trim up leather belt

mendozer · February 26, 2014, 03:39 PM

I found a sweet thick leather belt at a thrift store recently, 2" wide. It'll make a good gun belt BUT all my belt loops are 1.5" and while my holster technically fits it, it's very tight (Galco).

How can I properly trim this down? I cut a little slit to see and when cutting into the black leather, it exposes the brown inside on the "new" edge. Will I need to re-seal this to make it weatherproof or is it ok?

Roughedge · February 27, 2014, 05:05 PM

Put the belt up against something stright and then put a stright edge on top of it and cut stright up and down. Get some black leather sealer and finish it off.

mendozer · February 27, 2014, 10:15 PM

ok so i will need a sealer then.

Can that be found at a fabric store?

SIGSHR · February 28, 2014, 12:38 AM

I would try a shoe repair/cobbler's shop for sealer and other leather care products.

Cowboy_mo · February 28, 2014, 10:16 PM

Don't know where you're from but my advice would be to look for a saddle shop. Take the belt there and let someone with a lot of experience cut the belt down and dress the new edge for you.

The cutting part can be tricky to keep perfectly even over the entire length of a belt. You could also find the right dressing there should you decide to do it yourself.

In a real pinch, you could also just find a dark liquid shoe polish to use as an edge dressing.

CitizenT · March 20, 2014, 03:46 PM

You need a good firm straightedge, and very sharp razor blades. Take a one eight inch strip from each side. Dress the edges to a rounded profile with abrasive. Die the edges. Finish the edges with beeswax and buff with wool or terry cloth.

Kreyzhorse · March 20, 2014, 05:27 PM

If it isn't made as a gun belt, it is going to sag on you sooner rather than later. Thrift belt so no issue, but I would think that leaving it at 2" might give you some better support especially if you carry a heavier gun.

February 26, 2014, 03:39 PM	#1
mendozer Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2013 Posts: 235	trim up leather belt I found a sweet thick leather belt at a thrift store recently, 2" wide. It'll make a good gun belt BUT all my belt loops are 1.5" and while my holster technically fits it, it's very tight (Galco). How can I properly trim this down? I cut a little slit to see and when cutting into the black leather, it exposes the brown inside on the "new" edge. Will I need to re-seal this to make it weatherproof or is it ok?

February 27, 2014, 05:05 PM	#2
Roughedge Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2011 Location: Monroe,NC Posts: 669	Put the belt up against something stright and then put a stright edge on top of it and cut stright up and down. Get some black leather sealer and finish it off. __________________ The man that die's with the most stuff win's!

March 20, 2014, 05:27 PM	#7
Kreyzhorse Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Location: NKY Posts: 12,463	If it isn't made as a gun belt, it is going to sag on you sooner rather than later. Thrift belt so no issue, but I would think that leaving it at 2" might give you some better support especially if you carry a heavier gun. __________________ "He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson

February 27, 2014, 10:15 PM	#3
mendozer Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2013 Posts: 235	ok so i will need a sealer then. Can that be found at a fabric store?

February 28, 2014, 12:38 AM	#4
SIGSHR Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2005 Posts: 4,700	I would try a shoe repair/cobbler's shop for sealer and other leather care products.

February 28, 2014, 10:16 PM	#5
Cowboy_mo Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2010 Location: Missouri Posts: 1,039	Don't know where you're from but my advice would be to look for a saddle shop. Take the belt there and let someone with a lot of experience cut the belt down and dress the new edge for you. The cutting part can be tricky to keep perfectly even over the entire length of a belt. You could also find the right dressing there should you decide to do it yourself. In a real pinch, you could also just find a dark liquid shoe polish to use as an edge dressing.

March 20, 2014, 03:46 PM	#6
CitizenT Junior Member Join Date: March 17, 2014 Posts: 1	You need a good firm straightedge, and very sharp razor blades. Take a one eight inch strip from each side. Dress the edges to a rounded profile with abrasive. Die the edges. Finish the edges with beeswax and buff with wool or terry cloth.