Put a belt on a treaddle last week. The owner put the hole in the belt end, that was 1/8" away from the end, and it tore through the leather. So put that hole as far away from the end as you can, and still get the staple in. If you clamp the belt end into a vise, you can use a small drill bit to make the hole. Never seen the shrink tubing -- that's pretty great!