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To make a belt stronger and nicer it should be stitched.
A groove was cut along the edge and the holes were marked with an overstitch wheel.
I made the holes with an awl.
This is a nylon thread number 150.
It is not waxed and for hand stitching it should be waxed.
I used this thread for a test. And actually one shouldn't do so.
A waxed thread is preferred. And usually I use linen thread, not the nylon one.
Wax on a thread is important to 'lock' threads inside the holes.
We start sewing with two needles using saddle stitch.
The needles must be blunt. You can buy blunt needles for hand stitching.
But in this case I needed very thin needles, so I used two regular ones and blunted and polished their points.
Saddle stitch is the most durable stitch. Both threads go through each hole, and if one breaks, the other will keep the bond.
To make the thread look nice, it is important to go through each hole in the same order.
No matter if you start from the front or the back side of the leather, no matter if one thread passes over the other.
But it is very important to remember the order how you did the first stitch and repeat it every time in the same sequence.
It is important to tighten each stitch with the same strength.
You can wear sport gloves to prevent damaging your finger skin during stitching. Then it'll be easier to tighten the thread.
This video was taken on my work table, so you can see that the belt is moving and while stitching, I need to hold it in place.
This is very inconvenient. To stitch faster, it is preferred to have stitching pony or stitching horse.
Those made as two wooden planks with a clip that hold your item like a vise.
Then while stitching you do not need to think about and be distracted by holding your item, and it greatly increases the stitching speed.
Belt loops, after they dried up after painting, antiquing and protective layers, were also stitched along both edges.
Now I'm stitching them with a waxed linen thread.
These belt rings have no definite shape.
Many belts use ring like these. But to make our product look better, I will change their form.
Immersing the ring into the water, waiting a minute until it absorbs water.
Taking a wooden bar the same width as our belt.
It should have right angles on both sides, and it is cut at an angle.
I put the ring on the bar and pull it slightly. Leaving it in this position until it is completely dry.
Now the wet leather is pliable, but when it dries, it will remember the shape and look more elegant and pretty.
And of course, the wooden bar needs some good sanding. I shouldn't use a bar as one you've seen in this video.