Best Leather for Belts

Best Leather for Belts

Best Leather for Belts are today an essential accessory both for formal and casual outings. This slimmest gear holds the prime position in your presentation – at the very centre of your body! and hence can create a surprisingly head-turning impact on your complete persona. Unfortunately, most men don’t know much about belts, besides the fact that they go around their waist.

How do you define a Belt?

Technically any system that goes around a body using tension to hold up the body against gravity is a belt. Even a humble piece of string can be a belt – even the ones we use in our PJ’s is a belt!

The vast majority of belts (once you’ve moved beyond the simple string) have two parts: the buckle and the strap. Many belts also have a keeper loop and/or an end tip (the end tip is usually metal, or leather on cloth belts). The end tip protects the end of the belt from being damaged/frayed and can make it easier to buckle. After the belt is buckled, the keeper loop stops the free end from flapping around. In some belts, the strap and buckle are permanently joined together; in others, they can be taken apart and the buckle switched out. The part of the buckle that joins it to the strap is called the chape. 

Understanding Leathers for Belts.

Ideally, there are three vital aspects to bear in mind while choosing the leather for a belt. These are – the grade of the leather, the part of the hide the leather comes from, and the thickness of the hide.

  • Top Grain Leather

Top grain leather has the finest resilience and is the best quality of all the leather grades. The top grain includes the outer grain of the hide that has more densely packed fibres, making it stronger and durable. Top grain leathers are split into two categories – full grain leather and corrected grain leather. The majority of top grain leathers are made into corrected grain leather. At WALLETSPLUS, we typically use full grain leathers to create high-end products.

  • Full Grain Leather

Full Grain Leather comes from the uppermost layer of the hide. After separating the hide hair from the leather, the entire pattern of grains of the hide and all its characteristics become visible. The full grain leather always develops a patina over time with use, thus allowing the natural marbling, texture, and natural colour variations in the hide to come through. It is a very strong and durable leather, and a preferred choice of craftsmen for manufacturing unique leather belts.

  • Corrected Grain Leather

The corrected grain leather is the top grain leather that is sanded and embossed to give the finished product a more consistent and smooth appearance. The grain is stamped on to hide imperfections and give it a uniform, natural feeling texture. Some common examples of corrected grain are products with a snakeskin or crocodile texture. Depending on the amount of correction done, this leather is a reasonable quality material to use for belts where full grain leather is not an option.

  • Split Grain Leather

Split grain leather, as the name implies, is created when the top grain of the leather hide is splitted or ripped apart by using a leather splitting machine. Such leather is thinner, weaker, and has a looser structure that is not as durable or resilient as top grain leather. It is not recommended for manufacturing belts.

  • Bonded Leather

Bonded leather is a namesake and worst quality adulterated leather material. It is not counted as real leather. It is a by-product made of leather dust and scraps that are shredded and bonded together with non-biodegradable polyurethane or latex onto a fibre mesh. The mixture contains from 10% to 30% leather fibres. The bonded leather is guaranteed to crack and split with regular use.

Most appropriate leather cuts for belts.

It is important to keep in mind the type of cuts from where the leather is procured to make a great belt.

  • Double Butt Cut

The double butt cut of a bovine hide is from the hind leg portion of the hide, running around the butt and up towards the spine. This is the thickest and firmest part of the hide and yields the most consistent and even material. Double butt cuts are great for making thicker items like belts. At WALLETSPLUS we prefer to use vegetable tanned leather double butt hides for all our belts. 

  • Side Leather Cut

A side cut of a hide is half of an entire hide cut lengthwise down the middle. It contains part of the shoulder, butt, and belly of the cow. It is thinner, softer and stretchable leather. It isn’t the first choice of leather for belts.

  • Belly Leather Cut

The belly cut of a leather hide is from the left or right edges of the hide and is of more irregular shape than other cuts. The belly cut leathers are not recommended for belts due to their inherent suppleness.

Best Leather for Belts

Which belt should I choose?

