How do I make a Kilt Belt?

[jordanjm]

Hi, I have a piece of leather, 2.25 inches wide, (Harness Leather I think) I got at the Leather Factory Store here in Salt Lake City. I am attempting to turn it into a kilt belt, the kind where the buckle hooks into a wire. If anyone has any tips I'd appreciate hearing them.

[McMurdo]

Why not make a more casual kilt belt, I just made one for myself and one for my nephew, got the belt blanks, the buckles and dye, punched out the holes and dyed the leather. They do not take long to make at all.

[jordanjm]

I plan to, but I am trying to use a clan crest buckle, and it needs that kind of belt, and I have the leather too.

[McMurdo]

Ah ok, I know there was something in the DIY section about it, maybe search there you might find someone has already done it.
Check out this thread:

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=14699

[PiobBear]

You'll need to make a D ring, and then stitch it to the belt (fold the left end of the belt inward over the ring, and stitch it). The other end will need a smaller strap & buckle; with the buckle stitched to the inside surface of the belt on your right hip. The right end with the sreap goes through the buckle, folds inward, and the strap secured to the buckle, which is how they're adjusted for length.
A pair of belt keepers (made of the same width leather as the strap) either side of the buckle finishes the belt. If the left keeper has an oval tongue attached which rests behind the buckle when worn, so much the better (particularly for your kilt).

[PiobBear]

-----

[cavscout]

You can also forgo the buckle on the inside and use velcro with an adhesive back. Once the belt is folded over the buckle and the keeper cinched up to the fold the belt should hold itself fairly snuggly in place. The velcro would only be needed to keep the loose end from dropping out from under the belt or creeping up over the belt.

You can also substitute the stitching for rivets. They're just a little faster than stitching.

[MacWage]

What about finishing the edges??

One of the visual differences between a "casual," rough, and ready belt and a nice, "dress" belt is the edge.

On my project list is making a couple kilt belts. One of the belts is specifically for the X and the Lion buckles I go at target a while back. I would like to make a black belt, to coordinate with my X Marks (X) and my Wallace (lion) kilts.

I also need to get a brown belt set made by our own Cavscout, much better than anything I can make.

[cavscout]

Yes, the edge finishing is where many commercially made belts "save" on the cost. Have a look at most that you can buy and you will see that the edges are only dyed black and some are not even dyed. It's just a raw edge.

to finish the edge you may or may not need to bevel the corners on the front and back of each side. This gives a rounded edge that's more gentle to the touch and on the kilt.

If you need to dye the edges black, brown or whatever color, do it now.

Then take a damp cloth with warm water and wet the edge. Don't soak it but get it surface damp.

With a smooth object that will form to the edge, rub the leather in one direction. This is smoothing down all the fibers. It also provides a bit of "density" to the edge to protect against gouging or nick's.

Once the leather has dried, use Edge-Kote to seal the edge of the leather. When that's dried you can use a face cloth to burnish the edges to achieve various appearances in gloss.

The attention to detail on the edge finish is a huge part of a good looking belt.

[jordanjm]

Here is a picture of the results of my first step, It was taken with my cell phone, so its not so good.
The Widest one will be my Kilt belt. The next one is a belt for my wife, and the thinest one is a sporran strap. I have beveled all three front and back.