Crafting a Handmade Natural Leather Belt: A Beginner's Journey

During the beginning of the new year, I took it upon myself to progress my Leather crafting skills and began delving into belt making. I had only been making card holders at that point and beginning to learn Adobe Illustrator for Pattern Making. I invested in a few strips of leather from a supplier called 'Beamhouse Leather'. The owner is called Jared and he is a great guy to deal with, so I would recommend you check out his shop for supplies!

 

  

 

I chose a 38mm Bridle Blank in 'Natural'. It's from the 'Butt' of the Cow and is the strongest part of the animal' hence it makes for a great belt. I choose this colour because I knew it would take a unique patina exceptionally fast due to it being un-dyed and exposed to the elements.

 

I made this not knowing much about leather weights/thicknesses so as you can see from the above photo, I didn't skive any of the flesh side to make the belt any thinner. It wasn't the end of the world, however it just meant that it was much harder to rivet the rivets in place. It has since moulded to my waist and is my go to belt.

 

As you can see, this photo was taken exactly a year after I had made it. The 21st of January 2021.

 

 

It really has garnered a wonderful toffee brown tinge, amongst stains from washing my hands and other daily activities. I think it has gotten better with age.