Belts

[Ord]

Mmm, the neatsfoot I used to use doesn't smell that bad...yours must have gone rancid

Any wax compound with a high beeswax content will do - if you can find pure beeswax, even better!

I never used neatsfoot oil before (and my previous belt "lived" 17 years), but according to other sources on the net, the unpleasant smell is a typical trait of the product. On top of that, mine could well be rancid too!

I do have some PURE beeswax, but it is in pelleted form, has to be heated to be usable (at room temperature is exactly like candle wax) and i strongly suspect it would be a bitch to apply. Any suggestion on the actual beeswax product you use (name, brand and source) would be highly appreciated. Thanks

[Ord]

My Roy X Cone contest belt by Zissou

I'm generally not a big fan of double prongs, but the vampireish looks of the buckle is definitely co0l

[mikecch]

I never used neatsfoot oil before (and my previous belt "lived" 17 years), but according to other sources on the net, the unpleasant smell is a typical trait of the product. On top of that, mine could well be rancid too!

I do have some PURE beeswax, but it is in pelleted form, has to be heated to be usable (at room temperature is exactly like candle wax) and i strongly suspect it would be a bitch to apply. Any suggestion on the actual beeswax product you use (name, brand and source) would be highly appreciated. Thanks

I use Seiwa's beeswax mix, which is beeswax mixed in with neatsfoot for easy application.

I do have a couple of solid blocks which I use if I can be bothered.

But when I use the pure stuff I'd leave the belt to 'settle' in gentle sunlight for a few days, as the heat will allow the wax to sink in better - the same trick can be done after oiling, and the result is a very smooth, very flexible leather...great technique to use if you find heavy belts uncomfortable to wear.

I think some Japanese leather workshops use a similar "sun-tan in between oiling" trick when they hand-process their leather.

I'm thinking about making my own beeswax mix, probably with neatsfoot and a few different plant oils - will put up some pics when I get around to doing it

[lazybum]

Btw...mini teaser pic of an early prototype of the belt project with Unlucky - the project belt will be called 'The Joe Hill':

More pictures and details of the belt and project will land in a couple of weeks Exciting...

Woah whats with that monstrous thread? Im not sure if i'm liking it. The buckle is pretty cool though

[mikecch]

^ That thread is hand-made from the tendon of wild Montana mule deer...the stuff is pound for pound stronger than steel, and a top quality stitch material for leather crafting.

May I ask what it is that you don't like about it? Is it the thickness? Colour?

Keep in mind this is still a rough draft (prototype), but the thickness is about just right - too thin that it won't be sturdy.

Hopefully some new pictures coming up in the next couple of weeks will show the portions of the components better.

[lazybum]

I dunno from that picture the thread looks too thick to look neat enough for my liking. It does look a bit of an overkill in my opinion, especially when there are copper rivets on top of it.

But then again I suppose it might appeal to those who prefer the rugged look

[lazybum]

I got some neatsfoot oil from Japan on ebay. Pound for pound more expensive than the stuff from the U.S., but shipping cost would've been a killer as the Americans sell it in big bottles only.

The 8 dollars (including shipping) i got will last me AGES.

A little caveat: Neatsfoot oil smells like hell and you have to leave the belt somewhere for at least 2-3 days (more is better) before you can wear it again. The smell reminds me a bit of slightly rancid chicken stock, which isn't exactly a fragrance most people like to wear

Mikecch: Any advice on a wax (to be applied as a top layer, after oiling) i can find locally in Australia would be great. I was thinking about using pure lanolin (lansinoh), but i think a wax would be much better.

Thanks in advance

Just a quick check did you get the neatsfoot oil from goodsjapan on ebay?

[mikecch]

I dunno from that picture the thread looks too thick to look neat enough for my liking. It does look a bit of an overkill in my opinion, especially when there are copper rivets on top of it.

But then again I suppose it might appeal to those who prefer the rugged look

I see!

The rivets are for central reinforcement only (keeping the two layers clamped), while the thread is what holds the edges and alignment.

[Rivet Head]

Funny conversation about the thread, because when you wear the belt you won't even see it at all....just saying...

[mikecch]

Funny conversation about the thread, because when you wear the belt you won't even see it at all....just saying...

Haha, that is true...but you know its there

Anyway, these sinew are only marginally thicker than the waxed linen threads we see on the top brands...if you're coming from polyester stitches, you'll soon find yourself wanting more plus-size threading

[Zig_Zagidy]

Can't help you guys here, sorry.

There are a few Japanese shops online selling horse leather - Mustang Paste, Seiwa, etc...

There's cheaper Chinese horse-oil available too, but haven't used them before (check 33oz.com for reviews if you read Chinese).

But a good quality (pure) neatsfoot oil will be just as good for most purposes.

Just try and avoid mink oil.

Apply one layer of oil on your raw oak-leather, let it dry in gentle sunlight or shade (wait till the colour returns to a natural tan), then apply another - a pure neatsfoot or horseoil will very, very gently darken the leather, but will not dramatically alter the colour like most mixtures/compound leather care solutions.

Repeat oil coatings as desired, checking the leather after each coating (I just did a leather check write-up on my blog, please feel free to check it out here), then coat the top with a good quality wax and give it a wipe down or brush down...DIY currying, hahahaha

Don't worry about folks who say you shouldn't oil your belts in the beginning - always oil your raw leathers before use, and a few thin layers of oil will not damage your 6mm thick oak-bark belt

Baker's oak-bark unfinished butt leather is a hungry beast - you must feed the beast!!!

