Sash belt is a finger woven product that is designed with beautiful, attractive and colored wool of about three meters in length. Some sash belts are made with plant fibers as well which is used in making a band that is usually elastic and worn around the leg to hold up a stocking or round the arm to hold up a sleeve. At times, sash belt could be wrapped around the middle of the section to carry belongings when on fur trade duties. Sash belt is a colorful ribbon or band material that is worn around the body by draping it from one shoulder to opposing hip or run it round the waist.
Those worn around the waist could be used in daily attire but those of shoulder to hip are only worn on the ceremonial occasions. The ceremonial ones are always in V shape. For instance, sash belt is part of the formal military attire including most of the European royal families. Sash belt is absolutely different from epaulettes that are usually found among the military forces and other organizations. Sash belt is versatile in its application when compared to
epaulettes that are restricted to the ceremonial units of the rank of armed forces.
Uses of Sash Belt
Traditionally, sash belt was used to be tied at the waist in order to hold a coat very firm. The ends are fringed and the threads in the fringe functioned as emergency sewing kit anytime the Métis were seen when hunting for buffalo. The fringe could as well have a key connected to some threads. This key can open a chest that was left at home which contained valuables for the owner. Inside this, buffalo knife were hidden while the fire bag is placed at the right side.
Sash belt can also functioned as a tourniquet for injuries or better still; use to wrap a broken bone. It can be used as a towel, saddle blanket, bridle and a marker that is left on a killed buffalo so as to key it out as the property of the person that shoot it dead. Another thing that
sash belt can be used for is as lash for your canoe, for a portage and as a rope. In the past, sash belt could be about 12 feet long and used for rope or as pulley to help the free traders in hauling the goods that were trade up, along or down. Sash belt is used all over the world and at times, sash belt could be used as a scarf and the color has been helpful to discover your allegiance.