DustinSmith Report post Posted August 20, 2020 Okay I'm sure this question has been asked 100 times but here goes anyway, I make alot of purse straps and belts.....is it really necessary to line them? I could get twice the straps out of a side if I didn't us 2 pieces of leather...thoughts? Advice? Thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spyros Report post Posted August 20, 2020 No, it's not, just use good leather that you're happy with how the flesh side looks, and it's thick & strong enough for the purpose. Bridle usually works well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Danne Report post Posted August 20, 2020 A thin belt without lining will stretch A thin belt in soft leather with lining will stretch (need reinforcement) A stiffer thicker leather like Bridle will work fine without lining. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hildebrand Report post Posted August 20, 2020 Depends on the end use of the belt. Very few single layer belts will hold up to carrying a holster daily without stretching. Todd Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DustinSmith Report post Posted August 20, 2020 Most of the belts I make are colorful womens dress belts, I'd always line a men's belt that would be used for "duty". I was asking more for esthetics, do most people who aren't using it for holsters care if its lined or not? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LatigoAmigo Report post Posted August 20, 2020 3 hours ago, DustinSmith said: I was asking more for esthetics, do most people who aren't using it for holsters care if its lined or not? I line everything I do, and often wonder if the extra work and cost in materials really add value, but if I don't add the lining the item feels "unfinished." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuck123wapati Report post Posted August 20, 2020 Womens belts you could possibly line with fabric. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hardrada Report post Posted August 20, 2020 55 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said: Womens belts you could possibly line with fabric. Or suede. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Danne Report post Posted August 20, 2020 8 minutes ago, Hardrada said: Or suede. Nubuck or Alcantara is also good choices. I mean there is a reason hyper cars use Alcantara instead if real suede. Don't get me wrong suede can be nice too, but it will wear a lot quicker. But also i'm no leather expert, I have seen those water repellent suedes online, they might be a really good choice. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spyros Report post Posted August 21, 2020 (edited) 13 hours ago, DustinSmith said: Most of the belts I make are colorful womens dress belts, I'd always line a men's belt that would be used for "duty". I was asking more for esthetics, do most people who aren't using it for holsters care if its lined or not? I'm sure some do care but I would guess not many. I mean judging from myself before I got into leatherworking I didn't even know that some belts were lined. Obviously I could see some belts had stitches and some not but I thought it was just decoration, a different style. Never occurred to me to even look at the back of a belt as a customer. The only thing I remember is that I was always suspicious of belts that were very shiny for some reason. Then again I'm a man, and I've noticed men look at leather items very differently than women. We care more about things like quality, longevity, practicality, strength, and country of origin, whilst women seem to care a lot more about brand, style, variety and matching with their clothes. I doubt they'd care very much about what the back of their belt looks like. But I'm known for my continuous failure to understand women so take that with a massive grain of salt Edited August 21, 2020 by Spyros Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DustinSmith Report post Posted August 21, 2020 Thanks for all the responses and advice! I'm going to make a belt without a lining to see how it turns out, but I agree that an unlined belt feels unfinished so we'll see. Right now I'm basically doing this for a living so any cost cuts without compromising quality is a win for me, i also thought of giving my customers a choice that way they knew what they were getting from jump... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spyros Report post Posted August 21, 2020 1 hour ago, DustinSmith said: Thanks for all the responses and advice! I'm going to make a belt without a lining to see how it turns out, but I agree that an unlined belt feels unfinished so we'll see. Right now I'm basically doing this for a living so any cost cuts without compromising quality is a win for me, i also thought of giving my customers a choice that way they knew what they were getting from jump... maybe try on some scraps to finish the back with various things, see if you like the look of any. A popular candidate is tokonole, personally I really like tan kote. I actually liked it more than the front on a recent project, and that was an expensive milled veg tan, which was weird. I just put a very thin layer of tan kote on and then ran a tempered glass over it a few times. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomMeyers Report post Posted August 22, 2020 Even without lining I think that maybe, s stitching can make a belt more interesting and less likely to deform. Lining helps of course. Thoughts? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handstitched Report post Posted August 22, 2020 @DustinSmith I guess the only other time I would sometimes line a belt, would be to hide the screws, rivets or pins of concho's studs etc. It just tidies them up and looks more professional . I use 4mm D/butt or shoulder ( 5mm harness also) , and the lining is around 1.2mm, making it quite a sturdy belt by the time its all stitched. Most of my ' bread & butter belts' I make are unlined otherwise . HS Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
