A quality belt is something that everyone needs. Often overlooked in the spectrum of accessories, the trusty belt protects us from embarrassing catastrophe. A belt should be something you trust. A faithful companion through your daily life.

How long should a belt last?

Artisan leather belts will last between 5-10 years, and with the right care and attention could be with you for much longer. However, finding a true custom leather belt is not as easy as it seems, with a wide gamut of branded imposters on the scene.

Buy cheap, buy twice!

This old adage could not be truer in the world of belts. Belts that come ready supplied with trousers or from disposable fashion outlets, are not going to be with you for very long. Made with faux-leather, mass-manufactured in the darkest of factories, these are basically landfill on a hanger. Within weeks this type of cheap, flimsy belt will have failed you.

As you climb the price scale your belt should become better quality. However, in all honesty, that’s not always the case. Despite paying 20 times more than budget belts, you’re not guaranteed to get much more than a year out of a belt. In the world of fashion, big brand products are not necessarily high quality products.

Common Issues with mass-manufactured belts

The first issues are stretching and cracking with poor quality, mass produced leather, there is very little structure to it so it will degrade very quickly and will just give up the ghost within a relatively short period of time.

Then there is the stitching. The function of a belt dictates that it will be subjected to tension and even if your leather is decent, you might witness some fraying of the stitching. This generally leads to the buckle and the belt parting ways. Cheap thread, stitched en-masse by someone not paid nearly enough to care and yet under pressure to produce a ridiculous quota per day, does not make for a good quality product.

Then there is the buckle itself, normally a casting made from something called zamac. It tends to be flimsy, can twist or snap and even cause allergic reactions. These are common features of many poor-quality high-street belts. Profit is the motivation for producing these belts, not quality or workmanship. Paying over the odds for something poorly made with low-quality components is not okay. Always ask about production, where the leather and buckle comes from and of course where its actually made.

The Solution - Sam Brown London Belts

We produce men’s leather belts, made in England by us, with components sourced from local artisans throughout the British Isles. You can literally feel the quality in every aspect of our leather belts.

Cured for a year and a day in pits with oak and beech chips, it's called Honest Leather.

We stitch our artisan leather belts with the finest Irish, hand-woven thread. Strong, dependable and made with passion.

Our buckles are sand-cast in the UK in a variety of high-quality metals. A process which takes time and skill but yields a superior product.

All these incredible components are then expertly put together by hand here at Sam Brown London. We create artisan leather belts with no compromise.

Every one of our belts can be custom made. You can choose the colour and materials for each of the components, so you play a part in the creation of your belt. A belt that will look better in six months' time, rather than be destined for the bin.

So, if you want a belt that will go the distance, do yourself a favour and spend your money on a quality, hand-crafted artisan leather belt.

Buy Well - Buy Less - Buy British