Steel Belt Liners

[MarlinDave]

I was in a tactical-type gun shop and they were selling gun belts with a steel liner sewn in. Supposed to not sag under weight. Quite pricy. Has anyone made these? What is used for liner? I guess with or without gun it would trigger metal detectors. 

Edited June 15, 2021 by 327fed

[OldNSlowMarine]

I've made one before. I used a roll of coil steel feeler gage stock to do it. I forget what thickness it was. Might have been 0.015 inch? I'm not sure how the mass producers of these do it, but I centered it between two layers of 8 ounce Hermann Oak single belt bend strips. I didn't punch holes in it for the buckle holes, just got somewhat close to the last hole. Not sure if they do or not. Last I heard, the customer liked it.

Edited June 15, 2021 by OldNSlowMarine
spelling error

[fredk]

I didn't make a complete belt; I had to strengthen a length of belt for a client. His favourite sword belt, but it twisted where he carried the sword. I glued on a piece of thick brass plate then sewed a thin lining leather over it. afair I put a piece of brass about 10 or 12 inches long, about 1.25 inches wide and 1mm thick. Glueing it was just to hold the brass in place until I sewed the leather cover piece on

[MarlinDave]

Thanks.

[Dwight]

I saw a thread about these on here a number of years ago . . . thought about making one.

But I wear a two layer .230 thick veggie tan belt that has carried a cell phone . . . mags . . .  and a .45 for some 20 years . . . only sag is in the middle of the back where the center Wrangler belt loop pulled it down.

Besides that . . . contact cement WILL come loose from metal . . . allowing the steel piece to move between the belt pieces . . . and I figured eventually it would cut the stitches.  Looking at my belt . . . I would have lost 10 or 12 inches of stitches on the top of my belt in the back . . . so I'm glad I never made it.

When asked for one . . . I just decline . . . 

May God bless,

Dwight

[cord1974]

About 25 years ago, back when I was shooting competition heavily, I made a steel lined belt.

2 ply 8/9 oz  1 3/4" Ranger style belt with a thin strip of steel centered. The billets were sewn on the outer strip to avoid the need to punch through the steel. But we did do a double stitch line on the belt.

It worked well for several years of daily wear and weekly matches. 

Eventually I got tired of the stiffness and took the steel band out.  I unstitched on edge, pulled the steel with pliers and sewed the edge back up by hand.

The belt is still in my closet. Unfortunately I'm not as thin as I was back then.

[JayEhl]

1 hour ago, cord1974 said:

The belt is still in my closet. Unfortunately I'm not as thin as I was back then.

LOL, I think many of us have belts that no longer are able to do their job are hanging in the closet!    

[MikeRock]

Yeah, why DO belts get shorter as we get older.........'tis a mystery.

[battlemunky]

Both of my own belts have shrunk. I think it's from hanging unused in the closet during the pandemic. Maybe going back to the office will help them. I'm gonna look funny carrying them around for the first few weeks until they lengthen again. 

[Dwight]

You guys just using that cheap chinese leather.

The belt I mentioned above was made with that good ol Tandy leather . . . 

I always put 7 holes in mine . . . started out in the middle hole 20 some odd years ago . . . I'm all the way back towards that very first hole . . . use it often . . . or use the second one.  Only use the third one when I'm packin' that full size 1911 . . . use the second hold carrying my Officer model . . . both in IWB.

Y'all just need to use better leather.

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited June 21, 2021 by Dwight

[AzShooter]

I have 2 Ernie Hill leather belts that are lined with metal.  They just don't wear out.  I ordered a new one a few months ago and it fit perfectly for about a month.  I am loosing weight and now the 50 inch belt is way too big.  I'm down to 44 inches.

At $100 a pop I'm holding off for another 50 pounds before I buy another belt.  I use them for dress and for when I carry.  The gun stays put and the belt does not shift.  

I don't know what he uses for metal lining but I'll have to ask him one of these days.

 

[Rannoch]

Would an insert of nylon webbing give enough stiffness, or does it have to be steel?  I get requests for steel lined belts regularly, but I don't know where to get the steel and it seems like it would be pretty uncomfortable.  Can the steel be sourced from a typical hardware store, or is it a specialty item?

thanks

[fredk]

12 minutes ago, Rannoch said:

Would an insert of nylon webbing give enough stiffness, . . . ?

