Belts
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Thanks, Giles.
Here are some belts from my collection both still fit but only on the first or second hole and not on the third as they should. Shame on me! That's why I am on the look out for some replacement belts.
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The black belt is about 17 years old. Worn very often. It is by John Egenes, Beltmaker of Santa Fe. Still in wonderful shape. Too bad I'm too fat now.
The buckle you see on it is a recent Christmas present from my GF. It's a sterling silver buckle inlaid with semi-precious stones by the famous Zuni artist Ernie Ohmsatte. I'm very proud of it.The brown lizard belt is a Lucchese belt that I bought at the same time as the black belt. The buckle set on it is also sterling. Heavy as all out. It's by Douglas Magnus of Santa Fe.
The buckle above is from Sky West in Albuquerque. It's solid brass inlaid with wood and bone. If you look closely you can see tiny brass stars in the sky. I bought it at the McDonald Observatory here in Texas. Wasn't even very expensive. The belt is a double bridle leather belt which is very soft yet sturdy. It feels similar to cordovan leather when you handle it but it's cow. I got it about five or six years ago from a belt maker in the Marais in Paris. It was around the same price as Tanner belts. I use that super often and the edge finish is still fully intact.
To finish up, a pic from a silver buckle and bracelet set that's waiting also for a new strap. I got the bracelet in 1990 somewhere between Santa Fe and Taos. It is signed by Tom Hawk, which is a nice anagram (tomahawk). I later found out that he is quite a famous Navajo silversmith and this is his trademark design, except that it's rare to get one with 8 lines. I found the buckle about three years later by hazard in Santa Fe, too. It is hallmarked LT but I don't know who made it. It fits the bracelet perfectly.
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Enjoy!
Till
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Just saw the new Samurai tan belt on the BiG site - 245 $. I just can't wrap my head around it.
Till: what is you who had a pic up wearing a super, really SUPER thick brown belt?.. I think the story of who-ever posted that was that he got it in Paris. And that the salesgirl wanted a good spanking. Oh I remember the details quite vigorously!..
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Seul, that was me. It was the Berlin sales girl at Manufactum that wanted a spanking but "not with that belt".
It's the Kreis ox leather belt he makes for manufactum. You can order it at manufactum in the UK and in Germany. I think it's around 90-100 Euros.
Will have to look up that Samurai belt. It better be real nice at that price.
Till
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If you happen to be between two sizes, choose the larger one. Just because it's so super thick. It will soften up quite nicely within a couple of months and you can accelerate the process by just bending it but this is clearly a belt you don't want to wear too tight and hope that it stretches.
Also, I wouldn't put any leather care product on it. Just some spray like you put on shoes but not Obenauf cream or polish or mink oil or whatever. The color is gorgeous as it is and it darkens only a little bit. -
http://www.manufactum.de/Produkt/194025/1405721/GuertelOchsenleder.html
This is the direct link. Width is 4cm and that is correct. I measured it. Where did you see any oxblood belts on the manufactum site? I just looked and couldn't see any. The ox part of it is that the leather is from an ox, as opposed to a cow, which is why it's so thick. Men need a thicker skin. LOL!
Till
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I just got this bad boy for anyone who might not have seen it. It is really intense! I am sure there will be some skepticism from some but I really do like it.
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It's a beautiful belt, no doubt at all. I also really like the buckle. It's the price that makes me swallow hard. I mean for the same price you can get a sterling silver buckle and a custom made strap with double bridle leather, all of which made by craftsmen in the US. It would be a unique piece and not one of 100, which is already good, of course. But, as y'all know by now, I'm a sucker for price/value comparisons. Oftentimes value is subjective but if you take the example of a cast pewter buckle and an semi-precious stone inlaid sterling silver buckle, then add a single layer strap without stitching compared to a double layer strap with stitching, the latter should objectively win. Yet if you like the simpler belt better, your choice is made. I've made similar choices for stereo equipment but even then I kept the relative price/value in mind. Just that the absolute price/value was rather screwed.
