Belts...

[clark]

Where do you get them? My family and I always get our garb right at the fair but I want to start adding on to my garb now instead of in a few months. So, anyone know of some online stores that sell good belts for garb?

[chainshot]

How about this.

http://www.leatherlore.com/index2.htm

[Poldugarian Warrior]

Find a local wholesale leather shop, that's where I know a few patrons got their leather and made belts.

[Tim T]

Here's two of my favorites;

http://www.theinnerbailey.com/

http://www.ravenswoodleather.com/

Both are reputable and do good work.  Good luck!

[LadyOren]

Those are all good links, but if you looking for something you can make yourself to give it that personal touch.  Try going to a local Tack or western apparel shop, you can purchase leather blanks at various lengths.  Then tool and design it to your persona.  Tooling doesn't require a bunch of fancy tools either.  If you want basic steps for tooling on a budget just ren mail me and I'll walk you thru it,  the main tool you will need is creativity.
Peace and Blessings

[isabelladangelo]

Actually any old leather belt with simple metal buckle is fine.   The elongated ones were popular in the 15th century but most people did wear simple 1"~1 1/2" leather belts.  The whole metal ring and knotting the belt is an anachronism and doesn't seem to have actually existed in the middle ages/ Renaissance.  All the belts, so far, that I've seen do have the belt tongue.  

Most of the "fancy" metal belts I've gotten have been from the mall.  You do have to be careful to make sure it "looks" right but most accessories for outfits are easy to find in any store.  

[Margaret]

Honestly - all my belts have come from a resale shop like St. Vincent de Paul or Salvation Army.

I get a men's leather belt and just take off the straight metal bit that you would normally poke through the holes.

[LadyShadow]

We get our belts and things at Tandy Leather.  That way we can dye them the color we want and other stuff. 

[Cormac]

You can make a nice belt with materials from Tandy.  They have rings, various buckles, conchos, stamps, and dyes so you could customize your belt to your hearts desire.  A few simple tools and a little time and you are good to go.  I am mechanically declined and if I can put a belt together I would say most anyone can.

[LadyShadow]

  I am mechanically declined and if I can put a belt together I would say most anyone can.

I have to agree with you there.  That is where we learned to dye and stamp leather, mostly.  It is great learning though.

[Dinobabe]

Wal-Mart, $8, what can I say!

[Poldugarian Warrior]

All great suggestions from the others. I like the Tandy idea, I still have to visit an outlet, but I've thought that probably is the best way. Get a length your size, and rivet some rings or a buckle to it, poke holes in it or leave plain, and wrap or buckle that thing down.

[Squire Mickey]

Here is a belt I made for a friend. all of the materials where purchased at Tandy Leather. I used 2 stamps (each cost about $6) and leather dye and sealer (cost me about $10 for both bottles) The buckle was $7 all at Tandy.




Here is the same belt that I did for myself with just brown dye and sealer

[Poldugarian Warrior]

That's cool. I always wondered how they got the tooling in. How many different stamps do they carry.

[LadyShadow]

More than I care to count.  And add more sometimes.  You can buy them on their own, in sets, in kits.  Depends on what you want and are looking for.  Their online store has a lot of stuff.  You can find small bits of their stuff in Hobby Lobby and then of course the Tandy Leather stores.

[Lady Neysa]

I've found several decent belts at goodwill.  One had a nice ring buckle, all I had to do was remove the tine and it was perfect for my daughter.  Another really great belt I have is my husband's old belt that is too worn for him to use anymore, but makes a great peasant belt for my son. It's nice and long on him  and the leather is wonderfully worn and old looking.

[jcbanner]

On the topic of belts, where did this myth come from about belts not having that metal tine to held it in place?  Its a complet fabrication. 

I've seen for myself belts and belt buckes that date anywhere from the early 3rd century, through the late 15th century, and they all have that metal tine.  The only historical buckels I've seen that DONT have it are those used in sinch straps for sadles, and for the most part, those still don't use that tine.

[I. Stewart]

I don't know.  That's one of those myths that really bother me.  I find it hard to take somebody seriously if they refuse to accept that reality.  Buckles are buckles, always have been.  I have tons of pictures of historical buckles, and I've never seen one with just a ring.  Seems silly to me.

[jcbanner]

If someone prefers the ring design, I'm fine with that, I have a few belts of my own that are ring belts, I also have a few that are buckes.  but it bugs me when I have to change a belt design for someone because someone else convinced them that a buckle won't be aproved by costuming guidelines

[Poldugarian Warrior]

I would think that either style would be acceptable, because. evryone needed some way to hold up their equipment (no pun intended, get yer mind out the gutter  . I think both are cool,. Rings for peasants and soldiers, and buckles for the higher classes. Seem to be the period acceptable order they're  going by. But, I think all classes wore all styles, it just depended on how elaborately decorated these rings and or buckles were.