Is your leather tool belt too stiff? Is it digging into your skin and giving you a hard time out on the field? If you answered “yes” to these questions, you’re on the right track. Do you know how to soften leather tool belt?
A leather tool belt should be comfortable to wear and soft to the touch. The good news is, there are many ways of softening your tool belt. You don’t have to live with chaffed, broken skin caused by a stiff leather tool bag. Read on if you want to discover how to soften a leather belt.
If you’re a tradesman, you may have to use a leather tool belt to help you work efficiently. A tool belt is one of those items that allow you to work faster. It can help you carry tools for quick access while working a job. Think about moving your toolbox or bag around your client’s home while doing repairs. It gets cumbersome, right?
Wearing a leather belt while working is convenient. But, working with a stiff one on is uncomfortable. Wearing a hard tool belt for extended periods may cause bruises on your skin. If your leather tool belt is still new, it can be uncomfortable to wear and rough on the skin.
Soften your leather tool belt and forget about bad workdays. Softening your tool belt ensures that the quality stays suitable for a much longer time. If you don’t know the best way to soften leather belt straps, you might damage it. In the end, it’ll be a waste of your energy, time, and money.
Do you want to learn the best ways to soften leather tool belts? Keep reading.
Reasons Why it’s Important to Soften Your Leather Tool Belt!
> Stay Healthy
Whether you’re a technician or not, it’s essential to take care of your health. It may seem unbelievable, but a stiff leather tool belt can hurt or damage your skin. You can get bruised or have sores on the skin around your waist. Softer leather is kinder to your body and is easy to carry.
> Avoid Injuries
A stiff leather belt will feel sharp and hard. It has rugged edges that can scratch or cut your skin. Such injuries may prevent you from working for some time. This is especially true if you don’t treat your wounds. Softening leather belt holsters and straps ensure that you avoid such injuries.
> Increase Usability
Most trades people use leather belts to support tool belts full of heavy tools. Suspenders that are hard make working uncomfortable. You will have a tough time while doing your job. A stiff leather belt has sharp edges. It will cause you irritation and distraction from performing your job. Soften out the rough parts of your suspender belts and ensure your comfort at work.
> Ensure Durability
When you buy your tool belt, you expect it to last a long time. Your typical day may consist of long periods out in the dust, rain, and sun. These natural conditions could affect your tool belt. An excellent example of such effects is the hardening of your tool belt. It will have a shorter lifespan. Proper care of your tool belt is vital to ensuring it lasts as long as it should.
> Increase its Flexibility
As a pro tradesman, you need a flexible tool belt. A softer tool belt can hold the pressure when you’re carrying heavy tools. This is unlike a stiff belt that can get damaged by the same amount of pressure. Softening your leather belt will increase its flexibility.
When to Soften Your Leather Tool Belt
A tool belt acts like a trusted assistant when you’re alone. Since it’s such an essential part of your work, you should ensure that you take care of it and do routine maintenance. Observe your tool belt often so you can tell when it’s time to soften it.
1. After Long Usage
If you use your tool belt without softening for a long time, it may damage the skin on your waist. This is especially true if you use your tool belt a lot. Ensure that you schedule maintenance at least once a month to soften it. Also, if you notice the leather getting harder or stiff, it’s time to soften it.
2. When You Identify Damage
If your tool belt is of good quality, it will have many stitches and curves. The parts with stitches and curves are usually more firm than other areas. They are often affected by the conditions we mentioned above, such as dust, sun, and rain. If you notice the quality of leather failing, it’s time to soften your belt. Stiff leather is more subject to wear and tear than soft leather, which can maintain its standard quality.
3. When Used Outdoors
If you’re a pro, you must work a lot outdoors. You cannot avoid getting exposed to the heat of the sun, the dust, or rain. In such conditions, leather material can become stiff or get damaged. Ensure you keep an eye on your leather tool belt to repair it as soon as you see signs of damage. To maintain your leather tool belt quality, take necessary precautions. Always ensure it’s soft.
4. When You Store it for a Long Time
It is advisable to use your tool belt as much as you can. If you will be away from it for a long time, especially while on vacation, soften it first before you hit the road. Store it in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated area.
The uniform temperature of your storage unit while softening your leather belt should be 15-20°C.
Keep in mind that the best relative humidity for leather tool belt storage is between 50%-70%.
5. When It Gets Uncomfortable
When your tool belt starts to feel uncomfortable, rough, or too stiff to wear, it’s time to soften it. When the discomfort stops you from working, consider softening your tool belt.
6. When the Softening Material Fades
Over time, your leather softener may fade. When this happens, your leather tool belt will feel hard and stiff to the touch. To prevent this, ensure that you use the right softener and soften your belt often. This will increase the lifespan of your tool belt.