Well, you don’t choose a belt to wear. Your outfit and the occasion decide for you the best suited belt. Narrowly defined, belts can be categorized as either  formal or casual belts –

The formal belts are smaller, have a sleeker buckle and a thinner strap width. Formal belts are always made of premium leather. They may or may nor sport a brand logo on the buckle. These are mostly worn with official or business outfits and add a Midas touch to one’s persona.

Casual belts are designer gear that sport a  comparatively larger buckle and broader strap width. These are tougher, thicker, stiffer, more rugged, and often sport matte finish. Casual belts are more often worn with jeans for outdoor or everyday activities.

However, just as with men’s jackets and shoes, there’s always an overlap between formal belts and casual belts. Though formal belts are largely for wearing with suits and business attire, they can always be paired with more formal sports jackets/ blazers and trousers. Conversely, casual belts are largely worn with jeans, khakis, and shorts, but can work with nicer chinos and more rugged sports coats.

What are designer belts?

The current generation of haute couture fashionistas emphasise on waist-up dressing. However, the designer belts have made an indelible mark on the fashion circuit and made their way into our everyday wardrobes. The exclusive WALLETSPLUS’ designer belts, whether paired with trousers for a chic return to the office, or cut-off shorts are perfect for weekend escapades, adding a vintage, designer woven leather, or studded belt that help to elevate just about any outfit.

If you’re in need of a fresh and stylish waist belt, you’ll find inspired ways to wear designer belts from our large collection!

Blog December 01

Quality Control of Leather Products

At WALLETSPLUS, Quality Control of Leather is defined as the degree of excellence a product possesses with respect to design of product and conformity with certain prescribed standards and specifications; so as to meet customers’ expectations to total satisfaction.

Various test

 

Our stringent Quality Control (QC) involves establishment of quality standards and installation of systems to ensure that these standards are maintained and practiced. Our mission is to create and deliver remarkable handcrafted leather goods with pristine quality. We work with leather because it is a versatile, beautiful, and durable natural material, and we use only the highest grade of materials. If you’re browsing leather wallets, leather bags or even small leather goods, remember that the highest – and strongest – leather grade is full-grain, and means the raw material is exceptional. The lower grade leathers will have a milder aroma, while the best grades have a rich, sweet smell. WALLETPLUS’ in-house testing and QC ensures that only the best quality leathers are used to manufacture pristine products.

The Friction Test determines the behaviour of the leather surface to friction. Leather samples are thus rubbed on the Felt to analyse the behaviour of the leather and its finish. Once the production of the leather is finished, it is important to check the leather’s elasticity. The Stretching Elasticity Test is important as only the best of the best quality leather is expected by our customers. The Water Absorption Test is critical as faux leathers (like vegan leathers or PU) always fail the water absorption test. True quality leather will never leave a stain when spilled with clean water if treated carefully. The Breaking Strength Test is employed to test the strength of leathers when stretched for tensile endurance. It also indicates the effects on finished product during regular use and wear of leather.

Quality Control of Leather

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What is Nappa Leather?

What is Nappa Leather ? The Nomenclature.

Nappa Leather – The Napa/Nappa name of the leather has a unique history. The story goes that historically there used to be two native American nomadic tribes, namely – The Wappo tribe and the Wapin tribe. When the non-natives came and settled with the locals, they tried to pick up local words, and it is supposedly an English way of saying a native American local word, the actual meaning of which is now lost in translation. This word has also inspired the name of a county in California, USA. However, Napa County, north of San Francisco, is today better known for hundreds of hillside vineyards in the Napa Valley wine region.

What’s Emanuel Manasse to do with Nappa Leather?

Emanuel Manasse is credited as the inventor of Nappa Leather. He was born in Germany and settled in the USA. He moved to New Jersey and then to Napa, California in 1871. Manasse was a son of a leather tanner in Germany. It is likely that he learned the leather craft from his father. He was a leather tanner for the Swayer Tanning Company. It is here at the Napa-valley that he developed the Nappa leather. The leather was soft, flexible, and very well suited for creating fine leather accessories. Since the leather was developed in Napa, many went on to call it Napa or Nappa leather.

