Best Leather Belts

Leather has been a traditional and a classic material made to make clothing, shoes, and other uses, such as upholstery. Our ancestors used leather almost exclusively as clothing. Made from animal hides, leather was readily available. The ancient Egyptians show leather sandals, clothes, gloves, bottles, shrouds, and buckets in wall paintings from 5000 BC. Leather began to be tanned almost exclusively by the ancient Greeks who are credited with inventing the vegetable tanning process by using tree bark and leaves. This method of using vegetables to tan leather is still in use today.  The Romans (who stole almost everything of import from the Greeks and then improved upon it) used tanned leather for clothes, shoes, shields, saddles, and harnesses. Ultimately, there was no limit to what leather could be made for, including belts.

Klik Belts makes the best leather belts for both men and women. We use premium top-grain Hermann Oak leather, and combined with our COBRA® belt buckle, you will undoubtedly get compliments. Below, we’ll offer up a few tips on choosing a belt. Browse our best leather belts online today!

Brief History of Leather Belts

Leather belts we know have been around since the Bronze Age, which began around 3000 BC. However, for the most part, leather belts remained stiff until tanning came along. Leather belts were popular in the ancient world. They have been found in ancient tombs. Syrian figurines dating from around 1600 showed warriors wearing leather belts. Homer mentioned three types of leather belts in his classic poem The Iliad, which was written around 1200 BC. The three belts were a weapon belt, a common, everyday belt, and a belt with precious stones. Belt buckles and hooks were made of bronze.

As humans advanced, so did tanning, making leather belts popular accessory items, as well as items used to hold weapons close in a society where killing was not necessarily a crime. Leather belts were used in war to hold swords and daggers. It was used for work as a utility belt to hold tools, and it was used by the religious clergy and by the nobility to display their wealth with jewels.

 

CHOOSING A LEATHER BELT TODAY

Today, leather belts are still used for many of the same reasons and uses in the ancient world. They hold our weapons and necessary items. Police use them to hold their guns and extra bullets. Many individuals use them to conceal carry. Leather belts are still used to make a statement via fashion. Cowboys like big belt buckles that display their many achievements. The military uses leather belts to carry their gear. And, of course, leather belts are still used to hold your pants up — the quintessential use.

Material of the Belt

Belts can come in many different materials, the most popular being leather, nylon, cotton, or suede. Klik Belts only offers leather and nylon because we believe these to be most functional and best materials for belts.

TYPES OF LEATHER BELTS

Hides of animals are very thick, and the tannery usually splits the hide into different layers. The top layer of the hide is called “top-grain leather,” which is the layer closest to the animal’s hair. The grain of the leather is only visible in this layer. Top-grain leather is an all-encompassing term for full-grain leather and corrected grain leather. Split leather is the layers under the top grain. So what’s the difference, especially when it comes to leather belts? Rest assured, all are genuine leather. However, the difference is in the quality, strength, and cost.

Full-Grain Leather Belts

Full-grain leather belts is the highest-quality leather belt you can make. You can see the full and untouched grain surface, pattern, hair cells, and even any scars the animal may have had. This is partially what contributes to its beauty. This is the strongest and most coveted layer of the animal’s hide. Full-grain leather is just a term for top-grain leather, which is the material that Klik Belts uses for our best leather belts for men and women.

Corrected-Grain Leather Belts

Corrected-grain leather belts is another type of top-grain leather. Corrected-grain leather belts differ from full-grain leather belts in the fact that it has been processed more to remove the scars and scratches from the hide. The surface is usually finished at the tannery so the original grain is no longer visible. It is then given another coat to simulate the hair cell patterns. Due to all this processing, corrected-grain leather belts are considered the second best quality of leather belts.

Split Leather Belts

Next in quality after the corrected-grain leather belts are the split leather belts. Split leather is often used for suede belts. It is often finished to simulate a top-grain leather belt, but it truly can’t be compared. That being said, there are different levels of split leather belts, which you can’t tell just by looks. The further the split leather is from the top-grain leather, the weaker it becomes. Thus, flesh split leather, or the hide right next to the animal itself is incredibly weak. Thus, Klik Belts recommends that a flesh split leather belt truly should be avoided as a best leather belt at all costs. These leather belts are not as durable as top-grain belts, but they are cheap if that is your primary determining factor when choosing the best leather belt.

Bonded Leather Belts

Bonded leather is not genuine leather. Unfortunately, most leather belts you buy at the store are bonded leather. Like the name implies, bonded leather is leather that has been pieced together, or bonded, to other materials. Also known as reconstituted leather or fiber leather, the percentage of bonded leather in different bonded leather belts you will find is hard to tell from looking at it as most bonded leather is made to resemble top-grain leather. Bonded leather belts break in a short period of time, which usually leaves a bad taste in the consumer’s mouth. These manufacturers often attempt to mislead consumers by saying made of real or genuine leather, when in fact, only one small part of the leather belt is. Klik Belts recommends that you buy the best leather belts from brands you trust. Remember, too, you get what you pay for. Genuine, top-grain leather that is quality-made is pricey. Odds are, if you’re paying less than $100 for a leather belt, it’s not a genuine leather belt.

 

CHOOSE KLIK BELTS FOR YOUR BEST LEATHER BELT TODAY

Klik Belts sells the best men’s and women’s leather belts. Made from premium top-grain Hermann Oak leather, our leather belts provide plenty of support and rigidity for your concealed carry gun and holster. Our best leather belts are double stitched for extra strength, handmade, and sewn in the USA. Using the patented COBRA® belt buckle that is made of 7075 high-grade aluminum alloy, this best leather belt is super strong and won’t come unbuckled unless you press the release tabs. It’s easy to take on and off, and with no holes, you can adjust this belt precisely to where it’s not too tight nor too loose.

Klik Belts’ best leather belts for men and women are classic in look and stylish in design. You won’t need any other belt with this leather belt. Browse our color options online today!