3" wide belts. They usually are for 'historically accurate' rigs -- something like this copy of a 100 year old (or so) rig for a Colt Single Action Army -- had to modify a bit for the Ruger Super Redhawk. One difference is that the belt is tapered - I think I see more tapered belts overall that ranger style. For those of us that have some doo-lap (a tummy that 'do lap' over the belt and buckle) it's more comfortable. Mike

Edited September 4, 2012 by katsass