Finding products truly made in the USA can be difficult and there always seems to be a murky definition of what USA Made means. I cut through all that and give you an entirely sourced and USA made leather belt with free shipping and a leather care guide. Belts that deteriorate quickly might not even be made of 100% real leather. I will show you how to avoid that and look for a USA made leather belt that will hold up your pants in style and bounce back from years of hard use.
WHY YOU NEED A USA MADE LEATHER BELT
I can wave a flag and just tell you it is better to buy American or I can make a better product than any cheap import and prove it to you. I make a 100 percent USA made leather belt that looks great and will hold up to hard use far better than any import will.
Buying a 100 percent American made belt supports the rancher, the leather manufacturer, the folks who make the finishes and protective top coats, buckle and removable Chicago screw manufacturers-all based right here in the USA.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN SELECTING A USA MADE LEATHER BELT
USA made leather belts start with US tanned leather
When selecting a durable USA made leather belt for work, play and the great outdoors full grain vegetable tan leather made in the USA is what you want. Full grain means cattle hide with hair removed and tanned/processed primarily using the tannins found in tree bark. The result is a smooth firm leather that can be finished to a variety of colors. This can be single ply or in the case of a gun belt or nice dress belt an inner and outer layer stitched together often with an insert in between to support and stiffen the belt.
The best thickness for longevity in leather speak is ounces per square foot (9-11 oz) or 1/8” to 3/16” inches thick (3.175 to 4.76 mm). Good quality leather of this thickness holds up well and is not as prone to stretching. Leather of this type not only holds up well and takes dye/final color nicely but is also easy to touch up the color and finish after a few years of hard use. Think how nice a pair of boots looks when you finally get around to cleaning them up. Same thing with a quality USA made leather belt, it will clean up nice and with right conditioner and care look new again.
One thing I look for and is a feature of all my belts is a hand applied dye and topcoat only to the front and edges not the rough “suede like” back of the belt. I have always found it best to leave the back of the belt unfinished, it has a natural grippy texture that keeps it from sliding around. If your belt gets wet it will dry quicker and more naturally if the back is unfinished.
Other all-important considerations and a strong made in the USA buckle, removable Chicago screws so you can switch out buckles with ease and even the tiny brass staple that holds the belt loop or keeper together. All made right here along with the finishes and a natural hand applied protective top coat.
USA made leather belts start with thick, real full grain vegetable tan leather and a strap cutter just like they did 100 years ago.
Custom sizing is important, and most makers pigeonhole you into pants sizing. This is guessing at best since pants size vary and does not always transfer to the right belt size-click to see my easy guide.
Click on my measuring guide below to find out how to best size your belt.
WHAT CAUSES BELTS TO FAIL
If it is a made in the USA leather belt or an import the main dynamic of use is the stretching and tension applied to the belt. 200 years ago if you wanted to soften a stiff, freshly cured hide for a garment one way of doing that is to work it back and forth over a post or log kneading and stretching until the leather is flexible. Your everyday use replicates that same action on a belt, which is not good because we want our belt to remain somewhat firm to support the carry of keys, knife, cell phone etc. That is why firm high grade leather is an important place to start.
Other dynamics are even more destructive, you get hot while working and loose water weight causing your pants to slip so you tighten your belt a notch, now you have a little too much tension on the belt and it could be wet with sweat. Lesser quality leather can stretch and fail when this process is repeated-eventually even great belts will fail but much farther down the road.
Lack of care and drying time between use can also affect a leather belt drastically. You can refer to my belt care guide for tips on how to mitigate this.
OK FOR DRESS AND CASUAL WEAR NOT THE BEST FOR ROUGH USE
There are many USA made leather belts that are ok for dress and casual use but will not hold up to rigors of heavy work and outdoor use. Not knocking these and they make fine belts for light use it is just they are not as easily to maintain long term if you put them thru rigorous use.
Top grain-sounds nice, solid, official? Not much different that the words full grain? There is a key difference. They sand off the wrinkles and range marks and, in the process, weaken the smooth and strong outer layer we depend on to hold everything together. Many leather goods are made with this and it is ok for most uses just not a solid heavy-duty belt.
Oil tan leather is neat, and the main characteristic is rustic/antique looks and a light to dark color change when you bend or flex it. This leather is “stuffed” with oils and color during processing-typically would be part of layered and stitched belt. Often not strong or stiff enough on its own.
THAT “OTHER” TANNING METHOD CHROME TAN.
The other main form of processing leather is chrome tan-not suitable for sturdy one ply belts or any moldable or shapeable type leather. Think of chrome tanned as bag, couch and jacket leather. Chrome tan is a relatively quick chemical process (takes about one day vs. the 30 plus days for good veg tan leather) and it adds in your desired color as well. This produces a very color fast and pliable material great for many applications-just not many USA made leather belts. Most chrome tanned leather is imported.
Far too flexible and elastic as a stand-alone belt material you will see it paired up/stitched on really nice dress belts and really horrid belts paired with not so nice materials. Chrome tan and mixed “leather-ish” materials comprise the bulk of the cheap discount store belts. The maker gets to call out “genuine leather” because the thin outer surface is indeed real while the core and back can be made of manmade materials.
MATERIALS TO AVOID AND ALMOST NEVER PART OF A TRUE USA MADE LEATHER BELT
If you hear the word “bonded” it is basically scrap leather fibers pureed and then pressed into a sheet like a giant fruit roll up. Ok for a cheap leather couch, not ok for a heavy-duty belt. In many cases the bonded leather is the back or inner core of a cheap belt. It is prone to failure/cracking and disintegration under hard use. If you have to activity level of a sloth or wear a belt once a year to Christmas dinner this might work for you, otherwise pick a better material.
Genuine leather, sounds genuine right? Or does it sound cheap? It should sound cheap to you because it is. Remember our smooth firm outer layer of leather? It is gone in this case, more valuable, it is stripped away and sold on some other product leaving nothing but the relatively weak inner core. What do you do with that? Apply a faux smooth or textured outer layer and presto you have genuine leather. Nothing wrong for applications that require a leather like look and technically it is leather. Just not a good durable leather and never a durable USA made leather belt.
CONCLUSION OF OUR LOOK AT MADE IN THE USA LEATHER BELTS
Hopefully, you now see the need, advantages and the overall awesomeness of selecting a USA made leather belt. It is going to look great, last and perform well for you. Every day when you put your belt on you can be glad and proud that you are supporting an entire supply chain of United States makers and manufactures. There are real people involved, livelihoods that are supported for those who make the leather, the finishing products, the buckle, the small fasteners. It all adds up and makes a difference to their lives and ultimately yours.
It has been my goal to offer a truly made in the USA belt. Check out my order page and if my USA made leather belt does not suit you hopefully you can find a USA made product from another maker that will.
FILL OUT FORM BELOW TO GET OUR SELECTION AND CARE GUIDE