Lining a Belt with Suede

[JD Alan]

Howdy guys. I'm about to line a gun belt with suede; something I've not before. It's at the end user's request.

I want to use the same leather for the belt as for the holsters to keep the color and feel of the leather pretty much the same.

My shooter is currently using an unlined belt of very supple 9/10 leather, 3 inched wide. It's an old rig he started out with, but he really likes the lightweight belt. It supports the two holsters with New Vaquers just fine.

The leather I'm using for the whole rig is 6/7 Herman Oak. I've decided to line the holsters with the same 6/7 leather as the front

The suede I have, and all I've seen at Tandy is 5 oz. It's going to be a ranger belt, and I'm just guessing at this point that it will be heavy enough.

Any suggestions on using suede as opposed to anything you'd line a belt with? Anything I need to do differently that with veg tan?

Thanks, and may God bless you this Christmas season. JD     

[Trailrider]

I occasionally get such requests, and use about the same leather as you do.  I recommend gluing the suede to the back of the belt with a good leather cement.  Groove the edges of the topgrain side, and also make a diamond pattern from one edge stitch line to the other.  This will keep the suede from separating from the outer layer, but might make it too stiff. Best experiment with a scrap piece.  I then stitch the cartridge loops and the tongue and buckle billet to the body going all the way through both layers.  Best of luck with the project.

Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

[Boothill Bob]

JD. I suggest you do the lining wider than the belt and glue it and sew as TrailRider said, then you can clean the edges. It is difficult to fit  the lining nicely if you make the lining as wide as the belt ..
Merry Christmas to you ..

[JD Alan]

Thanks Trailrider and Boothill Bob, I appreciate both of you weighing in on this.

I've done a little experimenting as suggested and found it pretty simple. I cut the suede wider, just as I would lining a holster, then trimmed it. I glued it real good and wondered how it would stitch, but that was fine also.
I wondered if I should sew the billet on after I lined it, so thanks for thinking of that before I asked Trailrider.

I'm wondering if the 6/7 Herman Oak is heavy enough for the billet. Any thoughts on that? 

Thanks guys

[Slowhand Bob]

JD, I have had problems with suede turning loose at the edges in the past but not so much with the body area of the belt.  I do the step of glueing around the edges, to about a 1/2" in, and letting it dry before reglueing and clamping.  I usually use 8-9oz leather for the billet but will say that two pieces of 4-5oz laminated, ruff to ruff, makes a nice looking deluxe version.  I used to use 8-9oz for the chape and thin it at the buckle slot but now I just use 6-7oz as an add on chape and so far no complaints.  MERRY CHRISTMAS

[JD Alan]

My reason for using the 6/7 for the cape or billet is to keep the color as close a match as possible. I think I'm going to color test some 8/9 for that part of the belt to see if it's close enough.

Thanks and Merry Christmas back at ya! 

[Trailrider]

I usually use 7/8 oz topgrain for the tongue, and 4/5 oz for the billet, which doubled over on itself to hold the buckle comes out 8/10 oz.  (Usually I use a vernier micrometer calipers.  For 4/5 oz, I like the leather between .070-078".  Double that and you get effectively 9/10 oz.

Merry Christmas!