I bought a used South Bend lathe and needed a replacement belt for it. After searching the Internet, I was lucky to find John Knox of Leather Drive Belts in Niles, Illinois. After talking with John for a while about my lathe and my belt, he invited me to his shop. He showed me how a belt is made and shared the history of the trade with me. John worked as an engineer for the Sheldon Machine Company, and was also called on as a troubleshooter when a machine went down. I like hearing the stories and about the history of the trades. I’ve remained friends with John and still keep in touch with him. If you need a leather belt, please contact John.

Leather Drive Belts
8360 W. Monroe St.
Niles, IL 60714
(847) 384-1146
moc.stleBevirDrehtaeLnull@nhoj