Manasse would later become a partner at the Swayer Tanning Company and lead a very rich and successful life because of the invention. The Napa leather would go on as a very well-known term in the leather world.

Meanwhile, the next time you ponder about Napa-valley, it will not just be about fine wine, but also about the birth place of one of the finest leathers known to man.

Advantages of Nappa Leather.

There are multiple advantages that Nappa leather offers. The first is that it is strong yet soft and flexible. It is also very stylish and elegant making it popular for premium leather goods and accessories and other goods. Nappa leather is likewise durable and long lasting. Nappa leather also does not absorb water or any other liquid quickly. You can therefore clean the spill just by immediately wiping the surface. And last but not the least, Nappa leather is also hypoallergenic. Perfect for those who have respiratory system problems.

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Various uses of Nappa Leather.

The leather pundits claim that Nappa is the ideal type of leather for impeccable leather goods and accessories. especially for small goods. They describe Nappa leather as being “buttery soft”, a perfect surface touch to a leather item. Moreover, other than being comfortable to create styles and designs, Nappa leather is also durable and easy to maintain, something that is very convenient for customers. It is also easier to clean liquid spills. Napa leather also has a very luxurious look. That is the reason why it can be found on some of the most luxurious items. It is superior in quality and style in comparison to other leather types. Its various uses include – wallets, gloves, handbags, and lifestyle accessories.

At WALLETSPLUS, we have decades of experience in crafting finest leather goods with Nappa leathers for some of the most prestigious private labels and brands world-wide.

What is Nappa Leather

Blog October 01

Tools for Leather Craft

Leather crafting has been one of mankind’s oldest skills. From hunting for food to using animal hides for body covering, rudimentary tools were always man’s necessity. Early homo-sapiens used chiselled rocks and the likes for crafting leather. With the advent of technological progress, modern tools have been developed to make better, faster, and more economical leather goods.

However, it is important to emphasise that age-old tradition skills and craftsmanship of manufacturing hand-made leather accessories, remains the pinnacle of leather working. Learning which tools to apply and how to use them is vital for any student inclined into making new styles and designs of leather accessories.

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Leather

If you intend to make small accessories like designer wallets and card cases, we recommend you use Vegetable Tanned full-grain leather to create a strong and durable product.

Thread

From synthetic to natural, there are multiple thread options available for leather crafting. Our personal favourites are linen threads which are run through a wax pot. Their high strength, low elongation, great sheen, and their resistance against effects of heat, light, and climate, linen threads are the most popular for leatherwork.

Cutting Tools

Professional leather artisans use standard cutting tools such as a utility knife, a rotary cutter, or a round knife. However, regular cutters could in cases be handy and applied. Special knives and box cutters are also used in most factories. Be mindful of your tools. Use them wisely and cherish them always.

Cutting Mat

For creating samples and prototypes of leather goods, a cutting mat is necessary. It helps you to make precise and clean cuts, and to protect your workbench. Cutting mats of different sizes, which are also self-healing are easily available at most stationery stores.

Chisels and Hammers

Using diamond chisels, you can punch the stitching holes through pieces of leather. Such tools, which come in a variety of sizes, can help you punch perfect holes for hand sewing as. If you want to make them slide in and out of the leather smoothly, you can apply a bit of beeswax to these chisels.

Leather crafting requires precision work with hammers to deliver concentrated force to a location. Hence, to protect your kit against possible scratches or damages caused by punches and rivet setters, a plastic hammer could ensure clean strikes in basic leather work.

Miscellaneous Tools

Quality premium hand-made leather goods require experienced pairs of hands with an exceptionally creative vision. It is thus imperative to have all the different tools in your arsenal and use them wisely. You will need Stitching awl, Leather Stitching Needles, Leather Skivers, Edge Bevelers, Groovers, Edge Burnishers and Hole Punches too.

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