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Deeply Embossed Belts with Hand-Carved Designs

Our new belts are deeply embossed on premium 8/9 oz vegetable shoulders with a minimum length. of 42”. These carving designs were developed with many of the finest leather craftsmen in the USA. Most belts run 46” - 54” long and are 1 1/2” wide.

These belts are available full length undyed only. Belt dying instructions are available below.

Some Techniques for Dyeing of Leather

Block Dyeing - Wrap a folded piece of cloth around a small block of wood. Fasten the cloth in place with staples or brads. Dip a wool dauber into some dye and apply to the cloth on the block. By rubbing lightly in long strokes on the belt, some good effects can be achieved on embossed and plain leather straps.

Spraying - This requires some equipment. Spray gun, compressor, hoses, etc. Spraying gives good results for shading and overall even application of dye.

Cloth and Finger - Wrap a piece of cloth (cotton works best) around your index finger. Dip your finger into some dye and apply to belt. By blotting out excess dye on another piece of cloth you can control the amount of dye to go on the belt and produce a shadding effect. This technique works well for dyeing embossed blanks because you can apply dye to small areas. It is suggested you wear rubber gloves for this technique.

Highlighting of the belt can be achieved by applying lacquer to the belt before applying dye. Avoid lacquered area when applying dye. After dyeing the belt a coating of finish will bring out the highlights.

Final protective finishes for the belt include lacquer, acrylics, neatsfoot oil and waxes. These will give finishes that are glossy, semi-gloss, etc. Possible finished for the edge of belts include edge enamel, burnishing wax and edge dye.

Different kinds of leather have characteristics all their own. No two leathers will give the same results when dyed. It is suggested that you test colors and techniques on a scrap piece of leather.