Longest Lasting Belt Making Leather

[RSmithLeather]

Greetings, my name is Randall Smith and I am fairly new to the leather game.  I am currently specializing in making high quality and long lasting belts.  I've been hand tooling leather belts with 8-10oz Tandy Leather Hides and recently tried an 8-10oz Wickett and Craig tooling side.  It seems to me that 8-10oz leather is not thick enough to be durable for a long period of time.  I am wondering what leather and thickness you use in order to make the longest lasting tooled belts.  I thought about buying skirting because it's typically thicker, but I'm worried that skirting sides wont be as clean.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Additionally, I have been making english bridle belts with Wickett and Craigs leather in 10-12oz.  I am wondering what brand ( Hermann Oak, Wickett and Craig, etc), what style ( Harness, English Bridle, Bridle, Skirting, etc), and what thickness (oz) makes the highest quality and longest lasting belt (In your opinion).  Help would be greatly appreciated, I'm trying to make the best!!

Randall

[NVLeatherWorx]

These are things that you can research on your own and there is plenty of information contained within these forums to help you along the way.  However, I can tell you that using an 8 to 10 oz. strap leather (I use 10 to 11 oz. H.O. veg-tan) you are using some of the strongest leather that will last many, many decades.  There are belts that I made back in the late 70's and early 80's that are still in use, it is about how well they are taken care of by the end user that determines it's life span.  If you are focusing on stamping and/or carving & tooling then you can only do that with veg-tan and it can be conditioned by you to have the same end properties as any of the other bridle leathers if you just learn how.  I only use veg-tan for my works, regardless of what the intended use is, and I condition everything with my own house made leather conditioner and waterproof sealer which is also available for purchase by anyone.  The other advantage of veg-tan is that it can be dyed/stained in any color that a customer wants whereas bridle leather and Latigo is already finished in a limited color run.

If you are ever looking for extra long straps (pre-cut of course) Springfield Leather sells an 84" belt strap that is cut from 9 to 10 oz. H.O. veg-tan that can yield one helluva long belt, it is available in just about every width you would need too.

If you are looking at making stiff belts then you may want to consider making 2-ply belts, top strap is from 8 to 9 oz. and the bottom strap is from 5 to 6 oz. but keep in mind that a belt is supposed to be comfortable and, stiff belts are not very comfortable until they break-in (which takes quite some time) and then they only "feel" comfortable because the wearer has gotten use to the feel. 

Good luck in your quest and hope to see some of your works.

[RSmithLeather]

Excellent, thanks.

[RSmithLeather]

On 6/24/2017 at 8:59 AM, NVLeatherWorx said:

I only use veg-tan for my works, regardless of what the intended use is, and I condition everything with my own house made leather conditioner and waterproof sealer which is also available for purchase by anyone.

If I decided to acquire your leather conditioner and sealer, how would I go about doing so?

[NVLeatherWorx]

1 hour ago, RSmithLeather said:

If I decided to acquire your leather conditioner and sealer, how would I go about doing so?

PM sent.

[thomsa]

I know this is an old post but here is my .02 for anybody who happens along and reads it: 

I make hundreds of belts and have done so for almost thirty years. The best belt leather in the world is herman oak. Two 6 oz. pieces of herman oak glued with contact cement and sewed will outlast anyone reading this. At 12 oz. overall it is not too thick to be comfortable.

Herman oak is also a pleasure to tool and dye if you choose to do so.

If you don't have the need for the 10 hide minimum order from H.O. buy the H.O. premium belt bends from springfield leather. I have bought several from them over the years and have never been disappointed.