Yep, the thrift stores are probably my best bet, I check them out from time to time because you can often find an all leather belt for fifty cents. These I use for powder horn straps. Tandy sells a skiving tool that shaves leather, so..... you skive both sides to get to new leather, and also thin the leather somewhat. I then cut the belt lengthwise to get two straps about 5/8" wide, re-dye the leather, add a small buckle and I'm good to go, done it also for hatchet sheaths- the kind Bodmer had.
Sears has a tool belt with the right kind of buckle but I am being cheap- looking to find just the buckle. On the brass buckles, I have been told a center bar, square brass buckle is PC
but prior to the Civil War brass buckles had steel prongs (if "prong" is the correct term). Someone told me to get a large steel cotter pin, clip off one side, and you had a steel replacement.
On the belt width- just going by what looks about right in the Miller artwork. The Antoine Clement image- the one on the cover of the "1837" book by Norman Rex Allen, there the belt looks like about 1 1/4" wide. In other images 1 1/2" looks about right. It seems to me if a pistol was stuck under a belt, maybe a little wider would work better.
Everyone says the Miller work is unquestionable but to me the rifles always look more slender than they should be and you never see any saddle bags/trap sacks on any of the horses/mules.
There's another mule book, I think the title is "The Superiority of Mules" by John Hauer. He claims the mule is smarter than the horse and won't blindly follow orders and that accounts for a stubborn reputation that doesn't really exist. For example a mule may freeze if danger is present until it figures out the best option is to run. A mule wouldn't run itself to death or overeat/drink itself to death. My grandfather had a great horse that unfortunately ate itself to death. Got into the oats.
Not to totally digress, but I read of a similar "oat" story where the horse was all bloated up and in bad shape and the guy stuck it with a knife to let out the gas and then sewed the horse back up with fishing line. The horse survived.
Getting back to the belts. I'm told harness buckles are PC but I don't know for sure. These are D buckles with rollers.
Dave
rjbublitz@??? wrote:
Hi Dave, Have you checked thrift stores. Lots of neat stuff can be had at those, blankets, leather goods, knives, etc... Check for belts, etc... I comb through some of our local thrift stores when I have a little spare time. It's always 'hit or miss' , but you'd be suprised what one can find. My utility belt (strap, made by me) has a brass buckle. My smaller belt for my leggings ties has a smal iron buckle. I got this belt from Dan'l Cripps, maybe he can give some input on buckle sources.......AND the difference between a strap and a belt <s>. Yfab, Randy
--
Randal Bublitz
Life is short, paddle hard...
-------------- Original message --------------
From: David Scott <davmscot@???>
> Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems that one of the more common belt buckles was a
> square, non-clipped, center bar made of steel/iron and wide enough for a 1 1/4"
> to 1 1/2" belt.
_text
---------------------------------
Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.
