The piece of handmade leather belt is not a mere accessory, it is a seal of classical piece of hand-craft work, personalism and endurance. A handmade leather belt dissimilar to the mass-produced belts that all look the same and fail after several uses, is precisely created with care, precision, and quality that can last a long time.
In this blog post you are going to find out all the reasons why a handmade leather belt is always better than a factory made belt, how they are made, the types you can choose, how to wear them and what to take into consideration when purchasing one. Even if you are a fashion nerd, a minimalist or buys artisan products, this tutorial will demonstrate why your next belt must be hand-made and a leather one.
The Eternal Beauty of a Hand Crafted Leather Belt
The specialty of the handmade belt is the hand felt of the leather. All the belts have been handcrafted by experienced artisans who use carefully preserved artisan skills and techniques that have been taken over generation after generation. There are no short cuts, no machines producing thousands per day. Only one craftsman, one piece of excellence leather, and one perfectly constructed product.
My company belongs to the one that makes hand made leather belts, so when you wear a hand made leather belt, you are not wearing an accessory, you are wearing something with soul, story, heritage. It can be used to say to the world that you are concerned with quality not quantity, handmade as opposed to convenience.
The Process of Handmade Leather Belts Manufacture
The difference between a handmade leather belt and a factory-made, especially the factory-made belt made of a piece of leather as it comes out of the factory, the difference is that when the handmade belt is made, the leather is carefully chosen as to its grain, whether it be full-grain or top-grain. These are the best grade of leather, they are strong and durable as well as beautiful to age.
- It involves the process of:
- Slicing the leather with the knife to get its precision and contour.
- Then burnishing the edges to smooth them off and to give a smooth finish.
- Hole punching by hand until it fits right.
- Spinning and weaving to the right shade–this sometimes using natural products.
- It is hand sewed or using an old fashioned sewing machine to ensure its durability.
- And a buckle, which can be of handwork, also, or the production of a local metalworker.
The outcome is a handcrafted item which can, by no means, be introduced by a machine. Each custom handmade leather belt has a character, marks, as well as personality.
Why Leather? Why Handmade?
Leather is a wisely equipped option, because it is durable, more flexible, and it shows age. However, handmade leather belts will take you one step beyond that, noticing the human factor and supporting the morals of your fashion.
- Here is why hand made leather belt is unique:
- Long life Time: They have a very long life span of years sometimes decades.
- Personalisation: You may frequently customise by colour, size, buckle, and even ask to be embossed or engraved.
- Comfort: Belts made by hand break in to custom fit your body.
- Aesthetic: There is no substitute to the appearance of real leather as it softens and develops a patina with time.
Category of Handmade Belts Leather
Handmade leather belt is available in any style and occasion. The belts go from informal to formal, rough to polished and are as stylish as they are useful.
They also have the Classic Dress Belts.
Suits, formal wear, or office wear are perfect. They are typically skinny, smooth and in colors such as black and dark brown.
Casual Day to Day Belts
Bigger and usually combined with jeans or chinos. These custom made belts made of leather usually have natural colors and more raw faced leather aesthetic.
Work or Western Belts
more durable, more functional, nevertheless more fashionable. Being very practical yet doubling up as style statements.
Braided Belts
These include complicated weaving procedures, which are flexible and desirable. Perfect as casual and smart-casual.
Minimalist Belts
Smooth, minimalistic and refined– it is designed to appeal to people who desires subdued stylishness. Such belts are usually stitch-less and have matte buckles.
Styling a Handmade leather belt
The thing is, that a hand-crafted leather belt makes a good combination with basically anything. You can put it on to go out on the weekend with a pair of denim and a shirt or you can wear it to go out in more elegant occasions to, dressed with fitted, only with the opening required.
And in case of men, dark brown or black handmade leather belt would justify wearing with a pair of office clothes and formals.
To a woman, a skinny handmade leather belt is beautiful when it comes with a dress besides being tied at the waist.
Light-wash jeans with pair tan/chestnut belts should be a casual and earthy appearance.
Place a large belt over a coat or long sweater to establish structure and style.
No matter what you wear, the trick to wear your belt is to pair it with shoes or bag by matching the color of the belt.
Why a Hand Made Leather Belt is Such a Good Gift
Engaging in making a leather belt is a very good present because it increases the level of thoughtfulness of the gift since the gift is durable. It demonstrates that you took time to select something exclusive, functional and luxurious.
- It is possible to engrave initials, date or special characters as custom options.
- It goes into everyone wardrobe-everyone requires a good belt.
- It can outlast many gifts and the more it wears out, the more it gets beautiful.
- A hand made belt makes a class and caring item, especially on birthdays, anniversaries, on Father Day, Mother Day, or even when used as a corporate gift.
Investing in Sustainable Accessory
Sustainability is one of the best arguments to purchase a hand-crafted leather belt nowadays. Fast fashion has battered the globe as well with accessories being produced in billions, used a few times and discarded. Additionally, hand made belts are a more ethical substitution.
Vegetable-tanned leather is avoided by most of the artisans, which are harmful. There are also a lot of commodities utilizing by-products of meat industry use so that the value of leather is consumed completely.
It happens that by purchasing handmade, you contribute to investing in small business, local economies and preserving craft. Buy handmade belt from leather and you will vote in favor of sustainable, quality and mindful fashion.
Things to Consider When Purchasing a Leather Handmade Belt
Leather belt is not the same all over. Before buying, check this:
- Quality of leather: This should be full-grain or top-grain. Stay away from bonded leather: a bonded leather is merely glued scraps of leather.
- Stitching: must be smooth, even and well fastened.
- Edges: High-craft edges are burnished or covered with seal.
- Buckle: Buckles plated with strong brass or stainless steel are preferred because they are more durable and premium.
- Customization: Take any customized availability such as individual size, embossed and hardware-themed services.
A reliable vendor will have an easy-to-understand explanation of his materials, process, and guidelines. There are customer reviews and profiles of artisans to find extra assurance.
Maintenance of Your Hand Sewn Leather Belt
You can keep your homemade leather belt in the best shape by taking the below suggestions-
- Too much moisture is undesirable and it should not be that it is stored wet.
- Use leather conditioner occasionally to keep the material damp free.
- Keep it either flat or rolled how in a cool and dry place.
- Wipe with a soft cloth- no hard chemicals.
- As long as it gets appropriate attention your belt should remain in good form and start aging like a good piece of leather.
Brands Which Embrace Craftmanship
Others like small brands and artisans have committed their whole company to achieve the best in their handmade leather belt. Lots of them appear on websites such as Etsy, whereas others can be sold on their websites, such as glossleather where the crafting is not only admired, but it is also considered the cornerstone of their brand.
Such brands will tend to tell the story of each belt, allow you to customize your belt, and make sure that what you are purchasing, stays in existence much longer than the fads.
