Thanks for your advice, allow me to clarify.
The belt making the most ruckus is a mystery braid belt made from 9 oz saddle skirting. I edged both sides of all three strands on the top and bottom, and braided it so that the rough side is facing outward. I now suspect that the contact between the strands accounts for much of the noise, so perhaps my question is less directed at the type of leather that I used and more towards correcting the issue in future belts of this style. Have others dealt with this when making mystery braids?