Beginner with questions about belt straps

[Spyros]

7 hours ago, alpha2 said:

I had to return a number of belt blanks to Buckleguy recently. Worst pieces of leather I'd seen, was supposedly water buffalo. The surface looked like plastic (it wasn't, just the way they finished it). I made one belt, just to see if it was salvageable, it wasn't. 

This was one order, of one type of leather, can't speak to their other offerings. 

Sure it was buckleguy?  I didn't know they sell belt blanks, I can only see straps on their website.  And I don't see water buffalo anywhere...

[BriarandThorne]

On 11/26/2021 at 2:58 AM, Klara said:

Something that hasn't been mentioned yet and which I didn't know until recently: A well-made strap is supposed to be cut in the direction of the animal's spine, not at right angles to it. Which is why double shoulders, even if the measurements look good, don't work - the length is in the wrong direction (does that make sense?)

(I'm saying "supposed to be" because I have a double shoulder and a double butt and various pieces where I don't know and I'm using them however I get the needed length and so far everything has worked out fine. But I'm only making things for myself at the moment...)

 

Thanks for that info. I was wondering about that exact thing. Very helpful.

[alpha2]

17 hours ago, Spyros said:

Sure it was buckleguy?  I didn't know they sell belt blanks, I can only see straps on their website.  And I don't see water buffalo anywhere...

It may have been a one-off sale. The only time I'd seen water buffalo, probably why I jumped on it.

[alpha2]

10 minutes ago, alpha2 said:

It may have been a one-off sale. The only time I'd seen water buffalo, probably why I jumped on it.

And, when I say recently...I'm old, so that could have been as much as a year ago!

[Spyros]

7 hours ago, alpha2 said:

It may have been a one-off sale. The only time I'd seen water buffalo, probably why I jumped on it.

Maybe... I order regularly from them and I wouldn't mind trying some buffalo, that's why I asked.

[alpha2]

On 11/26/2021 at 8:19 AM, alpha2 said:

I had to return a number of belt blanks to Buckleguy recently. Worst pieces of leather I'd seen, was supposedly water buffalo. The surface looked like plastic (it wasn't, just the way they finished it). I made one belt, just to see if it was salvageable, it wasn't. 

This was one order, of one type of leather, can't speak to their other offerings. 

Update, I got an advert from Ohio Travel Bag just now. It turns out it was Ohio Travel Bag that I got the bad blanks from. I can't apologize enough for this. I couldn't remember this at the time, apparently. They're running a sale on those straps again. Hard to believe they're still trying to get rid of them. The ones I tried were the water buffalo in the middle of the pic below. They were absolutely atrocious. Makes the others suspect in my book. I've never had any problems with anything I got from Buckleguy. 

 

 

[Spyros]

8 hours ago, alpha2 said:

Update, I got an advert from Ohio Travel Bag just now. It turns out it was Ohio Travel Bag that I got the bad blanks from. I can't apologize enough for this. I couldn't remember this at the time, apparently. They're running a sale on those straps again. Hard to believe they're still trying to get rid of them. The ones I tried were the water buffalo in the middle of the pic below. They were absolutely atrocious. Makes the others suspect in my book. I've never had any problems with anything I got from Buckleguy. 

 

 

I think it's fair for a merchant to try and get rid of a poor leather, as long as they set the price low enough.  Someone will buy and put it to good use, because "bad" leather still has its uses.  A lady's fashion bag for example or a toiletry bag is typically light as a feather, the strap doesn't need to be great and strong, it just needs to match a design/colour/aesthetic.