A genuine leather belt is an accessory that should be in the wardrobe of both men and women. A quality thing cannot be cheap, but it will last for many years. Good skin tends to age beautifully and acquire a unique texture. But here you need not make a mistake with the choice and purchase a belt from raw materials with a good finish. As a rule, a brand is a guarantor of quality, but not everyone has the opportunity to buy such status items. In this case, you should pay attention to handmade leather belts.
Today, handmade is in fashion, and finding a master will not be difficult. The great advantage of such products is that you can order a unique accessory. Put on it your own logo, initials and everything that you have enough imagination for. In this article we will talk about how to make sure that you have a product from natural raw materials with high-quality workmanship, and what methods of making belts by hand exist. We also talk about the types of belts for men and women.
Types of raw materials for handmade leather belts
The skin of different animals is suitable for work, however, pay attention to the type of dressing. For the production of high-quality accessories, haberdashery is used. The thickness of the material is approximately 1.2 mm. Each master has his own chip and secrets. Next, we consider the main types of leather from which you can make an accessory.
Pig skin
Not the best choice. However, it is also popular. Pig skin is rather rough, with a granular surface. The service life of products from it is quite long, but the appearance is poor. There is also pork suede. It has a velvety surface. The cost of pig skin is low, and this is its plus. Raw materials are quite suitable for the manufacture of the inner side of the product.
Skin of cattle
The skin of cattle (calf skin) is the most popular material for the manufacture of high-quality haberdashery. It is very convenient to use for manual work, since it is plastic, but at the same time quite strong. The main advantages of cattle skin:
- smooth surface;
- strength;
- homogeneity - creases and cracks on the surface are very rare.
There are several types of haberdashery cattle skin, depending on the age of the livestock:
- High-quality, but not cheap material for a handmade belt is a calf's skin, which has not yet turned six months old (intoxication). The raw materials are gentle to the touch, but durable.
- Calf skin 6-12 months old is slightly thicker (0.8 - 1.6 mm). This type of raw material is called a sprout. This skin is a little cheaper and not so soft to the touch. Operational properties are not much different from the first option.
- The third version of calf skin is called a half-skin. It is obtained by dressing calf skin, which is 18 months old. Basically, such raw materials go to the manufacture of handmade men's leather belts. Half-leather products are quite brutal in appearance, but very pleasant to the touch. The skin is thicker, and accordingly the product does not require such careful handling as a thing made from the skin of a very small calf. The thickness of the raw material reaches 3 mm.
- The skin of young individuals has the name Cowhide and Goby. The name is not difficult to guess that we are talking about the skin of animals of different sexes. 4 mm is the thickness of the skin called cowhide. 5 mm reaches the skin of a bull.
- The skin of old individuals is called the bullock and buffalo. These are crude and heavy raw materials. It makes good men's handmade leather belts when a buyer or customer wants an unpretentious, but very high-quality brutal thing for a real man. Among the advantages of products from raw materials is the low price and almost unlimited service life of the accessory. An army sword belt is nothing more than a handmade buffalo leather belt or factory production.
Goat skin
This is a very soft and plastic appearance of the skin. Accessories for everyday wear from it, as a rule, do not. It is more suitable for designer women's leather belts handmade. This material has an expressive rich color. Goatskin suede is especially appreciated because it has a stunningly pleasant to the touch, velvety surface.
Deer skin
It is resistant to deformation, has excellent characteristics in all respects. The material is used for the manufacture of luxury accessories. Since deer skin is a rare raw material, then it is quite expensive.
Horse leather
Rarely, but everything is used in leather industry. Does not belong to the category of quality. Coarse enough to look and feel. Accessories made of horse leather have a scruffy look.
Crocodile leather
Elite raw materials, which are not very often used in the manufacture of handmade leather belts due to their very high cost. Such products, as a rule, are made to order for themselves or for very close people. They want to emphasize the status and significance of the gifted person. Crocodile skin, as a rule, is painted in the following colors:
- blue;
- the black;
- green;
- brown.
Exclusive things that are usually sewn to order are obtained from the skin of an ostrich, python, iguana, shark, stingray.
Skin resurfacing
Handmade leather belts are made from raw materials, which often undergo grinding or embossing. What is it for? For example, if the material has some kind of flaw: there are scratches, damage by insects, then polishing will hide all this. It is needed in order to make the surface of the skin absolutely smooth. Polished raw materials have completely removed the top layer. Then it is primed and stained.
Embossing
The skin warms up and an image is applied to it. Also in this way you can completely smooth the surface of the skin, that is, walk along it with a roller. After the procedure, the raw material becomes absolutely smooth.
