If you work hard, play hard and carry stuff in your pockets you may have wished for a better belt at one point or another. Selecting the right American made leather belt can make a huge difference for everyday carry and an active lifestyle.
Sometimes the belt you wear becomes a casualty of our discount driven society, a nameless, brand less commodity, not something with personality and style. Chances are that belt needs to be replaced on a regular basis because it falls apart and starts to look like crud soon after purchase. I can show you an American made leather belt that solves all your problems and give you a free leather care guide, so you know how to take care of it. The only reason you should have to buy a belt every year is because you like buying more belts, not because they disintegrate into a pile of nothing. I am a belt guy-I like people who buy nice new American made leather belts just because they want to.
WHY I BECAME A BELT GUY
My own personal search for the right American made leather belt took many twists and turns. I worked a regularly active job, carried lots of stuff in my pockets and clipped to my belt. On the weekends I was hiking or fishing-more stuff on the belt. I just took it for granted that the belt I wore would need to be replaced once a year minimum and it would stop looking nice long before that. I also thought you would constantly have to pull your pants up and shift your gear around since the belt was not supporting the weight.
Eventually I got into leather working, made my own leather goods and taught leather working to kids in my community. The belts I made certainly performed better than store belts, but I used cheap import leather and they would still stretch/fail/stop looking nice after about 2-3 years of hard use. I was naïve about the difference a better grade of leather could make. I did not think paying twice what I normally did would make twice (or more) the difference in performance and an all American made leather belt was not on my radar.
FINDING THE RIGHT AMERICAN LEATHER FOR THE AMERICAN MADE LEATHER BELT
While teaching students leather working, I did end up using some better grade US tanned leather to carve on. Carving involves cutting a shape into leather surface, wetting the leather, and then using stamps, tools and leather working mallets to imprint a design deep in the surface. One of my students was having trouble getting his design to imprint. I thought it was one of those “here let me show you” type teaching moments, only the student had done everything right. This was the firmest, most dense leather I had ever encountered; tools were bouncing off this stuff. If it worked that well with stamping and carving, I had to try it on a belt. My take of the American made leather belt was about to become a reality.
REAL FULL GRAIN VEG TAN LEATHER TO MAKE REAL AMERICAN MADE LEATHER BELTS
The leather that I had found by accident was a high grade of full grain vegetable tan leather. This is the original type of leather made for centuries before modern thinking, methods and materials muddied the waters. A single ply of full grain vegetable tan belt that is 1/8 to 3/16 inches thick (3.175 to 4.76 mm) works best to hold your pants up all day without being unwieldy. Vegetable tan leather relies on tannins found primarily in tree bark to slowly (over a month) convert a hide into a firm and relatively strong leather that can be dyed, stamped, and molded-perfect material for an American made leather belt. Full grain means nothing has been done to the all-important smooth outer surface of the leather, with the exception of processing/preserving it so it excepts our dye and topcoat. That outer layer of the leather has an import role to play in looks, durability and protection from the elements, it is one of the most durable leathers you can get-as long as its quality leather with a quality finish.
There are many subcategories and subpar categories of leather (and leather “like” materials) out there and they all belong in either the dress/casual belt spectrum or the junk belt spectrum. You can refer to my belt care and selection guide to learn about those.
AN IDEA WAS BORN FOR A COMPLETELY AMERICAN MADE LEATHER BELT
I live in a small town where many are still employed in manufacturing or farming so “Made in the USA” hits home, it’s a real thing, not just a catch phrase. It had always bothered me that all the hardware, leather, and most of the tools I used to teach these kids leather working with were from China. I began seeking out US based alternatives for not just the leather, but all the buckles and hardware needed and my version of the American made leather belt became a reality.
Once I had the right leather, hardware and finishes the rest fell in place. If you stick to traditional methods and techniques, there are many subtle ways of separating yourself from the crowd of even other American made leather belts. The use of hand tools, cutting each belt tip profile by hand instead of using punch meant for horse tack is the place to start. That keeps your belt from looking like a cookie cutter department store belt.
THE RIGHT DETAILS SET APART THE RIGHT AMERICAN MADE LEATHER BELT
EVERYDAY CARRY IN THE FIELD REQUIRES A STURDY AMERICAN MADE LEATHER BELT TO SUPPORT THE EXTRA WEIGHT OF YOUR GEAR
A hand rubbed dye and topcoat to the front and edges (not the back) is important and brings out natural variation of the leather. Many makers dip dye or purchase already drum dyed leather, one big problem is the dye is on the back of the belt and if you sweat through it can transfer to your clothing. Also leaving the back unfinished provides a grippy surface that keeps the belt from sliding around and helps dry a wet belt more naturally through evaporation. Rounding and burnishing all the edges and making sure they are well finished is a time consuming but important step. Many makers skip this, and you end up with fuzzy or abrasive edges that will absorb moisture and grime easier-plus well burnished edges look and feel better. Those are all characteristics and features I use, and feel are important in a great American made leather belt.
WELL BURNISHED EDGES ON BELTS AND LEATHER GOODS ARE IMPORTANT AND CAN BE ACCOMPLICHED WITH DEDICATED LEATHER WORKING TOOLS OR COMMON KITCHEN UTENSILS
OK, SOUNDS LIKE AN ALL AMERICAN MADE LEATHER BELT IS NICE BUT WHY DO I NEED ONE?
Your struggle and mine are most likely the same, due to activity level and the extra weight of 1-4 pounds of stuff we carry on a daily basis belt choice is a little more important. The thin floppy leather belt that matches the brand of your “work” pants does not have the strength or resistance to stretching that is needed. A belt that stretches will at first lull you into a dietary complacency, then it gets to the point where it fails and you realize two things, those donuts did add up and its time to find a better belt (personal experience). More personal experience is that belts made of leather “by products” or substitutes wont stretch-just break or fail-sometimes at the worst possible moment. The right American made leather belt won’t let you down like that.
MY EVERYDAY CARRY (EDC) WEIGHS IN AT 27 OUNCES NOT COUNTING MY BELT OR PANTS AND REQUIRES A STURDY AMERICAN MADE LEATHER BELT TO KEEP EVERYTHING IN PLACE
WELCOME TO THE AGE OF CELL PHONES EVERYONE NOW DOES EVERYDAY CARRY, EDC!
If your wear pants or shorts and walk out of the house everyday with keys, a phone, and a wallet then congratulations, you are a participant in the world of everyday carry. You might find the lengthy EDC pocket dumps of Instagram farfetched but in the real world adding a knife, flashlight or multi tool to that carry mix works for many people. I wouldn’t leave home without my own modest selection of everyday carry items, each piece adds up and in my case a total of 27 additional ounces. Add in the weight of the belt itself (another 16-20 ounces) and pants this could easily approach 5 to 8 pounds total that your belt must hold up.
Hiking, hunting, farming, or fishing and you might add even more weight from a knife sheath and a few more belt mounted accessories-many folks carry their phone on the belt as well. Even more reason to select the right American made leather belt.
Pair that with an active life with lots of bending, walking lifting moving and having a sturdy American made leather belt is going to keep your pants where they belong through out the day. All of this subjects a cheap belt to more of a rigorous life than it was ever meant to handle.
Check out my selection of American made leather belts, road warriors, desk jockeys and everyone in between can benefit from the right belt. I have tried to make it as easy as possible with free shipping and a leather care guide to take all the guess work out of the purchase.
EXTRA ITEMS OUT IN THE FIELD REQUIRE A GREAT BELT TO DISTRIBUTE THE WEIGHT