May I offer you a few tips on mounting the cap box and cartridge box on your belt?
Sometimes it gets confusing when you first do it and you may not know it is a good idea to WET AND OIL the belt and sliding keeper before you take the belt down and then mount everything on it and then re-assemble it. But before we get into that, though, there is something very important
IF you wish to mount the Cap Box on the right side of the buckle - as you wear it on your body.
Cap Boxes are usually made with a loop on the back to go over one single thickness of your leather belt and fit somewhat snugly so they don't slide around on your belt. However, on the right side of the belt you are interested in, there is a second thickness of leather that is the adjustment for when you wear thicker clothing and need to expand the belt size. The second thickness of leather, meant for adjustment in belt size on the right side of the buckle, is folded under the outside piece of leather. That second thickness of leather normally won't go through the loop on the back of the Cap Box and it isn't supposed to do that. If you wish to place your Cap Box in that area of your belt, then you have to be sure it goes over only the “outside” portion of the belt and not that part and the portion of the belt underneath (for adjustment).
OK, one more thing I found from actually wearing this kind of belt for long periods of time. The “Issue” Belts like this normally only came with ONE sliding keeper that went over BOTH layers of the belt, on the right side and near the buckle. So you had to choose between sliding it near the buckle OR sliding it near the hook. I “THINK” it was normally expected to be close to the buckle, but I admit I have never found documentation for it one way or another. Well, I have “a thing” for having more than one Sliding Keepers on Slings, Waist Belts, etc. that I make. I like to have one near the hook and one near the belt buckle. So when I made my Sword Belt, I made TWO Sling Keepers and I REALLY liked that in use. If you even possibly think you might like this, then I would suggest ordering your Belt from Jarnigan with a Second/Extra Sling Keeper.
OK, so once you get your new Waist Belt, Cap Box, Holster and Cartridge Box; what do you do to assemble the whole thing? New leather is not as easy as older/”broken in” leather to assemble your belt and other items, as it won’t bend easily as you get it from the maker. However, there is a great way around this that will also help condition the belt. You must have some good leather preservative oil like PURE Neatsfoot Oil, or my personal favorite “Lexol Leather Conditioner,” a roll of paper towels and a bucket of clean water or some other water source.
First thing is to DUNK the Belt in the water long enough for the water to saturate it, normally only takes about 10 to 20 seconds at most. This will make the belt very pliable and much easier to get the accessories in place. Then take a wad a paper towels and “pat dry” the surface of the smooth and rough sides of the leather. Then work the hook out of the belt and get the extension part of the belt (with the hook on it) through the sliding keeper, out from the right side of the buckle and finally take the sliding keeper off. Then take a small wad of paper towel and get some Oil/Lexol on it. You don’t want it dripping wet with the Oil/Lexol, but just saturated. You will take long soft strokes of this small wad of paper towel with the Oil/Lexol in it over JUST the ROUGH side of the belt (not on the smooth side). After you go over the whole surface of the Rough Side with that, take another wad of Paper Towel and “pat dry” the rough surface of the leather so there is no excess Oil/Lexol dripping off it. (By the way, this wetting procedure, before oiling the rough side of the leather, is the best way to occasionally oil the leather in the future.)
OK, now you have to decide where you want the leather items on the belt because you have to put everything on it from the right side. So the item that will sit closest to the Left Side of the Belt Buckle will go on first. Some Right Hand folks like the Cap Box on the left side close to the buckle and if that is the way you want it, then that goes on first. (BTW, make sure the Cap Box and other items are put on right side up ”“ so you don’t have to take the belt apart later”¦”¦”¦ask me how I know? :redface: :cursing: :haha
Then if you have a knife sheath you want on the belt, that goes on next. Then the Cartridge Box as that will ride over the small of your back. Then the Holster and finally the one or two sliding Leather keepers. Then the hook goes through the right side of the buckle and under either the one or two keepers and is secured in one of the holes that matches the width of your waist.
If, however you want the Cap Box on the right side of the buckle, then things get a bit more interesting. You would still put the knife sheath on first (if you have one to put on the belt) and then the cartridge box and holster. What comes next will depend on if you have only one Leather Keeper or two and if only one Leather Keeper, where you want it nearer the hook or nearer the buckle. In my case with two Leather Keepers, I put the first Keeper on next followed by the Cap Box and the second Leather Keeper. Then the hook goes through the right side of the belt buckle and back through the first keeper, the Cap Box and the second keeper and is finally hooked into the correct hole. If you only have one Leather keeper, then the order it goes on before or after the Cap Box will depend on where you want it to sit.
Please Trust Me, you will definitely find the Water Wetted and Oiled Belt will be much, MUCH easier to thread through the other items to assemble, than if you had left the Belt dry when doing the above. Try the belt on to make sure the hook is in the correct hole to properly fit your waist and change the position of the hook if it is not. Then let the assembled belt dry INSIDE and out of the direct sun and not near a heat source. I hang mine in a closet with the other clothes pushed well away from it. Allow it to dry 24 hours and then wipe the smooth side of the leather with a wad of paper towels a final time to ensure no oil will come off and onto your clothing. You may wish to wax and buff the Smooth Sides of all the leather items at this time.
For more info on maintaining/preserving the leather, try this link:
http://www.jarnaginco.com/leather preservation.htm
One more thing not related to the above information. Since you will be going to the Sandbox soon, please know your service is appreciated by many forum members and I will further suggest you “keep your head in the game” during operations. I’m sure we all hope you will come home safe and sound, soon.
Gus
