Making belts

[Johanna]

The Vogt family are silversmiths, and their website features their procedures for making hand tooled belts in 22 separate steps. I've never set any of my belts out in the sun to cure, but they are selling belts, so who am I to argue? This page shows one of their dealers and the prices that they are getting, which I thought were rather low for the quality described, but maybe they make up for that in silversmithing, I don't know.

1. Sort Hides
   
2. Cut Strips
   
3. Level Strips
   
4. Cut Tapers (end)
   
5. Mark edges
   
6. Wet edges
   
7. Tool Leather
   
8. Recut edges
   
9. Cut Liner
   
10. Stamp sizes, logos in liners
    
11. Glue liners
    
12. Trim Belt & Liners
    
13. Stitch belts
    
14. Skive edges
    
15. Punch snap holes
    
16. Punch end holes
    
17. Set snaps
    
18. Dye belts
    
19. Sun Cure
    
20. Hand Polished edges
    
21. Wax polish
    
22. Final Quality check
    

On the website they expalin each step in more detail. How do you do it? I would dye a belt before I put the liner on. I would not wax anything, either. When do you toolers punch your holes, before or after carving? I always punched them before I did any stamping, inlay or names, and before dyeing.

Just curious what you folks think.

Johanna

[Howling Wolf Leather]

How do you do it? I would dye a belt before I put the liner on. I would not wax anything, either. When do you toolers punch your holes, before or after carving? I always punched them before I did any stamping, inlay or names, and before dyeing.

Just curious what you folks think.

Johanna

I would dye the belt before putting on the liner, I punch my holes last, after dyeing stiaining, carving etc.

One reason for punching holes after dyeing or staining is so that there is not "slop dye" on the interior of the belt and on the lining if the belt is lined.

Thanks for the topic, it is a good one.

Sandi

[wes]

I do not mean to hijack this thread but I wanted to reply to Standingbears.

My grandmother's maiden name was Standingbear. Northern Cheyenne.