What is your favourite leather for work belts?

[RichardJ]

I recently got into leather belts as a hobby as I’ve always loved leather belts. 

 

I currently own 5 of them and two of them are strictly work belts. My first work belt was 12-14oz Herman Oak natural veg tanned saddle skirting. I wore it almost daily for the last 3 months (5-6 days working in the trades) and except for the lovely patina it’s been developing, it hardly has any curve in the middle and no scratches or marks at all. 

 

Two weeks ago I got a 15-17oz Herman Oak old world harness leather belt and I loved it a lot. It’s  very heavy compared to my other belts of similar thickness and I love the natural colour of it. However after only 2 weeks it has gotten quite a few scratches already and some days I take it off to hand at the end of the day and it almost looks like an S (although I can easily reshape it with my hands). I’m not really liking how easily it scratches and how to back side of the belt looks like skin being shed. 

 

I’m just curious what leather do you guys prefer for an everyday heavy duty belt working in the trades? I’m starting to think I’m better off just using me natural veg tanned saddle skirting belt and treat it to be more water/weather resistant.

[Beehive]

Here of recent, I have a ranger belt project. I used Wickett and Craig with a Horween liner. 

My last belt, of over 20years, was made from belt blanks from Hobby Lobby. I've worked construction and in the cattle business. My old belt as been rubbed up against a jack hammer with a mix....to put in nice words. Every kind of bovine fluid on hoof. 

I'm not a certain brand of leather fan boy. Results is more my style. 

But if I'm building a genuine, "Made in Texas". It's going to be American leather. Not Chinese.