How do I soften a leather belt?

**MikePro** · 5th March 13, 01:49 PM

Help!!!!
I bought a 2 and 1/4 inch black leather belt and it is so stiff I can hardly bend it around the belt buckle loop. It is so stiff, there is no flex, and it acually sticks out around me to the point it looks like a car bumper. I need to soften it up so I can attach the buckle and also have it form to my waist. Also need to shorten it about 9 inches but should be able to cut this off the end where it loops thru the buckle. Has anyone had the same issue? Any suggestions?

Thanks
Newbie

**artificer** · 5th March 13, 02:07 PM

Mike,
it's very difficult to say without knowing what sort of leather it is. Many very cheap belts are a layer of leather on the surface which is laminated to a product called 'leatherboard'. This is very stiff and made of tiny scraps of leather which
has been ground up and glued and pressed together so the manufacturer can claim it's 100% leather.

If this is the case your only option is to work the belt by hand to soften it.

If your belt is actual leather it might need a tiny bit of conditioning and then hand working to soften it.

Can you post a picture of the belt?

ith:

**Canuck** · 5th March 13, 02:10 PM

Also if you can indicate what system is used to fasten the buckle on. Is it velcro or a small belt and buckle unit.

**MikePro** · 6th March 13, 03:02 PM

May have a solution but have attached pictures. Used rubbing alcohol then petroleum jelly on the back of it, then bent & clamped it in a vise where I need the belt to bend thru the buckle. May have to put it a vise again to get the belt to bend a little tighter. The belt feeds thru a loop on the back of the buckle then bends back over itself and is held by velcro stitched & glued to the back of the belt. Hope these pictures show up.

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**Canuck** · 6th March 13, 04:17 PM

You can probably soak the end in water for a minute then put the buckle on and flatten the end with a clamp or possibly just the Velcro. When it's dry apply some beeswax leather conditioner and you will be good to go.

**Chas** · 6th March 13, 05:28 PM

When I joined the RAF in the 70s, we aimed to have 'hard feet and soft boots' to prevent blisters.

To harden our feet, we used 'Dab It Off'. A dry cleaning fluid in a bottle.

To get soft boots, many of us used to pee in them, last thing at night - it being the only acidic fluid available to us.

Did it work? Well, I for one did not get a blister for the whole of the six week basic training.

I am just giving this as an historical note - that's the way it used to be done. I am sure that there are far better methods on the market today.

Regards

Chas

**Huginn and Muninn** · 6th March 13, 07:23 PM

A good leather dressing such as Pecard will help out a dry strip of hide such as that. It's the first thing I do to all my new leather items.

**haxtonhouse** · 6th March 13, 07:50 PM

Neatsfoot oil works great

**artificer** · 6th March 13, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by haxtonhouse

Neatsfoot oil works great

Just an FYI: Neatsfoot oil NEVER cures/dries. Any application of neatsfoot near anything that will be touching fabric should be very, VERY minimal. Otherwise it will leech out and stain the kilt.

ith:

**flyrod6057** · 6th March 13, 08:12 PM

I've had great success with olive oil. There are those who would tell you that olive oil will spoil and is therefore unsuitable for conditioning leather. In my experience, That is not the case.

I've heard that neatsfoot oil is good as well. As Scott mentioned above, there is a concern as to its effect on fabric, so be careful if you go that route.