Title says it all.
When looking at a belt, what are the details to look for to ascertain its quality of construction and durability over the long haul? When worn properly, what are the common failure modes for a typical leather belt, and what details should I be looking for to understand whether the belt will forestall those failures for as long as possible?
I would like to leave style out of this discussion as much as possible. I also would prefer to leave brand out of it ("Joe Bootmaker's Belts are the best!") unless referencing the specific features that make them stand out. Lastly regarding material quality, it would be helpful to focus less on generalizations ("Joe Bootmaker uses high quality leather") and more on specific non-destructive tests of quality ("if you bend the belt at the store normally, and hold it up to the light, on a good quality belt you should see xxxxxxxxxx.")
I do not have much experience myself so I am unsure what to offer. I do know that leather tends to bend/wear and develop twists or kinks in various places, especially the part inserted into the buckle, over time. I also know that the holes run through the buckle can tend to stretch and wear a bit. I haven't had a belt fall apart due to stitching or glue failure or such, even in very cheap belts. Likewise I've never known a buckle to fall apart or detach in any way from the belt, again in very inexpensive belts, so I suspect the difference in durability between a $15 belt and a $150 belt is ultimately not going to be in the buckle area at all but in aspects related to the leather itself.
Presumably leather thickness and treatments play a role.
I have noticed that belts with one of those inner bands that adds thickness tends not to develop kinks. But they also tend to wear a bit more where the tail end meets the buckle.
When looking at a belt, what are the details to look for to ascertain its quality of construction and durability over the long haul? When worn properly, what are the common failure modes for a typical leather belt, and what details should I be looking for to understand whether the belt will forestall those failures for as long as possible?
I would like to leave style out of this discussion as much as possible. I also would prefer to leave brand out of it ("Joe Bootmaker's Belts are the best!") unless referencing the specific features that make them stand out. Lastly regarding material quality, it would be helpful to focus less on generalizations ("Joe Bootmaker uses high quality leather") and more on specific non-destructive tests of quality ("if you bend the belt at the store normally, and hold it up to the light, on a good quality belt you should see xxxxxxxxxx.")
I do not have much experience myself so I am unsure what to offer. I do know that leather tends to bend/wear and develop twists or kinks in various places, especially the part inserted into the buckle, over time. I also know that the holes run through the buckle can tend to stretch and wear a bit. I haven't had a belt fall apart due to stitching or glue failure or such, even in very cheap belts. Likewise I've never known a buckle to fall apart or detach in any way from the belt, again in very inexpensive belts, so I suspect the difference in durability between a $15 belt and a $150 belt is ultimately not going to be in the buckle area at all but in aspects related to the leather itself.
Presumably leather thickness and treatments play a role.
I have noticed that belts with one of those inner bands that adds thickness tends not to develop kinks. But they also tend to wear a bit more where the tail end meets the buckle.
