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Leather Belt Strap Guide

Please enjoy surfing through our Leather Belt Strap Guide which explains everything you will need to know about our Custom Leather Belts, which come in many types of leathers, colors, sizes, and are completely customizable.

Types of Leather to Choose From

Alligator Leather Belt Straps

glossyalligator1_sm1 Genuine Louisiana Alligator, the finest exotic skin, is the heart of Black Arrow belts. With its classic finish, it is truly the diamond of exotic leathers. Our belt makers time tested skills and hand cutting techniques allow them to craft belts that are unique, highlighting the individual characteristics of the skin and affording them the opportunity to craft one piece belts. Our Alligator Belt Straps come in two finishes Glossy, a fine polished look, or Matte, a softer approach which lends a subtitle glow to this exotic skin.

See our Custom Alligator Belt Straps...

Ostrich Leather Belt Straps

ostrich1_sm This versatile skin provides an exceptional leather for the artisan to craft one of a kind belts. Sought after for its matchless quill, Ostrich offers a soft texture and elegant flair that blends perfectly with the relaxed character of today's modern dress.

See our Custom Ostrich Belt Straps...

Lizard Leather Belt Straps

lizard1_sm Delicate strength and beauty mark Java Lizard as a premium leather ideal for the creation of fine apparel accessories. Java Lizard shows its charm with the subtle highs and lows of its scale pattern.

See our Custom Lizard Belt Straps...

Stingray Leather Belt Straps

stingray1_sm The picture of grace and strength in the water, Stingray truly is a most enchanting exotic leather. Each belt has its own signature string of pearls and the feel of polished stone.

See our Custom Stingray Belt Straps...

Shark Leather Belt Straps

shark1_sm Soft to the touch, Sharkskin brings outstanding quality to the casual exotic. Velvet toned with a muted grain pattern, it offers an exciting option in exotic skins.

See our Custom Shark Belt Straps...

Antigua Caiman Leather Belt Straps

caiman1_sm This exotic Crocodile with a distinctive scale pattern and fine shading, comes from the rivers of South America. It is rugged yet beautiful.

See our Custom Antigua Caiman Belt Straps...

French Calf Leather Belt Straps

calf1_sm A longstanding basic, calf provides a professional appearance with a smooth polished look.

See our Custom French Calf Belt Straps...

Grotto Leather Belt Straps

buffalo1_sm A casual wear belt, this center "channel" style Buffalo is the perfect compliment to the sport wardrobe.

Toro Buffalo Leather Belt Straps

torrobuffalo1_sm Asian Water Buffalo brings subtle charm and durability to this excellent alternative to the standard belt.

See our Custom Toro Buffalo Belt Straps...

Braxton Buffalo Leather Belt Straps

braxtonbuffalo1_sm Matched with Sterling Silver buckle that has a sporty flair, the Braxton is well suited to the casual dresser.

Gentleman Leather Belt Straps

gentleman1_sm A unique combination of heavy grained Spanish Calf with Classic Alligator overlays make an exceptional statement in the world of modern corporate dress.

Trapper Leather Belt Straps

trapper1_sm In a style reminiscent of Louisiana's Cajun heritage, Shark and Crocodile are combined in a tapered belt. Perfect for the golf course or "casual day" at the office.

See our Custom Trapper Belt Straps...

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What Size Belt Strap do I need?

buckle-widthbelt_length

A properly fit belt will buckle in the center hole. Black Arrow belts are measured from the foldwhere the buckle attaches to the center hole. The most accurate way to measure a strap you currently have is to lay the belt out and measure from the hole you most often where the strap to the end of the strap where the buckle attaches.

In order to find out what width strap you will need. Measure the width at the attachment bar of the buckle you plan to attach to the strap.

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How our Belt Straps are made

The Liner

Cut from a 10-11oz vegetable tanned steer hide back, our liner is the spine of our belts. Hand beveled edges create the signature "high dome" characteristic of our belt. The original firmness of the belt is associated with the dense, high quality leather, and quickly relaxes with wear as the belt molds itself to the individual. The liner's strength and durability remains.

The Leather Covering

Whether exotic or flat, the leather used on our belts are cut by hand. The alligator skins are cut "north/south - nose to tail" as opposed to the "east/west - side to side" cut typical in most alligator belts. This technique works with the strength of the skins' collagen fibers, and produces a unique pattern. When necessary Lizard, some Alligator, Hornback Alligator, etc., the strips are spliced.

Bonding

Bonding is accomplished with a proprietary process that has proven highly successful for over eighty years. Our top skins and/or leathers are each married to their liner by hand, affording the opportunity to work the individual characteristics of the skins into each belt.

Hand Sanding

After our belts are trimmed, each belt is hand sanded to insure the ultimate mating between the two leathers. As with sanding a joint on a fine piece of furniture, our belt makers insure that the seam between leathers is virtually indistinguishable.

Edge Painting

Each Belt is hand painted - with a two inch brush. Our belt makers "flexible ink" is unique in that it is absorbed into the belt and does not chip or crack.

See our Custom Leather Belt Straps...

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Why our Custom Belt Straps are not Stitched

We are often asked the question "Ninety-five percent of other belts are stitched so why don't your custom belts have stitching?" To understand the answer to this question concerning the classic manner in which our custom belts are made one must look at the anatomy of belts in general. Exotic leather is not normally made into a belt by itself. While the exotic skin brings beauty to the belt, as it does to boots, wallets, purses, etc. it does not have the inherent strength in and of itself to provide a finished product. The exotic leather belt, much like the exotic leather shoe, requires a lining which provides strength and durability. As belt making progressed and became more competitive, belt makers looked for ways to reduce costs while retaining some durability and strength. The trade off required the use of lower lesser quality leather backing and the introduction of a third material. A filler was added, which provided the domed look of the belt, and some of its durability. This approach required the belt to be stitched (which in and of itself weakens the leather) in order to insure the bond of multiple layers. Given the modern art of stitching, which can provide the appearance of added strength, the average belt maker had solved an age-old problem - lower cost and fairly good quality.

With our Custom Belt Straps our belt makers have a different approach utilizing a 10-11oz Belgian steer hide shoulder as a liner (backing), and a unique bonding process, which insures that the two materials are permanently joined. Here at Black Arrow we still offer Straps in Our Traditional Strap Collection, that are not customizable, and are stitched, which still are a great quality belt, but have a lower price to fit any budget!

See our Customizable Leather Belt Straps...

See our Traditional Belt Straps w/Stitching...

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