What holds the gun belt up?

Raider S · Post by **Raider S** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:15 am

OK, so I'm looking at the loose, hip-hanging gun belt and can't understand what holds it in place. Does it go through one belt loop or hook onto the web belt?

You can wear it just hanging but isn't it going to fall off depending on your movements. I don't think Ford had a big round butt to hold it in place either. Confused...

TheMechanic · Post by **TheMechanic** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:32 am

It just hangs there like an Old West gun belt. ( In Raiders anyway). I think it was looped through the whip holder and his trouser belt in LC.

Cinch it up tight! It helps if you don't have a real pistol in there too.

Raider S · Post by **Raider S** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:45 am

The firearm is accounted for!

I didn't figure a straight (normal belt shape) would hold like that.

Kt Templar · Post by **Kt Templar** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:54 am

There is an LC publicity shot where he is whipcracking and you can clearly see that the whip holder is threadded around both belts, I also think that the gun belt is also threadded through one of the pants loops on his left.

Switch625 · Post by **Switch625** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 1:43 pm

This also explains why the gun belt is reversed in KOTCS - so he doesn't have to take off the holster to take off the belt.

TheMechanic · Post by **TheMechanic** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:09 pm

Well why would you take off the gun belt if you weren't going to take off the holster? The fact that his CS gunbelt is reversed never made sense to me.

serrecuir · Post by **serrecuir** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 5:22 pm

I always thought the gunbelt was threaded through the middle beltloop on the back of the pants only. That's what I do, and it not only holds up the whip and the holster quite well, but it also looks to be more screen-accurate from the front - in other words, it doesn't sag in the front. Just my two cents.

-Craig

Raider S · Post by **Raider S** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 5:42 pm

I agree. I figured it was going through a belt loop (I figured on the left side toward the rear) or else it would simply fall right off with any movement.

I was also wondering if it might be held on with something similar to the whip holder that would go around the web belt - sort of like a mini suspender.

serrecuir · Post by **serrecuir** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 6:39 pm

Raider S wrote:I agree. I figured it was going through a belt loop (I figured on the left side toward the rear) or else it would simply fall right off with any movement.

I was also wondering if it might be held on with something similar to the whip holder that would go around the web belt - sort of like a mini suspender.

The pic KT posted above makes sense - for LC. Good catch, KT!!

I never noticed that. But since the Raiders whip holder was permanently attached to the belt, they must have found another way to keep it from slipping down, especially considering the SOC scenes. Take a look at how much that whip swings around on Harrison's hip as he dashes through the alleys looking for Marion.

-Craig

Kentucky Blues · Post by **Kentucky Blues** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 6:48 pm

TheMechanic wrote:Well why would you take off the gun belt if you weren't going to take off the holster? The fact that his CS gunbelt is reversed never made sense to me.

Well, maybe they wanted to keep the gunbelt and holster together so one wouldn't separate from the other during transportation. I know I keep my holster attatched to my gunbelt, and I always assumed Indy did the same.

-KB

PS I have no idea how that thing manages to stay up. Maybe it went through a belt loop, but I occasionally have limited success wearing mine just around my hip.

TheMechanic · Post by **TheMechanic** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 7:25 pm

People have worn not only gunbelts but cartridge belts laden down with pistol and rifle ammo, knives and handguns for more than a century.

Look at the Old West where guys had double row cartridge belts and twin pistols all on a belt that was not held up by belt loops or suspenders.

Belt loops didn't even appear on men's trousers until after the turn of the century.

Gunbelts will stay up with no special tricks if they're cinched down tight.

I guarantee that every scene where Harrison's running madly and jumping and rolling, he had a resin prop pistol or no pistol at all. Which means he didn't have the added weight pulling at his belt.

Actor's only get the real guns for extreme close-ups and scenes where they are shown shooting. The rest of the time it's a dummy/stunt gun.

serrecuir · Post by **serrecuir** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 8:34 pm

TheMechanic wrote:I guarantee that every scene where Harrison's running madly and jumping and rolling, he had a resin prop pistol or no pistol at all. Which means he didn't have the added weight pulling at his belt.

Mechanic,

No argument there. I agree. But he IS swinging that 2+ lb. bullwhip on his belt throughout those scenes. Man, that thing is hard to run with - I tried it a while back. Not only did it thrash around like a fish out of water, but the handle continuously smacked into my knee and then began to quickly unwind onto the ground. I love movie magic!

