A simple belt with my favorite leather

[filipblaauw]

I got myself a hide of oiled latigo in tan from W&C, and its become my favorite so far. This is a simple 1 1/2" belt with a antique brass buckle, matching rivets and my logo hot stamped on the side. English point and oval holes. I think it's a bit tricky to get the oval holes 100% aligned, but I'm practicing.

The edges is rounded, sanded and treated with Takanole gum. Apart from the sanding, the skiving is the least fun bit. I'm using the curved razor blade on a handle. This gives an un-even skiving, and I really hope to get a proper skiving tool in the future. How do you all skive your leather?

Happy to hear some thoughts about the design and color, and how your belt making process looks like.

[zuludog]

That's excellent!

Search YouTube and there are lots of references to making belts, using both rivets and stitching. I'm sure you'll be able to pick up ideas.  

As for skiving, look at this video - 'Making a Simple Leather Belt'  by Leodis Leather. You can see that he uses a small plane for skiving, very similar to a carpenter's plane, but smaller. It is a 'trimming plane' from Clas Ohlson, about £12 in UK. There are 3 Clas Ohlson shops in Norway

There is also a leather plane from Goods Japan, about $ US 41 , but you might find it cheaper on Amazon or eBay

This video shows how to sew the fold over on a leather belt; in fact anything by Leodis Leather/Ian Atkinson or Nigel Armitage is worth watching

'Stitching a Leather Belt Keep' by  Nigel Armitage

Edited December 13, 2018 by zuludog

[filipblaauw]

1 hour ago, zuludog said:

As for skiving, look at this video - 'Making a Simple Leather Belt'  by Leodis Leather. You can see that he uses a small plane for skiving, very similar to a carpenter's plane, but smaller. It is a 'trimming plane' from Clas Ohlson, about £12 in UK. There are 3 Clas Ohlson shops in Norway

There is also a leather plane from Goods Japan, about $ US 41 , but you might find it cheaper on Amazon or eBay

Thanks for good tips and kind words! Clas Ohlson has in fact closer to 300 stores here in Norway. I have 3 just in my neighbourhood. But to be honest, I would rather invest in a proper skiver I can mount to my bench. Not only does it seem easier, but also it generates less waste and fuzz all over...

[BattleAx]

Very Nice..

[JazzBass]

Man, that's CLEAN! (and classy).

For skiving a strap of any kind, this video is the neatest, coolest, "Why didn't I think of THAT!" method I've seen:
 

 

[battlemunky]

I do my skiving with the knife in the video @JazzBass posted. I've heard that the bench skivers can be a bit finicky, not that skiving isn't finicky in general. That curve razor on a stick is a piece of garbage, I stopped using mine due to never being able to do any consistent skiving with it.

[Roustaboutgoods]

Beautifully classic. What is the color?

[filipblaauw]

Wow, that video was really an eye-opener, I might buy a proper skiving knife and have a go.

Color is tan @Roustaboutgoods

[bdpeters]

Nice classy looking job there.