Looking for recommendations for western belts

[Gareth Q. Nguyen]

Hi guys,

I'm looking for western belts with great craftsmanship which cost less than $200. I can only find these belts from fortela and Brunello Cucinelli but they are overpriced. For the others that I found on Google, quality is questionable.

 

[peachfuzzmcgee]

I’ll just answer this one; buy used and vintage. There is a plethora on both Etsy and eBay.

 

[XWT]

I get mine made by Don’t Mourn, Organize! (Aka Scott Willis) in Utah.

 

[havensk]

Not trying to be the "click my link" dude but I make western belts, check my signature link.

 

[dieworkwear]

Been spending a lot of time looking up old Western belt buckles online.

I ended up buying this. Buckle below is made by a Native American artist named Anderson Parkett Jr. Going to put it on a tan or medium brown tapered strap.

 

[peachfuzzmcgee]

I want to honestly buy more but I always feel like getting a belt made for it is always a pain. One time I went to a local cobbler and he literally slapped my belt buckle on some ****** plasticy feeling "leather" then I went the Etsy route and it took like 2 months too long just for a blank.

I just want some quality belts dang it. However in the future I definitely plan on getting more.

I'm a sucker for Mexican Piteado belts too

 

[dieworkwear]

I want to honestly buy more but I always feel like getting a belt made for it is always a pain. One time I went to a local cobbler and he literally slapped my belt buckle on some ****** plasticy feeling "leather" then I went the Etsy route and it took like 2 months too long just for a blank.

I just want some quality belts dang it. However in the future I definitely plan on getting more.

I'm a sucker for Mexican Piteado belts too

I've been using Ken at Custom Leather Belts. I find it hard to navigate his website, but he can basically make a bridle or harness strap for almost any buckle. And he's easy to work with if you just communicate what you want over email.

Custom Leather Belts. Hand Crafted in the USA.

Custom Leather Belts for Men and Women. Made from full grain leathers. Select your color, buckle, width and finish. Your belt ships within 2 to 7 business days

www.custom-leather-belts.com

I bought a black bridle leather belt with a standard Tory Leather buckle from him. It's basically the same as this Monitaly belt, but not extra long. Cost me something like $75, which I think is reasonably cheap

Sounds like @havensk can do the same and it would be nice to support people in the community.

Kind of tempted by this from Silver Ostrich

And getting something from Foothills

 

[XWT]

Want to cop belt with following features:
- Sterling silver embossed 3 piece western buckle
- Tooled tapered belt
- Brown aniline dye

Excellent example worn here by Kermit, who is usually naked so when he dresses up we know something's up.

 

[havensk]

I've been using Ken at Custom Leather Belts. I find it hard to navigate his website, but he can basically make a bridle or harness strap for almost any buckle. And he's easy to work with if you just communicate what you want over email.

Custom Leather Belts. Hand Crafted in the USA.

Custom Leather Belts for Men and Women. Made from full grain leathers. Select your color, buckle, width and finish. Your belt ships within 2 to 7 business days

www.custom-leather-belts.com

I bought a black bridle leather belt with a standard Tory Leather buckle from him. It's basically the same as this Monitaly belt, but not extra long. Cost me something like $75, which I think is reasonably cheap

View attachment 1614505


Sounds like @havensk can do the same and it would be nice to support people in the community.

Kind of tempted by this from Silver Ostrich

View attachment 1614501



And getting something from Foothills

View attachment 1614502

That Silver Ostrich buckle is gorgeous. The hardest part is sourcing the buckles. I've found some gorgeous ones before that then somebody wants me to duplicate and I can't find the buckle anymore.

I've been liking these ones with smaller buckles where the strap tapers at the ends.

 

[dieworkwear]

That Silver Ostrich buckle is gorgeous. The hardest part is sourcing the buckles. I've found some gorgeous ones before that then somebody wants me to duplicate and I can't find the buckle anymore.

I've been liking these ones with smaller buckles where the strap tapers at the ends.
View attachment 1615385

I think those are called ranger belts, right?

I've been wondering who supplies these buckles. From Googling around, it seems that many custom leather belt companies get their buckles from Tandy and Tory. Then you have some high end companies that source their buckles either in-house or from small-quantity silversmiths, like those companies in New Mexico.

I wonder if that's the entirety of the market? Two mass suppliers and then a bunch of small silversmiths?

 

[havensk]

I think those are called ranger belts, right?

I've been wondering who supplies these buckles. From Googling around, it seems that many custom leather belt companies get their buckles from Tandy and Tory. Then you have some high end companies that source their buckles either in-house or from small-quantity silversmiths, like those companies in New Mexico.

I wonder if that's the entirety of the market? Two mass suppliers and then a bunch of small silversmiths?

Basically you are dead on. I don't even think Tandy produces them so much as purchases batches of them from China the same as all the other hardware suppliers (this is not a knock against the quality, I'm surprised at the detail you can get out of mass produced buckles like these), and then you have the small batch guys doing amazing but expensive sterling silver works of art.

 

[DoubleDouble]

I get mine made by Don’t Mourn, Organize! (Aka Scott Willis) in Utah.

View attachment 1611152

I've also got one made by Scott. A warning: I got mine in a double horsehide leather. Horsehide is already thick and tough, but a DOUBLE literally means two layers of leather. This is not meant to criticize Scott's work, I have other belts from him that I love, I just didn't fully understand what I was getting into. Anyway, it's very very thick and very very tough (think gun holster-like). I find it so uncomfortable that I'm about to donate it to goodwill, unless someone here is interested in getting it for cheap + shipping.

Basically you are dead on. I don't even think Tandy produces them so much as purchases batches of them from China the same as all the other hardware suppliers (this is not a knock against the quality, I'm surprised at the detail you can get out of mass produced buckles like these), and then you have the small batch guys doing amazing but expensive sterling silver works of art.

If we found a silversmith to partner with and make a small run of three-piece buckle sets in silver, would that bring down the cost a little since it's not a one-off?

 

[dieworkwear]

Basically you are dead on. I don't even think Tandy produces them so much as purchases batches of them from China the same as all the other hardware suppliers (this is not a knock against the quality, I'm surprised at the detail you can get out of mass produced buckles like these), and then you have the small batch guys doing amazing but expensive sterling silver works of art.

China makes sense. The prices I've seen from those custom leather belt makers (about $100-ish for a custom-made belt with a Tandy or Tory buckle) is so far from the niche suppliers (say, upwards of a thousand dollars for a belt). I assume the cost of the Tandy/ Tory buckle is reasonably low.

Are there any niche silversmiths in this area that you like?

 

[havensk]

China makes sense. The prices I've seen from those custom leather belt makers (about $100-ish for a custom-made belt with a Tandy or Tory buckle) is so far from the niche suppliers (say, upwards of a thousand dollars for a belt). I assume the cost of the Tandy/ Tory buckle is reasonably low.

Are there any niche silversmiths in this area that you like?

For the stuff I make, it wouldn't make sense as I'd have to charge like $500 for a belt and most of that would go towards buying the buckles, but if you search for sterling silver western buckles on ebay you'll see some pretty amazing stuff.

I mean wow

 

[XWT]

@DoubleDouble mine is also double layered horsehide but I like it. I have successfully broken in a 8mm thick saddle leather belt so nothing scares me anymore.