-Craig

TheMechanic · Post by **TheMechanic** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:05 pm

Oh yeah for sure. That thing whips around like it has a mind of its own. But each take may only last 20, 30 seconds, maybe 1 minute before they cut and set up for another take. I'll bet they were figiting with his whip all day long!

gwyddion · Post by **gwyddion** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:09 pm

Switch625 wrote:This also explains why the gun belt is reversed in KOTCS - so he doesn't have to take off the holster to take off the belt.

I heard the reason that it was worn this way was to make it possible for IJ to have his gunbelt taken away by the Russians without losing the whipholder.

TheMechanic · Post by **TheMechanic** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:02 pm

Ah ha. Now I get it.

Chewbacca Jones · Post by **Chewbacca Jones** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 12:08 am

TheMechanic wrote:People have worn not only gunbelts but cartridge belts laden down with pistol and rifle ammo, knives and handguns for more than a century.

Look at the Old West where guys had double row cartridge belts and twin pistols all on a belt that was not held up by belt loops or suspenders.

Belt loops didn't even appear on men's trousers until after the turn of the century.

Gunbelts will stay up with no special tricks if they're cinched down tight.

I guarantee that every scene where Harrison's running madly and jumping and rolling, he had a resin prop pistol or no pistol at all. Which means he didn't have the added weight pulling at his belt.

Actor's only get the real guns for extreme close-ups and scenes where they are shown shooting. The rest of the time it's a dummy/stunt gun.

The problem with this TRUE observation is that, for Indy, it does not apply. In most of the films, it's clear that Indy does NOT cinch the gunbelt tight. So, even with a resin pistol, that baby ain't stayin' up on most guys' hips. I know. In fact, it falls down when the holster is empty and the whip is off... eventually.

Bufflehead and I were talking about this recently, and he pointed out that modern uniformed cops have leather keepers that loop around their gunbelt and their regular belt to prevent slippage. Perhaps a well hidden keeper was used in Raiders, and would solve out gunbelt woes. I'm already on the prowl.

TheMechanic · Post by **TheMechanic** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 12:11 am

It could have been something as simple as a snap that attched his 2 belts in the back.

Most police now have trouser belts that are covered with velcro and the other half of the velcro is on the inside of the gunbelt. When the gunbelt goes on over the trouser belt the 2 belts stick together. Ingenious, and totally hidden.

Zombie Jones · Post by **Zombie Jones** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 1:04 am

From the Indy Gear main site, under "accessories":

"In Raiders and Temple, the gun belt is worn "loose" on the body, just tight enough to hang off the left hip. While in Last Crusade as well as Crystal Skull, it appears that the gun belt is threaded through the whip holder after the whip holder is first threaded though the web belt. This still brings both belts together at the left hip, but they're now both running through the whip holder instead of the gun belt being "loose." And with the gun belt reversed in Crystal Skull, this allows removal of the gun belt from the whip holder without the need to remove the holster, as you have to remove the holster first in the Last Crusade configuration...In Last Crusade and Crystal Skull, the whip holder was first slid onto the web belt, then the gun belt was slid through the whip holder."

Rabittooth · Post by **Rabittooth** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 9:47 am

-Rabittooth

viewtopic.php?t=1518&start=0&postdays=0 ... light=belt

serrecuir · Post by **serrecuir** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 3:41 pm

Rabittooth wrote:

-Rabittooth

viewtopic.php?t=1518&start=0&postdays=0 ... light=belt

LOL, I read that thread, Rabittooth. I can see you convulsing right now.

But we've got some new info since 2002, including that "Last Crusade" publicity still and the question of why the gunbelt is reversed in "Crystal Skull."

-Craig

Rabittooth · Post by **Rabittooth** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 9:50 pm

serrecuir wrote: LOL, I read that thread, Rabittooth. I can see you convulsing right now. But we've got some new info since 2002, including that "Last Crusade" publicity still and the question of why the gunbelt is reversed in "Crystal Skull."

-Craig

Sorry Craig..I'm not familiar with the titles you mentioned.
(sticks fingers in ears) La la La la La la LA LA!!

-Rabittooth