How wide is to wide??

[Ace Lungger]

Howdy Pards,
I am looking for some help!! I am at a point where I want to make my self a floral rig. I have downloaded a floral carving pattern from WC site, after I have enlarged it to the right lenght, it will take a 3" wide belt to fit nice and that leaves no room for any type of border. So what i am asking you all, is a 3 3/4" wide belt to wide??? Since I havn't decided what type of holsters i am going to use, I can make them around the belt! I first thought that i would make 2 crossdraw slim jims but, I don't have to!! The last couple weeks, I have been trying to figure out how we could do a forum project! But after a lot of thought, I have come to the conclusion that most of the pards on here are in the same boat I am, cash is short and most everyone can't afford to do a project, just for fun!! So I thought that I would do this rig and try to get the forum members involded.
What are your thoughts on using spots? Were spots a period correct thing to have on your rig?? As I have looked threw Packing Iron, I have seen the floral pattern dated in the 1870's. I am in hopes of dating this rig to a time line of the late 1800's.
Please feel free to jump in and ad your thoughts!
Later
ACE

[Daniel Nighteyes]

Ace,

Personally, I think that a 3 3/4" belt would hamper movement (bending, leaning to one side or the other, etc.).  It would probably function like a girdle with stays in it, and that would hurt.

Just my two-hundredths of a dollar.

-- Nighteyes

[knucklehead]

the widest belt that i made was 3" and it was a buscadero gun rig(DROP LOOP HOLSTER)

Me thinks 3" wide is the max i would go with for a belt, unless your trying to hold in the beer gut

[ChuckBurrows]

No 3 3/4" is not too wide for a late 1800's gun belt, my most popular width is 3 1/2". Belts from the mid-1880's and later, especially money belts, were often 3 1/2" on up to 5 1/2" wide.
IMO width is best determined by one's figure - those with extra wide hips or no hips at all, are generally better off with a narrower belt, but width also depends on the type - thicker belts or full lined belts are generally best in narrower widths for comfort whereas money belts made from 3/4 oz (most common weight used back when) or at most 4/5 oz can be made in the wider widths and still maintain comfort and wearability.

What are your thoughts on using spots? Were spots a period correct thing to have on your rig?? As I have looked threw Packing Iron, I have seen the floral pattern dated in the 1870's. I am in hopes of dating this rig to a time line of the late 1800's.

Yes spots are period correct, they became most popular after 1890, but there is evidence of their use even as early as the late 1860's. For the earlier dates less is more.
Floral patterns on leather is another kettle of fish - on gun leather they go back to the 1840's, but the styles were much different than those used today or after about 1895. It was about then that the styles began to change to what is commonly seen/known as floral. IMO find a holster that fits into the time period you wish (best bet is to keep it within a plus/minus two year period) and then adapt it to your belt. Then again belts were seldom carved so.........

[Kid Terico]

Ace I,m only 5'4" and I have a lot of belts 31/2. Works fine. When I do a belt that wide it has to be contoured or it will cut in your sides.The belt I made for u is a wide one . How does every thing fit on it.? KT

[Ace Lungger]

Howdy Pards,
I am much great full for the advice!! The floral Pattern that I am going to use is a fairly plane pattern, not real busy and the flowers are large and simple. If I could free hand draw, I would use a pattern that is shown to be dated 1860's. But I cannot free hand, I have to copy a pattern so I am limited to what I can attempt!! My thought was to use 8/9oz leather, I could use 3/4 and make a money belt, but I have never tried carving on the thinner stuff I have enough problem with the 8/9oz. Whether or not I get to cowboy shoot next season or not, i still wan to make a wearable floral rig. On a norm I only make stuff I can use. That seems to be a under statement since i have my rigs than I could possible use now!
I sure wished that there were others that lived close to me were it would be nice to work on a project and hear and see others thoughts face to face!! But since there is not, I have to ask these questions on the forum.
Chuck, thank you for the info, and I will do my best to stay inside those guidelines.
TK, the rig you made me fits like a glove, so I guess that answers my own question!!
Hope fully I can post more info when i get started!
Thanks again everyone.
ACE

[Freedom]

Pakin iron has a couple pics of really wid belts... one of them is 5 1/2 inches!! I think it carried a double row of cartridges. Not sure if a pistol was carried on the belt in the pic or not??

