Here are some of the main differences between a cheaply made leather belt and a high quality, full grain, vegetable tanned leather belt! I apologize if this video seemed like it turned into a slight plug for Girty Leather Co. I genuinely wanted to just help show what separates a belt like me and many other makers build, from a store bought belt that was cheaply manufactured. Regardless of designs and style, the key difference is the leather! There are many products out on the market that sport the tag "genuine leather" which is a very misleading term. To the general public, this term almost seems synonymous to high quality. The truth is, "genuine leather" actually means the product contains only a small amount of authentic leather. It doesn't disclose what type of leather, where it came from, or how it was tanned. These types of products are not built to last and are mass produced to supply as many consumers as possible.

There are many businesses and small shop makers, including myself, that still work with high quality full grain and top grain leather. Full grain leather is the highest of quality and is the outer layer of the hide that still features the natural grain and texture and has not been altered. Since it has not been altered, full grain leather will usually show signs of scarring, brands, and other blemishes. To some, that may sound unattractive; however, it just proves that the hide is a natural product and is continuing to serve a purpose rather than just being thrown away. Top grain is leather that has had some of the original grain removed to get rid of scars, brands, or other blemishes. Top grain leather is still a better quality, but most of the strength and durability in the original grain has been removed.

Another key difference, especially in western designed items, are the patterns etched into the leather. Most mass produced products will feature embossed patterns, not hand carved or tooled. Embossed leather is generally meant to replicate hand tooled designs or make a less expensive piece of leather look like an exotic or more expensive cut. Embossed patterns are premade stamps that are usually machine pressed into leather. Hand tooling leather actually involves hand tools such as a swivel knife and various stamping tools. Hand carving and stamping is pretty self explanatory and as you can guess, very time consuming! But the designs will generally be deeper in the leather, and are a lot more unique coming from the maker and his or her personal style of tooling. Hand tooling is not something you see every day and it can make a leather project increase quite a bit in price. I understand not everyone can afford custom handmade items, but there is a market for it and the only way to keep traditional trades alive is to keep supporting artists and craftsmen who work at them.

As I said in the video, a regular store bought belt might be all someone wants, needs, or can afford; however, I think it is important to understand the differences that separate a higher quality belt, or any other leather item, from a cheaply manufactured item. If I didn't cover anything properly or skipped over anything please let me know! I don't claim to be an expert or know everything, but just as I said earlier, even I was completely ignorant to the information I mentioned until just a few years ago!

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