Belt ?

[pistol1911]

I have 2 1851 Navies and 2 1860 Armies. I have 2 slim jim holsters. I need help in what type of belt to get.

[Major 2]

I suggest you peruse Packing Iron by Rattenberry   

The slim jims & the two Colts predate the cartridge & ranger belts ....
you will find straight belts with square frame buckles, Military plates & two piece buckles  ,
folded money belts without cartridge loops,  with one larger or two small buckles & billets
early on they were simple straps really 1 1/2 - 2 1/4" mostly , sometimes they were tapered to accommodate slightly smaller buckle size.

 

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Add a cap pouch and another pouch just big enough for the other gear to reload.

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[Slowhand Bob]

I would prefer a straight belt that fits the holsters belt loop snugly and use a round antiqued brass re-enactment buckle.  Most of the Slim Jims do not have very wide belt loops, so check them carefully.  For SASS I used to wear most of my staples in pouches slung around my neck to carry to the benches.  On the belt I carried one five round slide for spare rifle cartridges and a medium to large sheath knife to hang the empty pouches over after loading.  Those pouches were great for the empty shells/hulls at the clearing table.   http://springfieldleather.com/16623/Buckle%2CCtrBar%2CRnd%2CIron%2C2%22/

[Trailrider]

I have 2 1851 Navies and 2 1860 Armies. I have 2 slim jim holsters. I need help in what type of belt to get.

How wide are the belt loops on the holsters? What era or character are you portraying?  Generally, you will want a straight belt, but the character and/or the era will influence the type of buckle or belt plate that will go with it. Also, what color are your holsters?

[Lucky R. K.]

Here is a picture that might help you out.  I made this rig a few years ago when I started shooting Frontiersman.  It is just a plain belt with a width to fit the  buckle.
Lucky

[pistol1911]

I can use a 3 inch belt with the holsters.Because of my Southern birth ( Alabama) and the fact my great-great Grandfathers fought for the South I will have to be a Confederate veteran. The holsters are brown.

[Trailrider]

I can use a 3 inch belt with the holsters.Because of my Southern birth ( Alabama) and the fact my great-great Grandfathers fought for the South I will have to be a Confederate veteran. The holsters are brown.

You will probably want a belt plate for either State of Alabama Volunteers or a CS belt plate. (BTW, what Alabama outfit? I had a great-great uncle with the 23rd Alabama.) The place to look for a belt plate is Tim Parsley's Brass, http://parsleysbrass.com .  Tell him Jim "Trailrider" Barnard sent you.  He is now selling belts to go with the belt plates. I also make belts, but I'd have to have the belt plate, and you might as well save the postage by ordering everything from Tim. I believe he also still has the capability to make the Grand Army of the Frontier plate. (Of course you'd want to join the GAF, although it's not mandatory.)

From a historical standpoint, many Confederates, especially officers who had been in the Union Army prior to the war, continued to wear their M1851 Eagle belt plates, either with the silver enlisted pattern wreath, or with the gold wreath. (See photos of Robert E. Lee.) Some enlisted troops who had been part of state militias that used Federal pattern uniforms, simply turned the belts and belt plates upside down!  Many wore their home state plates. (See Tim's selection of Alabama plates.)  From what I have found, there were not that many CS plates worn, simply because most of the units were state outfits, and the Confederacy didn't have the production capacity to produce brass belt plates.

Hope this helps.

Your obdt servant,

[pistol1911]

Thanks so much for your reply.My Great-great Grandfather on my mothers side was Robert Nelson Woodham,Sgt. Co H 3rd Alabama Infantry.He enlisted in 1861 and was in Lee's army when he surrendered. My g-g father on father's side was in a Calvary unit attached to Nathan Forrest. I don't remember the unit designation. His name is William Moses Hughes.

[Texas Lawdog]

You might check with David Carrico(Carrico Leather). He made a plain belt with no bullet loops and a square belt. His stuff is historically correct and the workmanship is great.

[Buck Stinson]

If your Slim Jims are period correct, they should have belt loops that will accommodate only a 2" waist belt.  The belt pictured in Lucky R. K.'s photo is correct.  It is important to remember that civilian Slim Jims are pre-California Gold Rush.  They were designed to be worn on military style belts of that period.  This feature carried on throughout the 1850 and early 1870 period.  In our collection, we have cartridge belts that were made in the early 1870's for percussion conversions that are only 2" wide to go with Slim Jims made for cartridge conversion revolvers.

[Major 2]

a couple of options      

http://www.dellsleatherworks.com/plates/027.htm

http://www.dellsleatherworks.com/plates/026.htm

If you check my avatar you will see the Florida Star by Dells Leather .... my Buckle & belt was $60 ....

[Trailrider]

In point of fact, the issue Federal waist and NCO sword belts were just slightly less than the 1-7/8" width of the belt plate slots. Some of the Confederate belt plates have slightly smaller slots. Officers had to buy their own belts, and most were 1-5/8 - 1-3/4" slots widths. Two-inch belt loops sewn on holsters work fine with those belts! As to color, at the beginning of the War, most of the Confederate equipment was Federal pattern, i.e., dyed black! Later in the War, when losses of both men and equipment required new leather, the Confederacy and state fabricators used plain leather, sometimes dyed with walnut shells, etc., resulting in what we presently call "russet", which is technically "stuffed russet", or oil impregnated leather.

[Good Troy]

Lucky....Really nice rig!  I may have to do a copy of it for my '58 Remmie NMA copies (but just a little different, to be repectful and unique).

[Lucky R. K.]

Lucky....Really nice rig!  I may have to do a copy of it for my '58 Remmie NMA copies (but just a little different, to be repectful and unique).

Thanks for the kind words Troy.  Please feel free to copy or modify the design to suit your needs.  The holster design I used came from Chuck Burrows DVD and the stamping design is from a Tandy billfold pattern I modified.

Good Luck on your project.

Lucky

[Massive]

Is CS historically correct to the period.  I have one of those stamp sets that does US and CS, and occasionally try to imagine a Canadian swing for the CS, since I was told it was not correct for the period, for the south.  Of course, in a war as large as the Civil War there was probably at least one person with a Miley Cyrus t-shirt, so a little creativity shouldn't be ruled out.

[Mean Bob Mean]

I have 2 1851 Navies and 2 1860 Armies. I have 2 slim jim holsters. I need help in what type of belt to get.

I would write/talk to David Carrico.  He has a nice black US Army belt with buckle that would look great, if you need a different color he can make/has it in stock.

Cheers.