[Kid Terico]

Ace heres a rig of mine thats 41/4 inch. wide. Works fine but it is contoured. Granted contour is not period correct but looks fine. KT

[Ace Lungger]

Howdy KT,
I don't know why I turn your intials around? That is a very cool looking rig! Man has it turned cool here I am sure it isn't anything like you get, but I don't like the cold anymore!!! I used to live for winter time, but ever since I hurt my back the cold just KILLS me
I was sure hoping that others would post to this so I would get more input. I went back about a 150 pages in show your stuff and I saw a holster that CB posted, I realy like the old time looking floral pattern he put on it. Since I am in no hurry I am going to so more research before I start my next project. What I have found is that if I have something I am working on I don't think about how bad my back hurts, I still know it hurts but it seem to block some of it out!
I welcome any suggestion, as I have stated before, I wished that you all lived closer to me, it would be great to sit and  talk shop! The only person that lives close is DC and I hate to bother him, because his leather work is his living, mine is just playing.
Please feel free to ad any comments.
Later
ACE

[Gun Butcher]

Ace, what I use to do to make a pattern was to trace the elements that I wanted from different patterns to make them fit on the piece i was working on. Sometimes you can take one pattern and use all of the elements in it to make another pattern just by moving them to different places on your new pattern. Try different tracings until you find the one that is most pleasing to your eye and fits your piece the best. I hope this helps. GB

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

      Hoowdy Brother Ace 


           If you're worried about making a belt that is too wide, don't, I have one money belt that is over 3 1/2" wide, and I love it, all my ranger style gun belts are 3" wide, but I'm a big pard and my girth is in proportion with a wider belt, that is something you need to think about, but it's no biggy, you can always make a wide belt with a tapered tongue and chafe, which would make bending over or sitting more comfortable, as far as holster fitting, that's not a problem either, you can just add more drop if necessary, if you're going to do a carving on the belt, you will want to stay with your heavier leather, and not money belt weight, that's why you don't/didn't see too many tooled money belts, the leather is too thin, here's a picture of a money belt and holsters I made a while back, the belt is just a little over 3 1/2" wide, and I made the drop in the holsters to accommodate the belt.

                  Good luck with this Pard,ill look forward to seeing a new master piece from you.

                                        tEN wOLVES     

[JD Alan]

ACE, I turn KT around too from time to time, so don't sweat it. I try to proof read my posts because I'm such a sloppy typist. I turn things around all the time; sometimes I catch it, sometimes I don't.

You've received lots of good advice on belt widths from people with way more knowledge and experience than I have, but I'm going to weigh in anyway. I think personal preference; where the guy wears his belt and the build of the shooter are all important things to consider.

Considering how I wear my belt, anything wider than 3 inches is too wide to be comfortable for me, but then I wear my belt pretty low, sort of "In the Lower Hemisphere" as a friend with a similar build says.

I'm sure you'll figure out what works best for you.

[Kid Terico]

TW where did u buy that belt and holster?  Just kidding . That is one darn NICE rig . I really like it . Great job. KT

[JD Alan]

10 Wolves, that is indeed a very cool rig you made. When I look at it and see the stitching on the belt, knowing you stitch by hand, I think "Man Alive, how long did that take him?" Those stitches look very precise, really a pro job all the way around. Thanks for the inspiration, JD   

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

    Thanks for the kind words JD, it does take a spell to get everything sewed, but even with my bum hand I enjoy it, it just takes me longer, one thing about this craft, is no matter what your physical condition is, we all seem to be able to make leather crafting work for us, and sense I've been doing it, my dexterity in my hand has improved, WC was right about it being therapeutic.

                              JD we're all looking forward to seeing your next project

                                       

                                          tEN wOLVES 

[cowboywc]

Howdy JD
The nice thing about hand sewing is you can sit and watch a good western and no machine to drown out the TV.
My Black rig was all hand sewn and it didn't take that long.
WC

[JD Alan]

Well, I can hear the TV when hand sewing, but I need to keep my eyes on what I'm doing, so I don't really see much going on!. 'Course, I've watched some of the westerns so many times, I don't need to see what's going on to follow the story, and can usually say the line before the cowboy does!

[cowboywc]

Howdy Pal
It won't be long you'll be watchin more of the TV and lookin less at the sewing.
WC