This view shows how the billet will be positioned on the finished belt. Notice the amount of overlap of this splice in the area where I did not bevel the edge of the belt strip.
Here
I am
laying out the other billet on the opposite end of the belt. This has
to be laid out in the proper place to give me the finished length that
I want. I then split or skive off that end of the belt strip under the
billet the same way that I did on the opposite end. I put marks on the
belt strip at the point of the belt billets end at this time because I
am going to be stamping a design into the belt between the billets.
I
have now dampened the leather with water to make it soft for stamping
and have stamped my Inca pattern between where the billets will mount.
Look here for a better view of this stamped
design.
While
I am
letting that dry I dye the billets black and put edge Kote on the
edges. On the billets I have only beveled the top corners of the edges
because I don't want an under cut where they mate to the belt strip. 
Now
that the
leather has dried I apply a coating of Neatsfoot oil in the center
section of the belt and flex it and work it into the leather for a more
supple belt. I do not apply oil to the skived area because I am going
to be using glue there.
The next step is
to dye the belt medium brown. Again I try to stay off the area where I
will be applying glue. 
The
next step
is to apply an acrylic sealer to keep the dye from coming off on
clothes. When that is dry I apply a wax finish to obtain the shine I
want. This wax will continue to protect the belt and can be buffed to
remove minor scuffs. This happens almost automatically with use during
the break in process.
After
applying all these products the leather is soft. While I am waiting for
the finish to dry I switch the machine over to the wheat color thread.
Here you can see that I have changed the bobbin and will now change the
top thread. On the side are a couple custom belts that were sewn with
the black thread.
You
can see that I have sewn the edges of the belt with the wheat thread
and have reskived the ends to remove any wax, oil, or finish. I have
applied
cement to the split surfaces and a piece of double sided tape to the
billet end where it will mate with the finished part of the belt. After
I peal off the release paper it will hold the billet end in position
while I sew it down.
This
makes a
big change in the look! Ok, what I have done here is to cement the
billet in position and have trimmed it to the finished size. Now the
tongue is
back to the original thickness. The same thing is done to the other end of the belt.
I have
now beveled and finished the edges of the tongue, punched holes and
fitted the silver tip. The next step is to remove the tip and stitch
the edges of the billet with black thread.
This
is the
view of the back of the belt after stitching on the billet. Notice that
the back is all one piece of leather. What we have done is not really a
splice, it's an inlay of leather on the top ends of the belt.
Here
is the
finished belt with the buckle attached. I'm sorry that I didn't get a
better picture, in better light, before I shipped it. When it's done
it's
in the box and on it's way. It's a really nice belt and while I did
think that it was too complicated to offer on my website, customer
demand was there, so I now offer it in a slightly modified form on the
Ranger belt page at: LeatherGoods
Connection.comOr, now that I've shown you how to make it, you can make your own instead.
Some of these
products were used
to make this belt. The Tan Kote is an alternative finish and can be
used on some leathers to repair scuffs and wear. The dry cleaner is
exactly that, dry cleaning fluid. It is used for removing stains on a
wide variety of materials including some leathers.These products and leather strips and buckles for making your own belts are available here.
Want to learn more? Check out these links. Make a leather Handbag Make a Leather Backpack Or, Have a Custom Belt Made with your choice of options.