waistbelt: easy DIY

[OC Richard]

I recently got Margaret Morrison to re-bag my Sterling Silver (hallmarked 1967) cantle by Frederick Narborough Birmingham.

Not having a waistbelt that harmonised with it, I picked up a vintage silver-plate Evening Dress buckle (probably also by FN) and quickly made a brown belt for it.

The buckle is the pattern that's been around since at least the 1930s and is designed for the purpose-made belt created to be worn with the Montrose shell jacket c1930. The buckle came with that nice patina and I'll leave it so.

The belt was quickly put together with a Horween belt blank, some Chicago screws, a small buckle (goes on the inside) and the tool that cuts the scribe-lines along the edges.

Frederick Narborough did make Sterling, and solid German Silver, hand-chased buckles which would perfectly match the sporran cantle but they're seldom seen for sale.

[OC Richard]

Here's the back showing the construction.

At top is the belt I quickly put together with Chicago screws, the only tools required are an Xacto knife, a hole punch, and the tool that cuts the scribe-lines on the edges (which aren't really necessary because many belts lack those).

I did happen to have one of the clip-things, cannibalised from a thrashed old belt I threw away.

The little buckle is from Tandy Leather, for .5 inch straps, possibly for watch straps etc.

At bottom is the vintage belt that came with the silverplate buckle. It has impressed/stamped texture and scribe-lines. The leather is quite thin, probably due to the decorative non-functional nature of the Evening belt worn with the Montrose shell jacket; in other words it's not the Victorian sturdy Dirk Belt which in addition to a dirk might have a pair of all-steel Highland pistols clipped on. (My belt is likewise quite thin; the last thing I want is bulk around my midsection!)

The belts are the standard 2.25 inch width for 20th century Evening Dress belts, as opposed to the wider 2.5 inch belts usually seen with the Victorian dirk-belt & cross-belt sets, which survive in our modern "pipers belts".

[OC Richard]

The appearance of the new petite thin decorative Evening Dress belt which I believe was introduced specifically for wear with the fewfangled "Montrose" shell jacket (that is, a jacket ending at the waist all round without skirts, tails, or tashes of any sort) here in the 1938 Rowan's Glasgow catalogue.



As opposed to the slighter wider and rather sturdier Victorian Dirk Belt which might be called upon for some heavy lifting!



The latter soldiers on in the Army, though originally purely civilian.