Oakside Saddlery

The West End leather belt must be one of my favourite belts. I have two of these belts myself. One made from 1 1/2 inch wide, Australian nut bridle leather, with white stitching fitted with a stainless steel West End buckle. I use this belt every day on my jeans and it still looks as good now as when I first made it - even if I do say so myself!

The second West End leather belt I have uses a Nickel buckle. This one is more subdued, made from black bridle leather and stitched in black. This belt is 1 inch wide (25mm) and used on my suit trousers. It does not get a lot of use as I only ever wear my suit at weddings and funerals!

The Buckle

The West End buckle is a simple but stylish design. The stainless steel buckle is quite substantial and being stainless steel will not rust or discolour so is perfect for hard wearing, everyday use. the Nickel buckle has a softer, burnished look to it. It is more mellow in nature and is superb for your suit and office attire. The Brass West End buckle is another buckle that is splendid for either jeans or casual trousers. Brass will not rust but it will dull if not used regularly. The brass buckle can easily be polished to a high shine if required.

Stitching

No rivets or sewing machines used here! This belt is hand stitched using linen thread. I use a heavy thread stitched at 7 stitches to the inch, anything thinner in width than 1 inch I may stitch at 10 stitches to the inch and use a thinner thread.

Leather

I use bridle leather for all of my belts and the West End Belt is no exception. The edges have a nice bevelled edge ensuring that the belt passes through your trouser loops smoothly. A crease line runs around the outside edge.

Loop

A fixed leather loop is stitched in behind the buckle. This loop holds the point of the leather belt keeping it tidy. A leather running loop can be added if you need to further control the point. These loops are blocked square and also have a nice creased edge.

Holes

The length of the belt that you order will be from the inside edge of the buckle to the middle hole. I hand punch five oval holes, the one in the middle that you should be using and two holes either side to make it look even. The oval holes help keep the leather flat once your belt is buckled up.

So there you have it!

My West End hand made leather belt.

Definitely my favourite belt!

Order yours to day!

Si

www.oaksidebelts.co.uk

www.oaksidesaddlery.co.uk