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making a gladiator belt - Printable Version

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making a gladiator belt - jvrjenivs - 03-08-2008

Okay, after I had all parts ready for some time, today I started assembly my Samnite/Gladiator belt. Here some pics of the progress.

Thanks to Christian Koepfer for giving me some tips and his Fabrica Augustana which made the belt hooks.

The belt hooks are from Christians Fabrica Augustana. The sheet is 5 cm width.

First I started to drill holes, 5 mm apart along 3 borders of the sheet.
I used a standing drilling machine with a wooden device to hold the belt in place and get the holes aligned well.

[Image: drilling2.jpg]

After drilling all the holes I filed them all, so the rope wouldn't break due to sharp edges, and located where the hooks needed to come.

Drilled the holes and rivetted them onto the beld.

[Image: hooks1.jpg]

[Image: hooks2.jpg]

Next to do is to drill holes for the hooks to close the belt and sew a leather backing to it, but that has to wait.


Re: making a gladiator belt - hephestus - 03-08-2008

Great work.


Re: making a gladiator belt - tiberivs - 03-09-2008

Looking great, where did you get the hooks


Re: making a gladiator belt - Martin Moser - 03-09-2008

Good work, Jurjen!



Quote:Looking great, where did you get the hooks

Quote:Thanks to Christian Koepfer for giving me some tips and his Fabrica Augustana which made the belt hooks.



Re: making a gladiator belt - caiusbeerquitius - 03-09-2008

Well done, Jurjen! Smile


Re: making a gladiator belt - Robert Vermaat - 03-09-2008

Looking neat!


Re: making a gladiator belt - Medusa Gladiatrix - 03-09-2008

Wouldn't it be easier to attach the leather first to the belt and then drill the holes and attach the hooks? At least this is how we have done it on our belts.


Re: making a gladiator belt - jvrjenivs - 03-09-2008

Quote:Wouldn't it be easier to attach the leather first to the belt and then drill the holes and attach the hooks? At least this is how we have done it on our belts.

Hi Svenja, I've thought about that too. But, as I see it, the leather backing is to protect your body. There are two parts of the belt that can hurt you. The edge and the hooks. As the hooks go through the sheet of metal you want to drill those holes before stitching the leather on.

Secondly the leather backing will not cover the hook area on mine, but if it would, I also would say you don't want those rivets come through the leather and thus want to have attached them before the leather backing is added to the belt.


Re: making a gladiator belt - Medusa Gladiatrix - 03-09-2008

Quote:Secondly the leather backing will not cover the hook area on mine, but if it would, I also would say you don't want those rivets come through the leather and thus want to have attached them before the leather backing is added to the belt.

OK, for the hooks it's understandable. But nonetheless you want to sew the leather on, for that you need holes and it's easier to sew it on through holes drilled through leather - metal - leather. I can imagine that it must be too hard with the awl to find the hole in the leather because they should be matching. With drilling the holes through all those layers you don't need the awl to do the holes in the leather.


Re: making a gladiator belt - jvrjenivs - 03-09-2008

Ah, now I see your point. You mean all the holes along the edges. That's true. But I don't think that's going to be a problem. All holes are aligned with the one on the leater, but I will see next week, when I gonna sew it on.


Re: making a gladiator belt - Caivs Molinarivs Blandvs - 03-10-2008

The half-round rived heads on the front are bromidic...

For to rived, you must build an rived-tool! Then it looks better.

See the picture from my belt


Re: making a gladiator belt - Tarbicus - 03-10-2008

Quote:But nonetheless you want to sew the leather on, for that you need holes and it's easier to sew it on through holes drilled through leather - metal - leather. I can imagine that it must be too hard with the awl to find the hole in the leather because they should be matching. With drilling the holes through all those layers you don't need the awl to do the holes in the leather.
I'd be careful about that as an awl would cause less damage to the leather itself (something to do with the grain I believe). What you could do is clip the leather on and make holes in the leather using the awl through the other side of the brass. Once that's done, you can stitch on the leather using the awl again through the pre-made holes.


Re: making a gladiator belt - jvrjenivs - 03-10-2008

Quote:The half-round rived heads on the front are bromidic...

For to rived, you must build an rived-tool! Then it looks better.

See the picture from my belt

I know, I know, I just went to fast past that step of progress. But, I really like this effect more that nicely rivetted ones. Big Grin


Re: making a gladiator belt - Medusa Gladiatrix - 03-10-2008

Quote:I'd be careful about that as an awl would cause less damage to the leather itself (something to do with the grain I believe). What you could do is clip the leather on and make holes in the leather using the awl through the other side of the brass. Once that's done, you can stitch on the leather using the awl again through the pre-made holes.

If you look at the picture Caivs Molinarius Blandus has posted you will see that there has been no damage been done by drilling through the three layers (i.e. leather-metal-leather). I have done my belt the same way as you also could see in this thread:

http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic. ... ht=#181415

This shows our two belts and if you enlarge the pic you will notice no damage done to the leather.


Re: making a gladiator belt - Tarbicus - 03-10-2008

That's not actually what I'm talking about, it's more to do with the leather being more prone to wear and tear because of the way the holes are made. However, the support from the brass might negate that, unlike a normal belt. All of the tips and techniques I've read about making holes in leather advises an awl or a blade to keep the grain intact and reduce the chance of tearing.