What are you using as an internal belt stiffener

[thefallguy]

Found a couple pictures of one of our belts with a rawhide stiffener. This one was 7/8 cowhide top and liner with an elephant accent (we double stitched the rawhide on this one to match the accent instead of a single stitch row but you get the idea). In the close-up of the belt you can hopefully see the dome shape I was referring to before. The rawhide ends just before the accent starts. I wish I had taken better pictures of the inside of the belt but this is all I have right now. The next time I build one maybe I'll remember to get some better pictures...

 

 

[muzzleblast]

thefallguy,

Very nice looking rig.  !!!!!!!!

[coma44]

Before I started down the road of leather working I bought a Hank's kydex lined leather belt. It is the best belt I own and when I make my own belts they will be kydex lined. Different than Hank's but lined with same idea

 

[DuncanSinclair]

Perhaps bonning that is used in ladies corsets? 

[Doug61]

Don't know if you are still looking for suggestions but years ago when I was shooting handguns competitively almost all of the gunbelts had a thin strip of spring steel between the layers of leather, only in the area were the holster rode. I don't know if this is still common today but it worked well with competition holsters used back then. If I was making something similar today I would use Titanium instead of steel. It would need to be grade 6AL4V, sometimes called Grade 5.

 

Doug

[malabar]

If you want the stiffest possible belt, that keeps its stiffness the longest, put a strip of kydex between the two laters. We've made hundreds of belts this way. We originally designed them for high-rise holsters we make. The belts are stiff enough that they don't have to be tight to keep a full-sized pistol in a high-rise holster snug against your body.

I've also made a couple that had a spring-steel core (they were black bag types), but mist folks find them uncomfortable, and they ring metal detectors every time you walk through. 

 

tk

[Frodo]

Competition shooters are kinda freaky people.  LOL

They want what they want because some guy used it and got the best time so by GAWD that is the reason and do not tell me any different because I shoot 3 gun and you dont know nothin

 

LOL

Yeah,,  I have had this discussion before.  I agree that  2 pieces of veg tan are all you need

Buffalo  is better than cow.  IMO.

But if you want something in the belt to stiffen it use a 1/2'' wide zip tie or pallet strap. 

A metal pallet strap works also.  

here is a belt i made with  3 pcs of 8 oz   <<Notice it is sitting on the floor in a circle,  This belt is STIFF

with no added stiffener

 

 

 

Edited April 10, 2020 by Frodo

[Dwight]

Been doing belts the Lobo way, . . . John Bianchi way, . . . for over 15 years now, . . . never found a good reason to put a liner in one, . . . 

Probably wouldn't waste my time doing it anyway.

May God bless,

Dwight