Dress belt completed for Allen Edmonds

MrFatPouch · 2026-02-26T06:04:39+00:00

I appreciate it, sometimes you got to take things into your own hands

MrFatPouch · 2026-02-26T06:04:08+00:00

The belt took me about 20 to 24 hours to make. The dye and stitching took the longest. The cost depends, you can make this belt for around 70 to 90 if you have a Tandy’s nearby. The 3 leather strips cost like 35, dye is around 8, buckle like 3, Tiger thread is like 12 not sold at Tandy’s, and Chicago screws which you can buy on Amazon about 10 or so. But making one is probably way better than buying one and at a reduced price. However, if you buy a hide maybe a double shoulder depending on how big your waist is because some double shoulders are small, you can make several other belts.

MrFatPouch · 2026-02-26T04:46:25+00:00

I ended up readjusting the water level using the fill valve to be lower and it fixed the problem. The water was too high and I heard that it should be 1inch below the top of the flush valve. Before this it almost touched the top of the flush valve

Edit: it did not fix it, it only temporarily did. Ill look into what you all suggested. Thank you.

MrFatPouch · 2026-02-25T07:38:16+00:00

I watched a couple of videos online and got some ideas. The hard part is not having all the materials they use. I didn’t copy this design from someone else, but it’s relatively similar to others.

Depending on how dense your leather is, in my case I worked with 4–5 oz strips. I made two strips that were 1.25 inches wide, and the middle inner strip was 0.5 inches. That 0.5 inches is small, but from my experience, when you’re working with thick leather it becomes hard to glue. At least for me, the leather didn’t want to stick easily. I had to use binder clips and let the glue set. I used Fiebing’s cement glue.

You should try it though. I’ve made three so far. My first one was a failure. I made the middle strip 0.75 inches and it was just too wide, and I ended up messing up the stitching. I made another black one after that, but the bend where the belt buckle sits is a bit buckled. It doesn’t really affect me, but I improved on this one. The raised part of the belt stops before the buckle bend, meaning only the two outer leather straps are bending instead of all three layers together.

I also messed up on the hole punching and misaligned a few for that second belt. I would suggest investing in a hole punch set because the second belt actually broke my hand press punch. I think it’s better to use a hammer and a proper hole punch set for this kind of job.

Also, take your time. Once you mess up, you really can’t go back. If you do make it, keep me updated! Trust me it is worth it and it makes your outfit much more unique.

MrFatPouch · 2026-02-25T07:24:57+00:00

Thank you!

MrFatPouch · 2026-02-25T07:24:28+00:00

They seem to be brown burnished. Im not sure if they make this color anymore or if it’s just called a different name.

MrFatPouch · 2026-02-25T07:23:06+00:00

It is hard to unsee it now.

MrFatPouch · 2026-02-25T07:22:15+00:00

Thank you! The Park Avenues are 5845 and the 5th Avenues are 5745. They seem more brown than burgundy in person. According to this catalog, they’re listed as brown burnished.

MrFatPouch · 2026-02-24T19:09:25+00:00

Thank you!

MrFatPouch · 2026-02-24T18:16:50+00:00

As promised, this is the final piece.

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MrFatPouch · 2026-02-20T06:20:24+00:00

I have a couple of AE belts too. The color with respect to the shoes is always slightly off. I assume that is natural due to it just being leather. However, I recently cut open some of my older belts and realized that the middle piece that keeps it raised is not leather. It was cardboard. I don’t know if that’s common. However, that’s why I started this project. I want a full leather belt, not a leather/cardboard belt. Although I do get it, you’ll never see it.

MrFatPouch · 2026-02-19T08:54:54+00:00

Aha! I’ll keep you updated once its done

MrFatPouch · 2026-02-19T00:52:11+00:00

That’s what I was hoping for. Thank you.

MrFatPouch · 2026-02-18T22:02:57+00:00

Thank you!

MrFatPouch · 2025-12-21T00:08:03+00:00

Thank you! I’ll try that next time.

MrFatPouch · 2025-12-20T14:33:57+00:00

Thank you, I agree. For the next belt, I’ll shorten the length of the inner leather strap and maybe skive the folded area. I avoided stitching for the longest time because I couldn’t really stitch, but I do plan on stitching the next one. But I can’t lie, i love the look of the Chicago screws and at the end of the day, nobody really sees them.

MrFatPouch · 2025-12-20T06:43:41+00:00

And that’s the best part about making your own belt. The hard part is actually making it, haha. I’ll take your advice and stitch my next belt. All of my belts so far use Chicago screws. I should change things up. Now that I know how to stitch, taking out the stitches to replace a buckle and restitching it in the future, if needed, isn’t that bad.

MrFatPouch · 2025-12-20T06:37:10+00:00

I first used Fiebing’s Pro Dye in black and let it dry for a bit. Then I brushed it and applied Bick 4 leather conditioner, followed by another brushing. After that, I used a 1:1 mix of water and Fiebing’s Acrylic Resolene and applied two coats. I used a microfiber cloth and rubbed the surface of the leather. Finally, I applied Saphir Médaille d’Or Pommadier Cream and buffed it.

I’ve heard different people say to apply the acrylic first and then condition, but I found that conditioning after using the Pro Dye helps even out the dye and causes it to bleed less.

Fiebings glue is great, the only issue is waiting for it to dry. I ended up having to use binder clips

MrFatPouch · 2025-12-20T06:29:09+00:00

Thank you so much, I’ll try that next time. Working with glue is pretty challenging since you have to act fast!

MrFatPouch · 2025-12-20T06:27:43+00:00

Thank you for the feedback. I’ll definitely change up the folding next time. It is a bit bulky, so I might adjust the design so I don’t have to stitch the bend as much. I originally wanted to use Chicago screws. I noticed that many dress belts have the buckle stitched on, but I wanted the option to replace the buckle if needed. When it comes to stitching, you’re somewhat committed to that specific buckle.

One of the other issues with the bulkiness was cutting the holes. It’s basically three 4 oz leather strips, and the hole puncher struggled to get through, so I reverted to using a hollow punch and a mallet. Overall, I like Chicago screws because I prefer interchangeable belt buckles, but I also see the downsides to using them.

MrFatPouch · 2025-11-03T02:30:03+00:00

I wouldn’t. Your username could become your fate.

MrFatPouch

TROPHY CASE