Taking care of a new Belt

This week I have been disproportionately excited to buy a new Belt (to stop my trousers falling down!)

It’s Black, 50mm wide and about 3mm thick of lovely leather. Smells great and has a nice Steel buckle, also Black.

The issue – it’s rather stiff! I’d like to soften it while maintaining it longer term.

What product should I use?

Dubbin is supposed to soften leather and condition it

Smells great and has a nice Steel buckle, also Black.

Are you absolutely sure the steel is black?

Neatsfoot oil is the stuff for softening leather. Horsey places will stock it.

I fear sir may be overthinking things. It’ll soften with use, and it doesn’t need any maintaining. I’m currently wearing a black leather belt of similar proportions to yours that I bought in Next when I was 19. It’s had no ‘care’, it’s absolutely fine, and I turned 50 last month.

[of course, the hole I’m using on said belt is very much not the one I was using when I was 19 🙁  ]

***I fear sir may be overthinking things. It’ll soften with use, and it doesn’t need any maintaining. I’m currently wearing a black leather belt of similar proportions to yours that I bought in Next when I was 19. It’s had no ‘care’, it’s absolutely fine, and I turned 50 last month.***

Yup – similar here – a belt I bought on holiday in Greece some 30+ years ago is still in daily use.

Yeah, Just wear it…it’ll soften up in no time.

Balistol oil.

Mink Oil or Renapur Wax are good for putting on leather, Renapur is also good for waxed cotton clothing.

While the belt will soften up over time, it can crack a bit as well, so it doesn’t hurt to treat it to some sort of conditioner once a year or so. I’ve got a couple of belts I made myself some years ago, and they get a coating every now and then, just to keep the leather from drying out.

If you put some kind of conditioner or oil on your belt, isn’t that going to wind up getting into your trouser fabric?

Beloved.

Once a day for a week

Once a week for a month

Once a month for a year

And once a year after that.

Act accordingly

But more seriously.

A decent leather belt. One that you can remember where you bought it, long after the building has gone. Is, to me, a marvelous thing.

The oposite, a belt that looks ok, but turns out to be made of two micro layers of leater bonded to stuff, is exaclty that, the oposite.

Possibley my age, but i now buy belts from charity shops – let some other sucker soth the wheat from the chaff.

IHN Speaks the truth; they do seem to shrink with time (more so since lockdown)!

I’ve found that several proper nice leather belts I have, have all shrunk over the years. If anyone knows a solution to that to restore their ‘longevity’ thst would be great.

(The only thing I’ve found do far is a padlock on the fridge)

Chadwick Belts in Calderdale make really nice belts if your looking for a new one

And Black ? Are sure it’s not just very very very very very dark blue ?

@frtedclips

Very very very dark blue #FatherTed #FatherDougal #FatherJack #shafted #craggyisland #Ireland #IrishComedy #UK #FYP #FYPIreland #Australia #Funny

♬ original sound – Father Ted

Belts, you buy them and just use them.

Same as a lot of people think about bikes.

Chadwick Belts in Calderdale make really nice belts if your looking for a new one

Excellent, thanks, I’ve been looking for a new belt made of proper leather rather than the reconstituted rubbish most places sell and these look ideal.

The oposite, a belt that looks ok, but turns out to be made of two micro layers of leater bonded to stuff, is exaclty that, the oposite.

A ‘composit’ belt, for want of a better word, will never last long…a couple of years rather than a couple of decades.

Chadwick belts look fantastic.
Great present for a significant birthday but not crazy money.

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Belts? Just use them. Avoid putting them in the washing machine.

@Elshalimo thanks for the link. Liking some of those and I need a new black belt.

I have a Levi belt I’ve owned and used regularly for many years and still love it.

I recently bought a pair of leather solovair boots along with a belt (wedding attire) and the quality seems stupidly high. I feel the belt may outlast me!

Also, just wear it, be reight.

Saddle soap it.

Thanks for the advice everyone :o)

I have a Levi belt

This is a Levi belt – I didn’t have great expectations. I expected it to be a cheap ‘composite’ belt but it’s a lovely thing. Thick and nicely manufactured and finished.

I expect to have to mention it in my Will – such will be it’s longevity!

@prettygreenparrot – I bought the Hardcastle belt and was so impressed with it that i bought my brother a gift voucher to treat himself

Follow the measuring instructions carefully. I now have a great new jeans belt to replace the one I bought in the early 90s.

Currently sporting a Vittoria Corsa tyre belt. The last one split between holes during lockdown. Recent training has seen a return to normal sizing and less errr strain – hence the old one couldn’t stay at the correct size. I have a few leather belts that are now so old I forgot where they came from.

I have a Vittoria Corsa belt too. A freebee from somewhere. But no holes, so I added them…and keep adding them as the thing shrinks.

Really liking the look of those Chadwicks – might fall onto my xmas list.

I’ve also been thinking of one of these. Got a washbag from them a while back and very impressed by it.
West End Belt

finbarFree Member
If you put some kind of conditioner or oil on your belt, isn’t that going to wind up getting into your trouser fabric?

No. Not if you apply fairly sparingly, let it soak in overnight then buff it with a bit of cloth or a clean duster, or microfibre cloth.
There shouldn’t be enough to transfer to anything else, and once its soaked in and dried overnight it won’t anyway.

This is one I made eleven years ago…

a new Belt (to stop my trousers falling down!)