7. When Used By More Than One Person
Do not use your leather tool belt with other people. If used by many people, your leather tool belt will not rest, thus causing it to get hard over time. Give it a break once in a while and follow the correct procedure to soften your tool belt.
8. It is New
When your leather tool belt is new, you will notice that it’s hard. While this may be due to the quality of leather, it may also be a result of storage during shipping. Learning how to soften a leather belt beforehand will help you get rid of the stiffness before using it.
3 Tips How to Soften Leather Tool Belt: A Beginner’s Guide
Whether you’re a pro or a beginner, the three methods we discuss below are useful when softening your tool belt.
Tips No. 01: Rubbing Alcohol and Vaseline
Step 1: Swab the belt with rubbing alcohol
Take a cotton ball, a towel, or a clean cotton rug and pour some rubbing alcohol onto it. Next, you want to rub the surface of your tool belt with the cotton ball. The rubbing alcohol cleans the leather and opens up its pores. Ensure you apply as many coats of rubbing alcohol as you can. You must soak the leather well.
Step 2: Use Some Vaseline
Put some petroleum jelly or Vaseline onto your index finger. Spread it all over your tool belt and cover all surfaces. The Vaseline will penetrate the leather. For this process, you don’t need excessive amounts of Vaseline. A thin layer of the petroleum jelly will work fine.
Step 3: Wipe Your Belt
Once you’ve finished spreading the Vaseline, get a different rug, and clean off the excess jelly. Take your belt outside and spread it out in the sun to dry.
Tips No. 02: Using Natural Oil
Step 1: Dry Out the Leather Belt in the Sun
This is another excellent method for restoring a leather tool belt. Dust off your belt and put it outside in the sun for ten minutes. Exposing it to the sun for a short while will open up its pores in readiness for the natural oils you will use.
Step 2: Select Your Oil of Choice
Using natural oil for your leather treatment will give you excellent results. Natural oil is cheap, a great softening agent and is available on the market. Some of the natural oils you can use for softening leather holster material include:
– Jojoba oil
– Avocado oil
– Almond oil
– Olive oil
– Coconut oil
Step 3: Rub the Oil onto the Belt
Once you’ve chosen your oil, dip your finger into it. Next, rub the oil over the entire surface of the belt. Ensure you go over the belt many times to improve the softening effect. Remember, the more natural oil you use on the belt, the better results you will achieve. Don’t worry about rubbing too much natural oil onto your belt as it doesn’t damage leather.
Step 4: Allow the Oil to Dry
Coconut oil is exceptional at transforming leather material into wearable, smooth pieces. It may darken your leather tool belt a little. If you’ve done the treatment and aren’t satisfied with the outcome, repeat the process. Next, put your leather tool belt in an open area to dry.
Tips No. 03: Use Leather Softeners
Step 1: Buy Leather conditioner
There are lots of leather treatment products on the market. They’re great at softening leather holster on your belt. Leather conditioners are costly. So is the process of leather softening using these products.
Step 2: Apply the Leather Conditioner
Most leather conditioners usually have written instructions on them. Use them by rubbing, spraying, or spreading. After using leather conditioners, ensure that your belt is dry before you put it on. Some conditioners may irritate your skin. Leather conditioners will give you outstanding results like petroleum jelly and natural oils.
Safety Measures before Softening Your Leather Tool Belt
Before you soften your leather tool belt, you must ensure safety precautions are in place. Here are some of them.
- Put on gloves while using rubbing alcohol. It tends to dry out the skin.
- While using natural oil or Vaseline, don’t use excessive amounts. Otherwise, you may end up doing more harm than good.
- Take note of humidity levels both indoors and outdoors before softening your leather belt.
- When drying your tool belt, don’t leave it under the sun for too long. If you do, you may damage it.
- Always try to dry out your tool belt in the sun. It may not be a good idea to use a dryer or other drying elements as they may damage it.
- Ensure you soften your leather tool belt once every month. This will help increase its durability and lifespan.
- If you pour water on your tool belt, pat it dry and leave it out in the sun. Your leather belt will get damaged if it remains damp.
- While using leather conditioners, only use the amount directed on the packaging. Exceeding amounts or using less than the advisable quantity will not give you good results.
Conclusion
By now, you know how to soften leather tool belt. Maintaining a soft leather belt will need dedication. You should be keen and watch out for any signs of damage to your leather belt. This allows you to schedule maintenance or repair.
The better you take care of your leather tool belt, the longer it will serve you. You can be confident about caring for your leather item using the methods we’ve shown you for softening your leather tool belt. Implementing one of the above methods is a great way of preventing cracks and stiffness on your belt.
What do you think about the processes we’ve mentioned above? Tell us. We’d love to know.