Your belt is on the last hole and it's still just a touch too loose. Or you've bought a new one that turned out a size too big, and sending it back is more hassle than it's worth. To punch a hole in a leather belt takes ten minutes, provided you use the right tools.
The short answer: use a 4 to 4.5 millimetre hollow punch or a rotary hole punch, match the spacing of the existing holes (25 millimetres on most belts), mark the spot with an awl and punch it on a block of wood or a cutting mat. Never with scissors, a screwdriver or a nail. If you need more than two extra holes, shortening the belt at the buckle end is the better fix.
What do you need to punch a hole in a leather belt?
A hollow punch is a steel tube with a sharp edge that you drive through the leather with a hammer. A set running from 2 to 8 millimetres costs a few pounds at any hardware shop. For a belt you'll usually need the 4 or the 4.5, and which of the two depends on the pin on your buckle. Measure an existing hole with a ruler, or better still, check which punch fits an existing hole exactly without any play.
A rotary hole punch, sometimes called a revolver punch, has a turret with six sizes and squeezes the hole out. Quicker, and no hammer needed, but a cheap one won't get through thick 4 millimetre leather and leaves a ragged edge. Fine for a thin women's belt. For a heavy men's belt in full-grain leather, the hollow punch is more reliable.
You'll also need: an awl or a thick needle to mark the spot, a hammer, a block of wood or a green cutting mat to work on, a ruler, and a little leather balm.
Step by step
- Measure the centre-to-centre distance between two existing holes. That's usually 25 millimetres, sometimes 20 or 30. Match that measurement.
- Lay the belt flat and mark the new spot with the awl, exactly on the centre line of the belt. Measure the centre line in from both edges, don't just eyeball it.
- Place the belt on the wood with the grain side (the good side) facing up. Set the hollow punch straight down on the mark.
- Strike through the leather with two or three firm taps. Give the punch a quarter turn and tap once more if the little disc of leather doesn't come free.
- Push the offcut of leather out of the punch and check that the buckle's pin slides through the hole smoothly.
- Rub a small amount of leather balm onto the edge of the new hole with your fingertip, on both sides.
That last step isn't cosmetic. The leather at the edge of a fresh hole is open and dry. A little balm holds the fibres together, so the hole doesn't fray or tear when you pull the belt tight. With a well cared-for leather belt, you'd do that along the whole length a few times a year anyway.
Why not scissors or a screwdriver?
Because that doesn't make a hole, it makes a tear. A screwdriver pushes the fibres apart rather than cutting through them. The hole still looks round on day one, but the little tears spread further each time you pull the belt tight, and after a few months you're left with a stretched oval that the pin just slips through. Scissors give an angular hole with the same result. A nail or a drill make it worse still, since they melt or scorch the edge.
If it's already happened, you can often still punch the hole out cleanly with a hollow punch half a millimetre larger. That works as long as the tear hasn't spread more than a millimetre. Beyond that, only shortening the belt helps.
When shortening is better than an extra hole
The rule of thumb: two extra holes at most. Add more and the loose end slides so far through the loop that the buckle sits crooked and the whole belt looks off. Shortening is done at the buckle end, not the tip. On most belts the buckle is held on with a snap fastener or two small screws: undo it, trim off the required amount of leather from that end, cut a new slot for the pin, and refit the buckle. On a belt with a stitched-on buckle, that's a job for a cobbler, and it usually costs less than a new belt.
Prevention is cheaper still. Buy a belt in the size that closes on the middle hole, leaving two holes free on each side. Our Oden comes in 95, 100 and 105 centimetres, and how to work out that size against your trouser size is covered in our article on choosing a leather belt.
| Situation | Best fix |
|---|---|
| One or two holes too loose | Extra hole with a hollow punch |
| Three or more holes too loose | Shorten at the buckle end |
| Hole torn out | Punch out with a larger tool, otherwise shorten |
| Buckle stitched on | Cobbler |
What shows on a hole you've punched yourself
A factory hole often has a slightly seared or burnished edge, while a hollow-punch hole is a little rougher. On cognac or natural-tone vegetable-tanned leather you'll notice it for the first few weeks. After that the edge darkens along with the rest of the belt and it stops standing out, just like a scratch. Something else that darkens along with it: the pale strip left where the belt sat in the loop for years. That's lighter than the rest and evens out within a month on its new setting. How that plays out with wear and patina is covered in more detail in scuffs and wear marks on leather.
One thing that often goes wrong: punching the hole just off the centre line. A millimetre out is enough to make the belt sit at a slight twist in the buckle, and you'll see it in the way the tip runs through the loop. So measure from both edges, and tap once gently first to let the punch "bite" before you strike it home.
