My Luke ESB belt - Holster Update

[laszlo]

Hi everyone,

It's been years and years since I've done any substantial prop making - but my TLJ induced depression has spurned me on! - So there was some good to have come out of that film

When I got an Anovos Bespin Luke costume last year I figured it was finally time to get an ESB Luke belt, though I just couldn't bring myself to buy one as I reckoned it couldn’t be too hard to just make one right?


I've wanted to have a Luke ESB belt rig forever so I started to research this prop and quickly realised how much love and time is given to Solo’s rig through group research but no in depth definitive info has ever really been available for the Luke ESB belt. Maybe we can turn this thread in to a research one? Plus I need some help/ advice for the holster section which I’ll make next!

Well I bought a few cheap leather working tools from Ebay and used some old leftover hide I had lying around that I'd used to protect cabinet tops with before, and got cracking.
I'd never worked with leather before but I’m pretty practical so I felt fine diving in!

First of all I looked at loads of pictures. It is very very difficult to work out how many belts were made for ESB. We all know about the D ring before and after the saber clip, so it seems as though there were just two main belts used on screen throughout the whole production. However there seems to be three (maybe four) different buckles with unique weathering on each. Though these may have also been re-painted as one of them only appears in the Dagobah scenes that were shot last. It is also this Dagobah weathering detail that appears on the images of the only screen used belt seen from the archives.


The differences between the two most notable belts are evident by the weathering on each buckle. Secondly the snap fasteners holding the buckle on the belt are spaced differently on each belt. Thirdly I think the width of each belt varies by 2mm/3mm between each version. Also there is a difference in whether you can see the buckle holes extending out to the saber clip. Lastly there is some variation in the shape/ weathering on the pouches (we can go in to detail with this later on if people fancy).

I will call the D-ring AFTER saber clip - Version A and the D-ring BEFORE saber clip – Version B

So I decided to make version A. Copying the pouch dims of the Archives belt.




I am considering this a prototype as there are many things that aren’t correct on this attempt.
1. Belt width is off by a few mm.
2. Pouches should be made with thinner leather – bit too bulky.
3. Stitching on big pouches needs to be cream twine, though not on the long pouch.
4. The bucks for wet moulding need to be refined for more accurate shapes/ dims.
5. Saber clip rivets too big.
6. Spacing between snap fasteners after buckle slightly off.
7. Leather rivets have been set without the tool so have a flat rather than domed look.
8. Buckle not weathered properly yet.

Hope you like it!
What do you reckon - should we go down the rabbit hole and start doing definitive dimensions and leather swatches?

 

[Kal Argos]

Wow, that's ... Impressive... most impressive.

So I've had a difficult time finding good Luke ESB belt pictures. They really did have few different versions ... so its really hard to say "this" or "that" is the definitive version.

A while back I was trying to figure out what belt(s) Anovos used for reference. My best guess is one used on Dagobah or the Hoth one or some amalgam of those. I got the Anovos belt and I'm very happy with it... the only thing that really is different is the placement of the lightsabre clip and D-ring... a little too far to the left. But I think that was done so it was more adjustable for a wider swath of customers but if you wear it on the waist it matches a bit better.

But back to your great belt. So do you know if the pouches were military or pouches for optical/camera lenses or such?

Well done!!!

 

[laszlo]

Thank! I'm pretty sure they were all custom made, as they were copying the pouches from Luke's ANH belt somewhat. The long pouch has a pretty crude looking belt loop which you can see in some publicity shots - so probably custom too, just made from thinner/ darker leather.

I'm not sure Anovos actually had access to a real belt because their pouches don't really match the ones seen from the archives in the pic I posted before.

 

[Kal Argos]

So, there are discrepancies between the Anovos belt and screen shots from the movie. most notably the tall thin pouch in the front.. the movie one seems like it has an odd bend in it. But the other pouches seem to be very close. I've never seen the Bespin outfit on tour.. I'd really would like to tho.

Here are a couple photos I found that show most of the pouches look close to the Anovos. The little pouch that is next to the tall thin one looks like it changes through out the movie... from the special Hoth shaped one to a box.




Here is the Anovos Luke Skywalker ESB belt buckle ... the picture of Luke above is one of only a couple that appear to match this buckle. The other is a Luke in X-wing gear on Dagobah and I apparently did save it... dang..



EDIT: fixed typo.

 

[laszlo]

I'm not sold on Anovos's accuracy tbh. My Luke Bespin jacket is close but is missing some details.
I think their belt is even more off - but still a great option

Anyway - does anyone have any good advice for tackling the holster, dims, shapes etc.
Is the holster shape the same as the Han ESB one?