Not really, not for the purposes we were discussing

13 minutes ago, Rannoch said:

 Can the steel be sourced from a typical hardware store, or is it a specialty item?

Get along to an industrial business site - a real one, not a web-site. Many of the heavier industries receive goods which have steel strapping around the packaging. Mostly this steel banding is cut off and goes into the scrap metal / recycling / or trash bins. They may allow you to take some away for free or a small contribution to the tea & biscuits caddy

Some heavy industries send their goods out in crates with the steel banding around them. Therefore they have rolls of the banding for doing this. They may sell you some lengths of it

I've seen the steel banding in widths from 3/4 inch wide to 2 inches wide. Its also a spring steel and very hard to cut. Normal cheap metal shears won't cut it, it needs high quality shears

[MarlinDave]

Thanks guys.

[sbrownn]

On 6/21/2021 at 4:55 PM, Dwight said:

You guys just using that cheap chinese leather.

So the Chinese can't make good leather?  LOL.  

The Chinese were making high quality leather while most of the western civilizations were still wearing untanned hides and living in caves.

 

[Dwight]

Yeah and Columbus was sailing across the Atlantic before any of us were born . . . 

Chinese make junk . . . plain and simple . . . nothing coming out of China is worth it's weight in fresh cow dung.

They may have done some good things in centuries past . . . but their leaders for the last 50 years have constantly hammered that quantity is superior to quality.

I've personally seen a number of their belts . . . that I am convinced were made of leather . . . in the way we make OSB out of wood.  Grind it up . . . submerge it in glue . . . and put it in a mold to make the product you want.

American made leather is far superior to that ching chong china crap that's peddled for leather.

May God bless,

Dwightg

[chuck123wapati]

6 minutes ago, Dwight said:

Yeah and Columbus was sailing across the Atlantic before any of us were born . . . 

Chinese make junk . . . plain and simple . . . nothing coming out of China is worth it's weight in fresh cow dung.

They may have done some good things in centuries past . . . but their leaders for the last 50 years have constantly hammered that quantity is superior to quality.

I've personally seen a number of their belts . . . that I am convinced were made of leather . . . in the way we make OSB out of wood.  Grind it up . . . submerge it in glue . . . and put it in a mold to make the product you want.

American made leather is far superior to that ching chong china crap that's peddled for leather.

May God bless,

Dwightg

wholeheartedly agree! 

[cord1974]

On 8/4/2021 at 3:33 PM, Dwight said:

I've personally seen a number of their belts . . . that I am convinced were made of leather . . . in the way we make OSB out of wood.  Grind it up . . . submerge it in glue . . . and put it in a mold to make the product you want.

American made leather is far superior to that ching chong china crap that's peddled for leather.

May God bless,

Dwight

 

I've always said "bonded" leather is nothing more than a leather version of presswood.

It doesn't even rise to the level of OSB.

[kgg]

On 8/4/2021 at 7:33 PM, Dwight said:

Yeah and Columbus was sailing across the Atlantic before any of us were born . . . 

Chinese make junk . . . plain and simple . . . nothing coming out of China is worth it's weight in fresh cow dung.

They may have done some good things in centuries past . . . but their leaders for the last 50 years have constantly hammered that quantity is superior to quality.

I've personally seen a number of their belts . . . that I am convinced were made of leather . . . in the way we make OSB out of wood.  Grind it up . . . submerge it in glue . . . and put it in a mold to make the product you want.

American made leather is far superior to that ching chong china crap that's peddled for leather.

May God bless,

Dwightg

Totally Agree. The only good thing that ever came out of China was gun powder. The rest not so much.

kgg

[Frodo]

I use the steel 3/4'''' strap that is used to strap pallets. I make my belts 1 1/2'' wide, 

The strap does not move and cut my stitches.  

[Frodo]

12 hours ago, Frodo said:

I use the steel 3/4'''' strap that is used to strap pallets. I make my belts 1 1/2'' wide, 

The strap does not move and cut my stitches.  

In order to insert the steel band into a belt so that the belt is not damaged, use a belt sander to round the ends of the band

Then glue the band into the center of a 1 1/2'' belt. I have never inserted a band into anything smaller than 1 1 /2''..  drill a hole in the ends of the band and rivet the band to the center of the belt.  the band will not move and cut the threads. 

[MarlinDave]

Neat.