How to Identify High-Quality Handmade Leather Belts: A Beginner's Guide

They say that diamonds are forever, and I’d argue so are handmade leather belts. Well, not really, if you want to get technical about it, but with proper care and maintenance, your leather belt will last several lifetimes and get even better with age. 

There’s a caveat though—high-quality leather is the key to this longevity, while a handmade construction is the secret to the ‘better with age' part. You’ll see why in a bit.

Today I’m sharing insider secrets from years of leather goods manufacturing to show you how you can identify high-quality leather belts. This way, you too can enjoy the durability and stunning beauty of a great leather belt. 

Among the things we’ll get into are:

• The unique features of handmade leather belts
• Some tips and trick you can use to identify real leather belts
• An overview of Popov Leather and our full-grain leather belts

While there is no official standard for grading leather, most manufacturers follow a distinct grading system based on the leather finish and section of cowhide used. 

This grading system divides leather into three distinct grades:

• Full-grain leather (the best quality): This is also referred to as top-grain leather because it’s derived from the topmost layer of the hide. Full-grain leather is highly durable and develops a rich patina over time and use. 
• Split-grain leather (bad for belts): This is derived from the most fibrous part of cowhide—usually what is left after extracting full-grain leather. Split-grain leather is often thin with a loose structure and is not as durable as full-grain leather. 
• Bonded leather: This barely qualifies as leather. It’s made from a concoction of leather slurry and scraps left over after extracting full-grain and split-grain leather. As such, it yields poor quality leather belts.

For the best handmade leather belts, you want to stick to 100 percent full-grain leather. This way, you are guaranteed a first-rate product that will give you a lifetime of service. 

Expert Tip: Avoid leather belts branded as “Genuine Leather.” This is a marketing term typically used to indicate that a leather product has some amount of leather in it, no matter how little. 

Technically this means that even bonded leather belts can be branded as genuine leather belts, despite not possessing any of the qualities that make real leather belts special. 

See Also: The Ultimate Guide to Leather Grades: Is Genuine Leather Genuine?

Check the branding. This is your first line of defense as it’s easy to do and doesn’t require any technical leatherworking knowledge.

Manufacturers who use full-grain leather take great pride in this fact and will always let you know. For instance, at Popov Leather, we make it abundantly clear that all our belts are handmade with the finest full-grain Horween leather. 

But this holds true for any handmade leather belt manufacturer worth their salt. They typically see branding such as “100 percent full-grain leather” or “genuine full-grain leather.”

Any other branding that does not include mention of full-grain leather should be cause for pause. This suggests the belt is made of leather, just not the highest grade. 

Additionally, be on the lookout for leather imitations. You’ll be able to identify these through labels such as:

• Leatherette
• Faux leather
• Synthetic leather
• Polyurethane leather

Avoid all belts with any of the above labels if what you’re looking for is a handmade leather belt. Leather imitations have poor durability and are prone to cracking, fading, and peeling. 

It’s difficult to describe the smell of true leather accurately, so the best I can do is offer some of the most commonly used adjectives to describe it: earthy, luxurious, natural, organic, oaky, soothing. 

While these words may fall short, trust me when I say you’ll know it when you smell real leather.

Typically, a quick buffing is enough to keep the brass buckles in shape. But if they’ve tarnished, you can mix the juice of half a lemon with half a teaspoon of baking soda to make a paste.

Apply the paste on the buckle for about thirty minutes, rinse, then dry, and your buckle will be good as new.

Popov Leather is a family-owned business that started as a hobby that blossomed into a successful enterprise. Even so, at its core, we still operate by the same principles that birthed Popov Leather all those years ago:

• Attention to detail which allows us to create high-quality leather products consistently
• Continuous innovation to meet our modern customers’ expectations
• A strong sense of community and commitment to growth
• Accountability and loyalty to our lifelong customers

These values permeate everything we do, including in manufacturing our handmade leather belts—the result—an excellent belt made from the best material, and a class above the competition. 

You can see the differences between our handmade leather belts and generic belts on the market in the table below.

You could almost argue that a comparison would be unfair. But then again, it's necessary to see how big the difference is between our belts and generic options. 

Visit our online store today to view our collection of the best handmade leather belts. You can also check our blog for information on how to care for your leather goods.

Yes. But that’s not to say you can toss your leather belts into the washing machine. To clean your belts, a quick wipe down with a damp cloth is enough to remove the usual dirt and grime. For tough stains, scrub the belt with saddle soap made for leather. 

Avoid harsh chemicals such as bleach and cleaning solvents with alcohol or benzene because they can strip the leather and damage your belt. 

After cleaning, replenish the leather's natural oils, either through a specially designed leather balm or vegetable oil, then leave the belt to air dry.

Yes. Leather belts tend to stretch over time. At Popov Leather, we've considered this and preemptively included additional belt loopholes in case you ever need them.

However, there’s a limit to how much your belt will stretch. A lifetime of use will see a stretch of one to three inches, which is not enough to make your belt unwearable. 

With some care and maintenance, your leather belt will easily last a lifetime and then some. Of course, this is a scenario where you’ll get what you pay for—durability is directly related to leather grade. 

At Popov Leather, we only use full-grain leather to make heritage-quality belts with lifetime guarantees.