Leather belts provide a great way of accenting your wardrobe, but having visible cracks and splits along the belt may bring unnecessary attention to
Belts made from processed leather experience cracking and splitting more often due to their composite structure and poor stability. Belts made from 100% leather have a uniform structure and crack less often. However, 100% leather belts crack and split from poor leather quality, inadequate moisture levels, and poor construction techniques.
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Belts made from processed leather crack and split easily
These belts are often labeled as “genuine leather” giving the impression quality. However, that is far from the truth. These belts are actually made from processed leather.
A quick explanation of the structure of processed leather belts will help me explain why they crack and split
Processed leather belts are made from shredded pieces of low-quality leather. The pieces of leather are glued together forming a type of composite leather.
Composite leather falls apart under minimal stress and dissolves when wet. To add stability, it is wrapped with a layer of synthetic material. In some cases, plastic is added to the backside of the belt for added protection.
Manufacturers will often add their brand and coloring to the synthetic coat for visual appeal.
These types of belts look good while they are in the department store, but they’re not designed to handle a lot of stress and pressure. The outer coating is not very resistant to stress and once it begins to crack the composite leather rapidly falls apart.
Through my experiences, I’ve noticed that belts made from processed leather have to fit perfectly in order to avoid cracking and splitting.
A few years ago, I had a dramatic weight loss. My wife bought me a new belt, but it was made from processed leather.
It didn’t fit quite right and I had to pull it tight to get it to fit. The buckle and latch sat awkwardly and stretched the hole. Within two weeks I saw cracking. Within a month the belt started to split exposing the processed leather.
Poor tanning methods cause full-grain leather belts to crack
The tanning method used on a particular piece of leather has a dramatic effect on the outcome of the leather. I have purchased several pieces of leather for different tanneries, and I can attest to the fact that not all letters are created equally.
Just to verify my beliefs, I investigated this idea a litter further and explored the thoughts expressed by leathercrafters with over 10 years of experience in making leather belts.
They indicated that some imported leathers come from sources that use questionable tanning methods.
Leather belts made from questionable tanning methods are more likely to have unexplainable defects such as cracking and splitting…even after the leather crafter has done everything correctly.
One of the best ways to avoid belt cracks is to use North American vegetable-tanned hides. Springfield Leather and Weaver Leather Craft are companies that carry a fine grade of leather hides.
I have been in contact with both companies, and I have been happily using Weaver Leather Craft for over a year.
Low moisture levels cause cracking in full-grain leather belts
The tanning process reduces the amount of moisture in leather hides. If this moisture is not replaced the leather hide will crack in the areas that experience the most amount of bending.
Cracking usually occurs at high-stress points such as right around the buckle.
There are a host of products on the market used successfully to restore the moisture of dry leather. But I prefer Neatsfoot Oil.
Neatsfoot Oil comes from the feet and lower legs of cattle which naturally makes it a good moisturizer for those high-stress areas along the leather belt.
What I really like about Neatsfoot Oil is that it does not dry up like many of the products on the market. It stays in the leather fibers and continually provides lubrication to moisture-resistant hides. This is really important for full-grain leather belts that will be dyed.
As I stated earlier the tanning process reduces the amount of moisture in the leather hide. And dyeing reduces the moisture levels even more.
So there needs to be a solid method of replenishing this moisture loss or the full-grain leather belt will start to experience cracking almost immediately.
If you are creating your own leather belt or if you are purchasing a custom leather belt its best to make sure that it is be moisturized correctly. Here is a good way to do this:
- After dyeing apply Neatsfoot oil to the product
- Allow it to sit for 24 hours to allow the oil to move into the leather fibers
- Apply a sealant.
I have written extensively on using Neatsfoot Oil as a moisturizer. The full article can be found at How to Properly Apply Neatsfoot Oil to Leather
Folding dry leather around a buckle will lead to cracking
During belt construction, trying to fold a thick piece of leather around the belt buckle will in most cases lead to cracks. The cracks may not be visible immediately, but they are more likely to occur within a few days.
The best way to avoid cracks around the buckle during belt construction is to dampen the area that is going to be folded or creased. Then the leather can be molded around the buckle.
If the leather is really thick or resistant to bending, you can bend it a little and then dampen it. This process can be repeated until the full bend is created.
Once the leather is dry the buckle can be removed so that it can be straightened for staining. Because the leather was already shaped around the leather it will resist cracking as you are bending it back forth.
One experienced leather crafter used an interesting technique. He used Resolene instead of water to dampen the leather belt before bending it. Resolene is a dye sealant. It prevents dye transfer and also provides some water proofing properties.
I found that the Resolene dampens the leather plenty enough for me to make the bend without any cracking and so I’ve just “done it that way” so to speak.
Experienced Leathercrafter
I thought that that was a pretty interesting idea. I have to admit that I haven’t tried it yet, but it’s good to know that there are so many available options.
Leather belt cracking is directly related to leather quality
The cracking and splitting of leather belts are directly related to the quality of the leather. If you are a follower of my writing, you know that I encourage the use of bargain leather, but only for testing out ideas.
Using lower quality leather for belt making is going to increase your potential of experiencing cracking and splitting later on down the line. You can dampen the leather prior to bending and do everything else correctly, and still experience cracking. It can be extremely frustrating, but it is often something that we tend to forget about.
In order to avoid this headache, it is a good practice to get a couple of pieces of scrap leather and experiment with how the leather responds to being bent and flexed.
