Lesson in belt making....

[Rayban]

Like most things, I've had to learn the hard way...get the belt size right!!!

Now I made the belt to the size I was asked...but what I didn't know was that they gave me their pants size...jeans, in these cases.....these jeans could have been 5 years old for all I know....and us guys know how jeans tend to stretch along with our girth....

It's happened to me twice in the past year...I spend a lot of time making a belt, I'm pretty happy with the outcome, and it's too small...even tho I've made it to the correct size that was ordered.

Hate the feeling!!!

Lesson learned....ask for the waist measurement, NOT the pants size.

[TwinOaks]

Better yet, get a measurement of the customer. That's if you deal person to person, that is. Explain that you have to do it to make allowances in the leather, or whatever else you care to think of. That way, you eliminate "paralax errors" when reading the tape.

[TomSwede]

So far only one belt to a customer for me, a friend at work. We measured up his waist allright but he told me to put a hole here and there, that'll do it but just in case I added about ½ inch and an extra hole just in case. When he tried the belt out it was spot on in fit however he then realised that it was good to have the extra size just in case because he loved the belt so now he's equipped for years to come.

I don't think he would have noticed the extra size if I haven't told him so maybe something worth testing.

Tom

[Johanna]

I always have the customer remove the belt he's wearing. I can usually tell which hole he has been using. I measure, and adjust for how bent the belt is, and put his center hole in the same place as the hole he's currently on. If you measure the old belt, 99% of the time, you will get it right. If all you have to work with is a pants size, add two inches. If you aren't sure if any of the info you have from the customer is correct, make the belt long and add the holes when he shows up with the check. You can always cut some off...can't add it on.

Johanna

[Michael Sheldon]

I'm with Johanna on this. The absolute best thing is to measure the belt they're wearing yourself. Second best thing if you're dealing "long distance" is to have them measure their belt from tongue to the hole they wear it in. Anything else IMO is guesswork.

[LarryB]

Hi,

My wife and went threw this. We sell at a small farmers market on sat morning. They never like the belts we have laying there....so we ask them what they want and make it. Many of them have been the wrong size so now we take the belt they are wearing and measure it and then its not fool proof, we had them place the belt on thier belly rather than below then complaine that its not large enough. Now we make the belt a little longer than what they need and use the center hole measurement that they are using which gives them a little leway.

I have no idea how a person can sell belts over the internet. I am sitting there and still fight to get it right. I have the book that Al wrote on Belts and its great and thats the way we measure.

Ok I better shut up.. just wanted to put in my two cents so you don't feel bad for dealing with this, your not the only one that has went down this road.

later, my friend

Larry

[gunfighter48]

Hi,

My wife and went threw this. We sell at a small farmers market on sat morning. They never like the belts we have laying there....so we ask them what they want and make it. Many of them have been the wrong size so now we take the belt they are wearing and measure it and then its not fool proof, we had them place the belt on thier belly rather than below then complaine that its not large enough. Now we make the belt a little longer than what they need and use the center hole measurement that they are using which gives them a little leway.

I have no idea how a person can sell belts over the internet. I am sitting there and still fight to get it right. I have the book that Al wrote on Belts and its great and thats the way we measure.

Ok I better shut up.. just wanted to put in my two cents so you don't feel bad for dealing with this, your not the only one that has went down this road.

later, my friend

Larry

I made a sizing belt, 11/4" wide by 72" long. I punched holes every 1" and marked the length (40-41-42 etc.) right on the belt. When I sell at gun shows and such, I have them try on the sizing belt where they like to wear it, then take the size right off the belt. Works great!!!

John

[abn]

I made a sizing belt, 11/4" wide by 72" long. I punched holes every 1" and marked the length (40-41-42 etc.) right on the belt.

Yep, I saw an old leatherworker with one of these and liked the idea so much, I made myself one. They're handy to have around.

[LarryB]

I made a sizing belt, 11/4" wide by 72" long. I punched holes every 1" and marked the length (40-41-42 etc.) right on the belt. When I sell at gun shows and such, I have them try on the sizing belt where they like to wear it, then take the size right off the belt. Works great!!!

John

Great Idea, thanks so much... I'm going to do the same thing. This sounds like a saver.