The material for the manufacture of belts, which is obtained by removing the front layer, is called split.
The most valuable material for handmade leather belts is one that has not been sanded and embossed, as the top layer is removed as a result of these steps. This means that the natural skin pattern is lost.
Belt layers
Leather belts can consist of two or three layers. They also differ in composition.
In a three-layer belt, the upper and lower tiers are always made of leather, but the middle one can be made of artificial lining material. This state of affairs does not very well affect the wear resistance of the accessory, but reduces its cost. In high-quality handmade leather belts, as a rule, all tiers are made of leather, which significantly extends the life of the product.
If the master wants to save money or the client asks for it, then the lining is made of leather jacket (MPCC). The abbreviation stands for "cellulose-tanning cushioning material."
The appearance of this material in the finished product is no different from genuine leather. However, in the process of wearing such things quickly lose their attractive appearance. This is not to say that the use of the MPCC is bad. Just when buying, be interested in how many layers the accessory has and what the middle layer consists of. The belt, in the manufacture of which leather jacket was used, should be significantly cheaper than an accessory made exclusively from leather.
A leather belt can also consist of two layers of leather. The lining is not used here. Usually, designer women's handmade leather belts are made of two layers. They look thin and elegant and require appropriate handling.
Connection Methods
In the manufacture of belts, the layers mentioned above are either glued or stitched. There are also combined options. In this case, glue and sewing are used. In manual manufacturing, belts are only stitched or combined production is used. Hand-made glued belt is a low-grade product, which a priori cannot last for a long time.
In the manufacture of luxury handmade accessories, for example, from reptile skin, the master applies inexpensive but durable pig skin to the inner layer. The edges of the front and inner layers are neatly tucked and glued to the lining. Then the product is stitched around the perimeter. With a gasket, the accessory becomes thicker, looks more presentable. The leather lining makes the belt more durable.
The most expensive handmade leather belts are those in which the layers are only stitched, since such work requires a high level of skill. Accessories are considered environmentally friendly, since glue, which is a synthetic product, is not used here.
How to identify genuine leather?
- Pay attention to the edges. For products made from natural material, the edges are simply cut off. The leatherette, even of the highest quality, will either be bent or they will have a special silicone coating.
- Try to set fire to the edge of the belt. Usually masters who work exclusively with the skin do not interfere with this. Natural raw materials do not burn, artificial material will begin to melt.
Colors of genuine leather belts
Today there is no shade in which it would be impossible to color the skin. High-quality dyes hold well. Men, as a rule, choose natural colors for accessories: classic black, different variations of red and brown. Sometimes, different shades of blue are selected for jeans.
The scope for female imagination is not limited by anything. Masters and manufacturers offer ladies to purchase accessories of all conceivable and inconceivable colors.
Checking the durability of the coating is very easy. Just rub the accessory with a cloth. In no case should there be traces on it.
Belt models for women
In this part of the article we will talk about the basic set of accessories of this type, which should be in the wardrobe of every fashionista:
- Refined classics - black and strict. If it is a handmade belt made of leather, then it is difficult to find him equal. Will suit both a strict dress a la case and a business suit in dark colors. These belts can be of different colors. However, first of all, pay attention to the black color.
- Wide leather belt. It can be any color, but look at the natural shades. Such an accessory can slightly adjust your figure by covering the protruding tummy.
- Thin belt. There are never many such things. The rule applies here: the brighter the better! It will become a bright accent in your image.
- An exquisite model for girls who love elegant things is a belt made of “lace” leather. Quality products of this type are not cheap, but they look chic. For manufacturing, thin goat skin is the best suited. A wide belt of this type will be the highlight of your image.
You see on the photo a women's handmade leather belt, which will be a worthy addition to any outfit and will give it a status.
Models of men's belts
You may be surprised that, according to the rules of good form, a man can not wear a belt with classic pants. However, you should not wear jeans without this accessory. Next, let's talk about the types of men's belts.
Classic or formal VS casual wear
The rule is simple: the darker the product, the more formal it is. With classic clothes, dark belts are worn. Everyday outfits allow you to wear accessories of any color and shade. Black classic belt will not be interesting to look with ripped jeans. Just like a bright red embossed accessory, it will look strange in costume-type trousers.
Finding a master who works with skin is not difficult today. Handmade belts made of genuine leather are in fashion, so many have taken up this type of craft. How to determine the qualifications of the master? It is better to purchase products in stores that give a guarantee on your product.
For example, if you are looking for handmade leather belts in St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg), then pay attention to products from the Shipyard brand. Accessories of this company are made exclusively by hand using high-quality raw materials. The store is located at: st. Marat, 53, 2nd floor.