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Forester

Double Buscadero Belt Sizing

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Hello All

How do you size a Buscadero belt, can't get my head around it, is it picture 1 or 2, thank you in advance, have to make a Lone Ranger rig for a customer.

Regards Forester

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In "How to Make Belts" Stohlman shows measuring AROUND the contours of an old belt to get the size. I would say #2

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Neither . . . measure the "most used hole" in the belt the person wears today . . . 

Add 4 inches . . . that is the measurement from the outside of the buckle on the buscadero belt to the center of 7 holes on the tongue of the buscadero belt.

Doing it that way . . . it has never failed me.  But . . . yes . . . you do do the measuring the bottom way.

May God bless,

Dwight

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22 hours ago, Dwight said:

Neither . . . measure the "most used hole" in the belt the person wears today . . . 

Add 4 inches . . . that is the measurement from the outside of the buckle on the buscadero belt to the center of 7 holes on the tongue of the buscadero belt.

Doing it that way . . . it has never failed me.  But . . . yes . . . you do do the measuring the bottom way.

May God bless,

Dwight

I was wondering how you measure the holster placement on the belt so the holsters come out in the right place on the hip.

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I'll bring the customer in if I can . . . take some scrap leather . . . make a "belt" that is 4 inches larger than the most used hole in his standard belt . . . stick a buckle on the thing and have him put it on . . . below his regular belt.

Line up that hole with the snap on the front of his jeans.

Place marks on the left and right side of the person . . . on this "belt" where the seams of his jeans are.

That mark will be placed at the back side of the barrel of the weapon in the holster.

Make the holsters first then do the outline of the belt . . .  place the weapon in the holster . . . bring it around on the outline of the belt (this is done on a series of manila folders taped together) . . . and mark the backside of the barrel  . . . that is the center of the holster placement.

At least that is how I would do it.

But I do my best to not do buscadero belts . . . single holsters like Clint Eastwood wore usually are fairly easy to do as they can be shifted as needed . . . better yet is the rig that John Wayne favored . . . they are even easier to make.

Buscadero's were truly never a part of the "real" old west . . . it was a Gene Autry / Lone Ranger / Roy Rogers invention to give it some pizazz on the big screen.  Even Marshall Dillon's rig . . . or the Have Gun will Travel . . . they were only  sound stage stuff . . . not real.

May God bless,

Dwight

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46 minutes ago, Dwight said:

I'll bring the customer in if I can . . . take some scrap leather . . . make a "belt" that is 4 inches larger than the most used hole in his standard belt . . . stick a buckle on the thing and have him put it on . . . below his regular belt.

Line up that hole with the snap on the front of his jeans.

Place marks on the left and right side of the person . . . on this "belt" where the seams of his jeans are.

That mark will be placed at the back side of the barrel of the weapon in the holster.

Make the holsters first then do the outline of the belt . . .  place the weapon in the holster . . . bring it around on the outline of the belt (this is done on a series of manila folders taped together) . . . and mark the backside of the barrel  . . . that is the center of the holster placement.

At least that is how I would do it.

But I do my best to not do buscadero belts . . . single holsters like Clint Eastwood wore usually are fairly easy to do as they can be shifted as needed . . . better yet is the rig that John Wayne favored . . . they are even easier to make.

Buscadero's were truly never a part of the "real" old west . . . it was a Gene Autry / Lone Ranger / Roy Rogers invention to give it some pizazz on the big screen.  Even Marshall Dillon's rig . . . or the Have Gun will Travel . . . they were only  sound stage stuff . . . not real.

May God bless,

Dwight

Thank you Dwight i was wondering that would seem to be an important measurement .

Yea the wild west 1847 to 1890s roughly 50 years. The tv wild west 1903 to 2021 120 years and still going.  I had a nice pic of have gun will travel rig it is in the Buffalo bill Cody museum got to see if i can find it. 

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@Forester, In The Leather Crafters & Saddlers Journal (Volume 19, No. 2 Mar/Apr 2009), Gene Weishuhn, of Indian Creek Leather, had a fantastic article that not only walks you through all of the ins and outs of making a Buscadaro Rig, but it also contains full size template  in a pullout in the center fold of the magazine.  Gene covers the subtlies of sizing the belt, positioning of the holster slots, as well as billet and tongue placement, in order to get a good fit. Gene covers all other aspects of the rig such as bullet loops, holster assembly, forming, sewing, etc. He has some great techniques, and is an excelent leather craftsman.  I know it may be a little late for your project, but It is a really good read, and worth the price of the journal.  You can order back issue of The Leather Crafters & Saddlers Journal, and this issue is still availible.  Click on the journal below if interested in ordering. The price is $4.50 plus $4.00 USPS shipping. And no, I am not affiliated with the Journal in any way.

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Dwight,

By 'back side' of the barrel, do you mean the bottom or top of the barrel while holstered?  It's pointed generally straight down, so 'back' to me seems to mean the bottom of the barrel.

God bless,

Mike

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Yep . . . bottom . . . sorry about the confusion.

May God bless,

Dwight

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Thanks Dwight,

I confuse easily, no worries.

God bless

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Hello 1st Staffords, sorry not been on the site for a while, ask away.

Forester

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