Thanks for sharing

Larry

[Rayban]

All great ideas....when you have a warm body in front of you to measure....when getting an order over the internet, it's a differant story....

[Billy P]

Hey Everybody, I've run into this same crapp a few times myself. I learned that if they want to tell me what size they need and I make it the size they tell me, then it's theirs, whether it fits them or not. Why waste muy time and leather making a belt that won't fit their butt, when they are telling me what size top make. I have always guarnteed my work, but when I tell them what and how to measure, if they are not around me, and they still give me a wrong measurement then it's on them. Ojne other thing is no matter who it is family. friend, stranger, or whoever before I put a mark on the leather, especially if they want a name or something I get at least a 50% deposit. I have and sure most, if not all of you all have belts and such laying around with a name, or a funky color, or a saying, or whatever on it that you never will see the people who ordered it again. I've got a size 44 fully tooled, ready to buckstitch belt with MONTY tooled on it, that I've not seen him since 1984, and probably never will again that I have kept all these years just to remind me about that. Anyway I'm off the box, somebody else come on up now. Just my .01 worth and later to all you fine people Billy P

[Shelly]

A sizing belt is a great idea - I'm going to make one for the shop here - only thing I'll do differently is that I will taper the buckle end, and slot it, then it should accomodate their own buckle as well. I have a trophy buckle of my own that can be used in case they happen to not be wearing one of that style, in case that's what the belt is going to have on it. Can get into a sizing problem if the buckle you use on the belt is not the same as what they will put on it...not everyone I deal with will be using a tongue style buckle...but I have to take that into consideration and be sure to ask...this should make it pretty easy to get every belt as close to a perfect fit as possible...

[andystevens]

A leather sizing belt is a great idea I have been using one for several years one thing a person needs to do a couple time a year is make sure it hasn't stretched and the sizes aren't true, I usually have to make a new one every couple of years. When taking orders over the phone or via the internet I ask them to use a tailors measuring tape and run it through their belt to get their size and from that number you need to know what they are planning on using for a buckle and have them measure the hook or end of the tongue to the bar (where the belt wraps around) and subtract that number from the waist measurement and from that you have the your belt size.

[SStewart]

I use a measuring belt too. I have the holes punched every 1/2" but instead of marking them with inches I use letters. Once I get the letter they are on and they take it off I just pull out my tape measure and go from there. I do this because many people don't want to advertise how big their waist is in inches. Women especially really appreciate this.

[Rayban]

I wish I had run across this picture before this last belt project. This is PERFECT for long distance sizing instructions.

Hope ya don't mind if I use it Boom-Stick.

[celticleather]

I quite like the idea of the 'sizing belt', but for long-distance orders I always use 'fixing length', which is usually two or three inches greater than waist size. This can also increase if the belt is worn low down, and often comes close to 'hip-size', which may be much larger than waist size.

I have an illustration that I have built into my website, to make sure that customers get it right first time.

[Leather Bum]

The sizing belt seems like a great way to get the correct measurement. But how do you guys adjust for any stretch in the leather as the belt is "broken in"? Do you have the person buckle the sizing strap where it feels a little too tight, or do you go with the hole that feels just right. . . or what?

L'Bum

[rdb]

I have letters on my sizing belt. No matter what stretch, once they try it on and get their comfortable letter, they take it off, and I do the usual measure from the tine end to the hole with their letter. Nobody ever hears "SIZE 54!", I just fit the new belt accordingly.

The sizing belt seems like a great way to get the correct measurement. But how do you guys adjust for any stretch in the leather as the belt is "broken in"? Do you have the person buckle the sizing strap where it feels a little too tight, or do you go with the hole that feels just right. . . or what?

L'Bum

[Rayban]

The leather will only stretch as it has to to fit , right? Besides, there are extra holes, ce?

[Leather Bum]

Ah yes, I should have been clearer. I meant, when using the sizing belt to obtain the proper size to make a belt for someone, do you have them tighten the sizing belt a little too tight or tell them to make it comfortable, in order to correct for any stretch in the new belt you'll be making?

Thanks, Rayban, I was figuring it might work the way you said. I was just wondering if there's something else you might do to make sure it will fit right.

L'Bum