 

[Kal Argos]

I'm not sold on Anovos's accuracy tbh. My Luke Bespin jacket is close but is missing some details.
I think their belt is even more off - but still a great option

Anyway - does anyone have any good advice for tackling the holster, dims, shapes etc.
Is the holster shape the same as the Han ESB one?

I think you are right in some regards with licensed replicas.... i don't think its Anovos specific... i just expect that replicas are idealized to some degree and i decide if i can live with the difference. So long as its not completely off and has no basis for it. I know that's a subjective statement but its how i approach buying replicas in general.

As to your holster question.. I'm not sure... if i recall Hans' and Luke's holster were different ... but i don't remember how tho

 

[Sym-Cha]

To give you an impression of Luke's holster which is different from Han's in the way it is attached to the holster belt. I thought I had a better picture in my archives ... I'll keep looking

Chaïm

 

[Uncharted Leather]

Here are a few more photos that may help. There are several differences with Luke's holster compared to the Han Solo holster.

• 2 inch wide drop down loop sewn to the top of the holster and also connected to the back of the holster with a line 24 snap.
• The back of the holster has a small strap going across to hold the drop down loop and a line 24 snap (stud) to hold the loop in place.
• Leg strap is located at the bottom of the holster and has four line 24 snap studs for adjustment on one end and one cap/socket on the other.
• The blaster retention strap is sewn between the holster and drop loop.

 

[laszlo]

Here are a few more photos that may help. There are several differences with Luke's holster compared to the Han Solo holster.

• 2 inch wide drop down loop sewn to the top of the holster and also connected to the back of the holster with a line 24 snap.
• The back of the holster has a small strap going across to hold the drop down loop and a line 24 snap (stud) to hold the loop in place.
• Leg strap is located at the bottom of the holster and has four line 24 snap studs for adjustment on one end and one cap/socket on the other.
• The blaster retention strap is sewn between the holster and drop loop.

Wow - thanks a lot - really great pics, most I haven't seen before! I'll be able to scale the single box pouch better now. Really great info on the holster construction too!
Thank you !

 

[laszlo]

It's clear the Bespin holster in the SW Costume book is a different one from the one on the Hoth uniform. Which does make me wonder, why didn't that original Luke ESB belt make it in the book?

 

[nick0071]

this is amazing. what size did you get the costume in? i have the jacket but they are currently sold out of the pants in my size i need size small or medium but cant find them anywhere. i have been looking for a seller for so long and anovos does not know if they will restock. let me know if anybody knows of a seller !

 

[laszlo]

Thanks!
I got the jacket in medium from Anovos but had to trade with someone in the junkyard for the medium pants as they too were out of stock!
Good luck!

 

[Dalziel44]

Thank you for this informative post.

Would you mind saying where the costume in pics 1, 2, 3 & 8 was displayed?

Clearly the glove comm pad is not what appeared in ESB. (Or do I know even less than I originally suspected?)

Would love to know the authenticity of the rest of the outfit.

 

[Uncharted Leather]

Hoth Luke costume was on display at the Magic of Myth exhibit around 1999 at the Smithsonian Institute.

 

[TKZOMBIE]

I’m looking for a ESB belt buckle for my belt, is that something you’d be willing to make and sell?

 

[Shoot2Thrill468]

I have one I got from a seller on Etsy but I'm not overly thrilled with it. It's not as accurate as it could be and it sags on my hips under the weight of my DL-44 and Graflex. I need to have a new belt made of thicker leather and might try to find vintage pouches. That would be cool.

 

[laszlo]

Found this useful pic of the front boxy pouch recently.

 

[Dalziel44]

Hi All,

I put these together for Rebel Legion as I’m also trying to build an ESB Luke utility belt rig.

(Purely ESB on-screen. No promo photos, exhibition set-ups, etc.)

Perhaps you guys can point out any glaring errors or omissions.

Meeting Bigfoot & a Torn Taun-Taun:

I think there may be another Hoth variant here


Going Rogue:

Taking a Dump in the Swamp:

Away Put Your Weapon:

Your Weapons, You Will Not Need Them

R2 Bump:

Turning Down the Top Job at Daddy’s Firm:

 

[Davy Jones]

Here is a buckle I made. I never made the rest of the belt though.

 

[Kal Argos]

Where the dimensions of the belt and buckle ever determined with reasonable error by the RPF community?

Luke ESB belt info

I saw in an early rpf thread that the belt thickness was either 2 inches or 1 7/8 inches

And that the buckle overall dimensions were 4 1/16 x 2 5/8 inches. (I've also seen that the buckle was a 3x5 ratio... both are very close to each other. )

Also was the buckle flat or curved? In some I'd swear it was slightly curved others flat.