buffalo hunters cartridge belt

[buckskin billy]

howdy yall.
a while back someone posted a picture of a original buffalo hunters cartridge belt and i felt inspired to re-create it.
i copied it as best as i could from the picture just never did get around making the suspenders. belt made to fit the 44-2 1/4 sbn(44-77).
pictured is my tried and true old 3rd generation navy colt and my c.sharps rifle. the beaded knife sheath is brain tan dyed with orchard eath paint and lined with raw hide was made by my swedish brother red thunder. i made meat the first time i took this rifle and belt out. oh yeah they're keepers

[rbertalotto]

BEAUTIFUL!

I just bouight a canvas belt for my 45-70 this past weekend. Came in handy at the Buffalo Shoot up in Harvard Mass.

[Ranch 13]

Billy, up in Miles City at the old Cogshalls saddlery, they have a museum up on the second floor. There they have in a display case a belt very similar to what you made, but on that one there is also a set of "carry" handles so it could be hand carried like a briefcase or such.
The makers stamp on it says it was made in Milestown Mt, so they date it to pre 1880.
Nice jobe on yours , looks real nice.

[Caleb Hobbs]

Great job, Billy. I like your work.

[buckskin billy]

thanks yall

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Hi

What a great thread!

This is getting my juices going to get my own cartridge belt done ....

This is going to be my own creation based loosely on Tom Sellecks in 'Quigly Down Under' and this antique belt:



I also liked this belt bag from October Country at 4 X 6 inches and somewhat gusseted, the bag could either hold a bunch of caps and black powder stuff (or all that anachronistic stuff one feels naked without ... like one's wallet, cell phone, etc.)

I am going to wear it on my cartridge belt (I had one made wide enough for a buffalo cartridge belt ... no extra charge ... who'd a thunk it?)

http://www.octobercountry.com/products/OC-Courier-Belt-Bag.html#

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Hi again,

At $2.00-2.50 a shell, I think that I can stand to lose the 6" of belt space ... I should still have room for about 20 plus cartridge loops, even with the courier bag on the belt ...

[Skyrider]

Now that is a very nice looking setup! I too want to get a belt or three made, one for the 45/120 and 2 others for a couple of big bore rifles. The one is a 500-Jeffery and the other is a .470-Capstick.

[WaddWatsonEllis]

skyrider,

Sewing the cartride loops by hand is a real b#@*h ... If I had anyone who would make one, I would have had them do it .....

But the best price for the quality that I have seen is by David Carrico.... I would just ask him for his .45 Scout Belt with longer loops ... Scroll down to see a pic and description of the belt ...

http://www.carricoleather.com/oldwestleather.html

[ChuckBurrows]

Wadd where did you get that pic of the "antique" belt. The reason I ask is the stamping pattern on the buckle billet is not antique - it's made up of a couple of Tandy stamps. Looks to be inspired by some originals but.....

As for making such a belt I do and will sew loops no problem although I charge extra for them rather than for the woven loops since  sew only by hand..........

Billy - great rig and the original belt has been shown in at least a couple of books and was part of an entire documented buffalo hunters outfit that was up for auction a while back - here's a pic of the belt with suspenders from James Rosa's book "Guns of the American West"



and here's the whole outfit

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Chuck,

I got the pic from another SASS member ... I assumed it was antique because of the Verdigris on the threads ... Mea Culpa ... kinda reminds me of that old military saying about what happens when you 'assume'...

Any way, got the first cartridge loop sewn tonight ... gonna try to get one a night until it is done. Then plan to take it to a local saddle maker (who uses  a machine) to first put a suede backing on it and then do all the edging ....

Anyway, that is the plan ....*S*

[ChuckBurrows]

Thanks for the reply and yep as my Granpapa stated assume most times = make an ass out of you and me......    

[Tascosa Joe]

Chuck:
I am glad you called our attention to the rosette, I never thought about using a pear shader in combination with that flower stamp to make a larger rosette.  Duh! 

I have a question about the original belt, the D rings for the suspenders--are they sewn or rivetted to the belt?  I cannot tell from either picture. 

T-Joe

[Skyrider]

Mr. Ellis looks like you did an outstanding job with the needle and thread! My hands and fingers are such I would have to have a miracle done by Christ before I could attempt such work.

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Skyrider,

I can only hope that mine ends up looking as nice as my photo inspiration did .... and yuh never know, the Big Guy is still working those miracles ...

[ChuckBurrows]

Chuck:
I am glad you called our attention to the rosette, I never thought about using a pear shader in combination with that flower stamp to make a larger rosette.  Duh! 

I have a question about the original belt, the D rings for the suspenders--are they sewn or rivetted to the belt?  I cannot tell from either picture. 

T-Joe

Looks to me like the d-rings were mounted with a strip sewn in between the two layer of the belt - anyway that's one way I've made them.

As for the rosette the three stamps look to me to be Craftool:
J816 Flower for the center and rather than a pair shader the outer ring is a sunburst - either N300 or the slightly larger one 300 which is apparently discontinued

The reason I recognized it is I have done rosettes in a similar style with
the discontinued J787 8 petal flower, with a J615 flower center, and the 300 or N300 sunburst.

I've also used pear shaders for rosettes though
Here;s just one example where I used the smaller 6 petal flower in the center with an N720 Sunburst along the outer edge of the petals, then about 1 1/8" -1 1/4" from the center I draw a circle and along the outer edge I use the same N72o sunburst. On the inside curve of the sunburst I then use a pear shade


If you look through the website you'll see variations on the same theme like this one - where I added some straight lines where the outer sunbursts meet - this is one from my Frontier Holsters DVD

[Tascosa Joe]

Awesome.

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Hi,

I bought one of Will Ghormley's 1 1/2" flower stamps that he uses for his Frank James holsters I will have to play with the Tandy stamps that I have to see if any enlarges it ... then again at 1 1/2" it might be large enough without any extra stamping

http://www.willghormley-maker.com/StampsAndTools.html

[Caprock Louis]

Do not have cartridge belt however I had a bandelero made.  It is cool beyond description however I rarely wear it as it is so heavy when I include shells. holds 60.  I do not know how they wore TWO bandeleros of those in the movies.  Looks good but when you have a pair of them and a Sharps one needs to workout to take them out hog hunting..Lost deep in the heart of Texas

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Caprock,

I figure 20-25 will be enough ... if I shoot more than that at one setting, I would imagine both my shoulder and wallet (at $2.00-$2.50/shell) would be hurting ... *S* and historcally, I am not sure that the hunters fired off more than 20-25 shot per day ....




TTFN,