Another Day, Another Repair.
This repair, was to replace 2 belts that were beyond use and safe to say, have had better days. Much better days.
When I saw the photos, they were in a bad way. Buckle holes blown out, stitching also blown out, lining frayed and semi-decomposed, the reinforcement had crumbled and was mush. They were past being usable.
Despite their 30-plus years of wear, the original hardware was salvagable. Upon closer inspection, the solid brass buckles were crafted by the renowned Italian hardware manufacturer, MCM.
Choosing to preserve the original MCM buckles, I envisioned a rejuvenation that would honor their enduring legacy. With materials in hand, the restoration began! I utilized a natural vegetable tanned lining I had that would pair nicely as a belt lining.
The mock crocodile on calfskin came in quite thin at 0.8mm which isn't a bad thing but it just meant that the belts thickness was just over 2mm. This is quite thin for a belt, normally 3mm is ideal. However, some people prefer a slimmer belt and because this is reinforced and lined, strength won't be an issue.
Moving onto the Dollaro, this leather comes from the tannery Walpier. They are world famous for their vegetable tanned skins and are considered some of the best leather you can use for making.
The texture of Dollaro is unique. It has a heavy grain, soft touch but still keeps some rigidity in the structure. It creases easily, stitches great and isn't too much trouble for other technical applications. Because this is a vegetable tanned leather, it will age quite well throughout use and darkener further.
As always, the saddle stitch method is deployed for longevity, despite it taking more time than machine sewing.
Enjoy the photos and I hope you found this post interesting.