I just called a local Saddle shop asking about which conditioning oils they had in stock... She stated they had several different oils available so first i asked about pure neatfoot oil they had it $12, no problem. I then asked if they had horse oil... this was followed by a awkward silence and a even more awkward "horse... oil?" then several no's. I then thanked her and hung up haha :confused: I really want to find some horse oil but this stuff must be pretty rare and pretty much unheard of in the US....

[mikecch]

^ At least you guys have plenty of neatsfoot floating around - I have trouble finding even pure neatsfoot in my locale, let alone horsey

[tropicalbird]

You're pretty much on a fool's errand. Horse oil borders the exotic, I never heard of it until mikecch mentioned it. Besides, horse derived products are kinda frowned upon in the U.S except for e.g cordovan where "the leather comes from old dead horses" myth is still being propagated. A no nonsense conditioner would be Lexol.

Not sure why mink oil is on mike's blacklist, tbh most mink oil products out there are mixed with other compounds...

[mikecch]

Not sure why mink oil is on mike's blacklist, tbh most mink oil products out there are mixed with other compounds...

Precisely because most of the 'mink oil' available aren't very good quality nor very pure.

I'm also trying out emu oil - works very well, but I can't find a cheap source at the moment...

[davichan]

Horse Oil is avail in japan,

i was instructed to use this for my horsehide jacket, you can proxy it also from Real McCoys as well..

get it here.

THE REAL McCOY'S (REAL) HORSE OIL

[Ord]

Just a quick check did you get the neatsfoot oil from goodsjapan on ebay?

Yes sir (and then some more characters to reach the number of TEN)

[Arsenal!]

4 year old Jean Shop belt, worn everyday, through biking, backpacking and all. Started off as a really light veg tanned brown, taken on a really deep burgundy with rich grain. Oiled and Obenauf-ed countless times. Soon to be replaced by "The Joe Hill".

[mikecch]

^ Lovely colour Arsenal!

Can't wait for our new belts...very soon now

[MikeS]

Mike, what is considered cheap when it comes to emu oil? the piercer at the shop I get tatted at is all about the emu for healing piercings. He gave me a shit load of it. Says 100% pure emu oil on the bottle. I may be able to buy some from him since he buys in large quantities. Lemme know what you would be willing to spend and Ill stop in there and see what I can do.

[mikecch]

^ Thanks mate, the emu farms around me are charging around $30 AUD for 100 mL - it's even more expensive than horse-oil, but that's cosmetic grade stuff.

I just need something pure for dead hide, not my face

Looking for around $10 per 100 mL.

I've sent a few e-mails asking for bigger quantities of the not so refined stuff, waiting to hear responses.

Not sure how keen they'll be though, since most of the farms also make leather care products...

[ronbiggles]

A few more photos of the belts I picked up:

Im going to sell 1 of these 2,1 plain, 1 with the 'A', not sure which yet. If anyone is interested feel free to shoot me a pm.

edit: Decided to oil my belt anyway, I actually like the sandlewood-y smell from the neatsfoot, and I definately think the slight darkening is a plus.

[mikecch]

Mike, what is considered cheap when it comes to emu oil? the piercer at the shop I get tatted at is all about the emu for healing piercings. He gave me a shit load of it. Says 100% pure emu oil on the bottle. I may be able to buy some from him since he buys in large quantities. Lemme know what you would be willing to spend and Ill stop in there and see what I can do.

Aha, I've found some for $6.50 per 100 mL!

And big thanks to Unlucky for his formulae

Shrimpy's leather paste with all Australian ingredients is coming soon

[aspanol]

Hi,

Do anyone have an ebay source for those quick release buckes!

[rayw44]

Hi,

Do anyone have an ebay source for those quick release buckes!

This auction has 5 of them left.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Belt-Buckle-Silver-coated-Quick-Release-/250762946352?pt=US_Women_s_Belts&hash=item3a62a2e730

[ronbiggles]

Yup, thats who I got 'em from, he even sent me a free one for x-mas (albeit a backwards, or upside down one)! I only just noticed the listing was/is in "womens buckles" lol, so do be careful they are the right way around, from the pic they dont look it, it seems I was lucky to even get a mans one. Apparently they are sterling silver 'coated' + quick postage too

[aspanol]

Many thanks there rayw44! Sadly they don't ship everywhere.

[rayw44]

Many thanks there rayw44! Sadly they don't ship everywhere.

Where are you located? I'd be willing to proxy for you. I think I might even have one that I'm not using.

[ronbiggles]

Do bear in mind they are for womens belts and so will be wrong for normal belt-buckle-on-left men's belts - worth checking with the seller, but as I said, I was lucky to get sent one of each.

[aspanol]

Wow! Many thanks Ray. I am based in Singapore, small country in asia. Yours would be the male version?

Thanks for the warning ron, appreciate it. does that mean that the female version cannot be used?

[rayw44]

Wow! Many thanks Ray. I am based in Singapore, small country in asia. Yours would be the male version?

Thanks for the warning ron, appreciate it. does that mean that the female version cannot be used?

Mine looks exactly like the one that guy is selling, and the one Ronbiggle posted a few pages back. It looks like it will definitely work for a men's belt. I actually think that might be the same seller I got mine from.

It lines up with the release on bottom and the prong in the correct direction.