A leather for a belt making must be rigid and not very elastic, not subject to lengthening, of considerable length and thickness. To meet these basic requirements, the most suitable kind of leather is the vegetable tanned leather. In addition it is better to use some parts of an adult cattle (or bull) that better meet all needs of belts making and this is why these large hides are divided into more homogeneous parts.
The most suitable leather cuts to make a belt
The cut of the hides is mainly done on raw hides only subject to salting to allow a longer conservation, but not yet tanned. An adult bovine leather has very compact fibers because they are more closely crossed; however, there are different compactness and therefore resistance between the three fundamental parts of a leather: this is why each belt leather is cut into two bellies (the side parts), the shoulder (the front part) and the butt (the back part).
The double butt (or bend) left whole is the most suitable part for the belt, both because it is the largest part of a skin and because it has a very regular and square shape, a higher thickness and a more resistant fiber.
Even the shoulder, if it comes from heavy animals and with specific requirements such as square shape, sufficient length and thickness, is widely used for making belts. Finally, the belly is not recommended for belts because of its more irregular shape and more elastic fiber.
Differences between genuine and (faux) eco-leather belts
A genuine leather belt, especially if vegetable tanned, will never be a waste: both the leather and the vegetable tanning materials (extracts of the peel of some trees rich in tannin) are completely natural. Faux leather is improperly called ecological, but derives from oil and has several components that make it difficult to recycle. The durability of real leather belts is very long and often they become more beautiful over time and with the use, on the contrary, the ecological leather belts deteriorate much more quickly.
How to make a leather belt?
Belts can also consist only of a strip of leather plus a metal buckle. Vegetable tanning is the most suitable material for making a simple belt without lining and without states to be glued or sewn, which would ultimately limit its strength and duration, in fact, vegetable tannins have the property of filling dermal fibers and give the product maximum thickness. The times and costs of manufacturing a belt can be, as we have seen, very limited and it is the cost of the leather that has a decisive influence on the final price of the belt product. The leather must therefore be of good quality and come from the heaviest and heaviest parts of the animal's coat. The processing of a leather is very long, especially in the case of vegetable tanning and difficult to standardize: tanning always remains an artisan process that requires continuous attention as well as the realization of the finished product.
Where to buy leather for belts and saddlery?
Buyleatheronline offers a wide choice of hides and leather for the creation of belts or saddlery. Many of our leathers on the website have much more cheaper prices than those you can find around, this is because we are the direct producers and we can make wholesale prices. The over sixty years of experience in the leather sector allow us to offer constant support to those who intend to buy leather by providing the guarantee of a quality product that boasts the characteristics of "Made in Italy". On our portal you can buy the best leather for making belts and saddlery simply by browsing the category and adding your products to the cart, taking advantage of the wide choice that our site makes available. In case you do not find the right product for you, you can contact us and we will professionally and carefully create the skin that meets your needs. Finally, for those who are not sure which product to focus on or the quality of the leather, we offer the possibility of receiving free samples of our leathers.