1000 stitch belt questions

[Cocobelle]

Hi,

Can I ask a couple of questions about the belts -

1. Did they usually have ties at the end for keeping them on ?
2. Were they always stitched in red, as I have seen one for sale which is stitched in green ?

thanks

[Stu W]

Hi,

Can I ask a couple of questions about the belts -

1. Did they usually have ties at the end for keeping them on ?
2. Were they always stitched in red, as I have seen one for sale which is stitched in green ?

thanks

Most, but not all, had ties and belts can be found in various color combinations. I have white, red and green belts with a variety of stitch colors.

Regards,
Stu

[Cocobelle]

Thanks for the reply

[Stu W]

You are welcome and welcome to the forum.

Regards,
Stu

[Geoff Ward]

Hello Cocobelle, there are also variants that have buttons as well.

[Geoff Ward]

Here is a Great book if you are interested in pursuing this wonderful hobby.
Good books are expensive but tend to pay for themselves quickly! Welcome to the forum!

Imperial Japanese Good Luck Flags and One-Thousand Stitch Belts
by
Michael A. Bortner

[Stu W]

Here is the author's web site and he's also a member here.

http://www.gethistorytoday.com/index.html

Regards,
Stu

[Jareth]

I was told that many were made without tie strings. Seems the narrower examples had tie strings

[Stu W]

I was told that many were made without tie strings. Seems the narrower examples had tie strings

I've noticed that too Jareth. Also that the wider belts were often longer and could be wrapped around the entire trunk, in some cases several times. I suppose there are many different varieties.

Regards,
Stu

[MikeB]

1000 stitch belt question

Hello Cocobelle and welcome!
The guys here have covered most of the basics with regard to 1000 stitch belt colors. White belts with red stitching were the most common since red and white are considered the most auspicious color combination in Japanese culture. You also sometimes see white belts with doubled up red and white stitches. The thread is twisted together and looks nice in its 1000 stitch/knotted format.
Thanks too Geoff and Stu for mentioning my book. In it, I describe the meaning behind most of the various color combinations of cloth and thread color. Most belts were made from a solid color cloth, but you will also see some made from patterned materials. A few of the patterned variety were actually mass produced and could be purchased in the store, while others were made from material found at home.
Collecting 1000 stitch belts is one of the most fascinating aspects of Japanese militaria study. It's pretty tough to get much closer to the wartime culture than to understand and appreciate the history and meaning that went into every belt made, gifted and worn.

Regards,

MikeB