Knowledge: Mens' Belt
Men’s belt：Things you didn’t know about leather belts
For men, many people use a single leather belt for long periods of time. The quality becomes important in order to enjoy the unique aging of the leather while letting it adapt to your body shape. However, even though it is the most familiar item that you can spend a long time with, the knowledge we have about belts is surprisingly little. Here we introduce two major points.
A buckle is an important choice along with the color and material of the belt. Originally, the practical items that were attached to the armor were used by women as decorations, and they have had a great influence on the belt design. Here we introduce the characteristics of the mainstream types of men's belts.
Frame buckles
One-size-fits-all is becoming the mainstream for this type, which has many variations in design. Adjust the length to the center of the odd-numbered hole and the tip of the pin.
Box frame buckles
The feature of this type is that it is easy to make fine adjustments. When adjusting the size, cut so that the belt part comes out about 15 cm from the buckle part.
Pin buckles
This type, which is often designed with a logo or mark on the metal fittings, is suitable for loosely tightening pants because it is held only by the pin holes.
Another part to look for in leather belts is the finish of the sewing. There are two large categories in terms of structure, the "one piece" finished with one piece of leather, which is a standard when matching with jeans etc., and "matching thing" where craftsmanship is utilized.
"Matching" has a core between the front leather and the back leather, and there are "gluing" using adhesive and "stitching" with sewing machines on both edges. Let's introduce sewing that has an attractive finished texture.
Popular sewing method for casual belts. A simple sewing technique in which the front leather, core, and back leather are glued together. Check if both sides (edges) where you can see the seams are well polished. It is often finished in the same color as the outer leather, and the good finish prevents fraying and fluffing.
Thinly finished belts on both sides are called "feather matching" so as not to put a burden on thin belt loops such as used for suits. If the suppleness of the outer leather and the material of the core part are compatible, the three-dimensional impression brings out elegance. Many high-end products use leather for the core, which is not visible.
The sewing that is often used for reptiles such as crocodile and high-class leather such as ostrich. The strength of the entire belt is increased by wrapping the edge of the core leather with the back leather and pasting the front leather from above. It is said that this name was originally given to many French products because of how they were sewn.
Contrary to French matching, the front leather is turned inside out and turned to the back so as to wrap the core leather, and the back leather is pasted. Some are garnished with a decorative sewing machine to increase strength. Among the craftsmen, it is sometimes called "backing".
A piece of leather that completely wraps the core leather and is stuck together. Sewing process used for soft leather such as calfskin. The seam is at the 7: 3 position with respect to the belt width to allow it to avoid the pin hole. There is the "chidori musou" with the back side sewn in a zigzag pattern, and "fukuro musou" with the seams turned inward so that they are not noticeable.
