What is the Best Leather for Belts? A Definitive Guide (2024)

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In general, there are six different leather grades used to make leather goods - top grain, full grain, corrected grain, split grain, genuine, bonded. Full grain and top grain leathers are the best types to use for most leather goods.

Top Grain Leather

Top grain leatherhas the best durability and best quality of all the leather grades. This includes the outer grain of the hide that has more densely packed fibers, making it stronger and durable. Top grain leathers are split into two categories - full grain leather and corrected grain leather. The majority top grain leather is made into corrected grain leather. Typically, a high end leather product is made with a type of top grain leather.

Full Grain Leather -The Best Leather

Split Grain Leather -Bad for Belts!

Split grain leatheris created when the cushier middle layer of corium is separated from the top grain of the leather hide using a leather splitting machine. A thicker hide can be split again into a middle split and a flesh split. Split grain leather is thinner, weaker, and has a looser structure that is not as durable or resilient as top grain leather. It has a fuzzy texture on both sides and requires special care to keep it looking good. It is most often used to make genuine leather, suede, and other leather by-products.

Genuine Leather - Lowest Quality

Genuine leatheris a type of finished split leather made using leather scraps. Of the various grains and cuts, genuine leather products are the lowest quality and at the bottom of the list. The name is a misleading marketing buzzword that makes you think it is a good material, but genuine leather is not as durable and long-lasting as other leather grades. Genuine leather can make a good first impression but will not stand up to wear and tear of regular use. This type of leather is often used to make low quality mass-produced belts and cheap upholstered furniture. "Genuine Leather" is often stamped on a cheap truck stop belt like a seal of approval, but don't fall for it - it is just a waste of money.

Bonded Leather - Is this even real leather??

Bonded leatheris agarbage leather materialthat shouldn't be considered real leather. It is a by-product made of leather dust and scraps that are shredded and bonded together with polyurethane or latex onto a fiber mesh. The mixture contains from 10% to 30% leather fibers and has a great impact on the end product's durability. While bonded leather has some stain resistance, it is almost guaranteed to crack and split with regular use. You can expect a cheap belt made of this material to only last about 6 months. Bonded and genuine leather should never be used for belt making. They are the worst belt leather possible.

What are the best leather cuts for belts?

When making a belt, the type of leather cut you use is just as important as the quality used. It is a topic less discussed in the tanning industry than leather quality, but equally important for making a great leather product.

Double Butt Cut - The Best Hide for Belts

Side Leather Cut - Good, but not Great

A side cut of a cow hide is half of an entire hide cut lengthwise down the middle. It contains part of the shoulder, butt, and belly of the cow. Side cuts yield leather with a variety of characteristics - it will have thinner, softer, stretchier leather closer to the belly and thicker, stiffer leather closer to the spine. This would not be our first choice for making a leather belt out of because it yields too much waste. However, it is a good compromise if you intend to make a variety of leather products.

Belly Leather Cut - Bad for Belts

The belly cut of a leather hide is from the left or right edges of the hide and can be a more irregular shape than other cuts. The belly of animals naturally expands and contracts as they eat and drink. This makes belly leather softer and stretchier than leather made from other areas of the hide. Stretchiness is not a characteristic you look for in a great leather belt, and the irregular shape yields a lot of waste, so we do not recommend or use belly leather for belt making. While it is not the best leather cut, it is still a fair option for making a variety of other leather products like wallets or bags.

Conclusion: Thick, full grain leather makes the best belts

The long and short of it is that you don't have to settle for a crappy belt anymore. There are plenty of artisans out there making great quality products. Look for a maker who knows the materials they use and can tell you where their leather comes from. Thanks for making it through this article, it's obvious you have discerning taste. Why not check out thecool leather beltswe make while you're here? And don't forget tomeasure your waistif you want a custom belt size.