Lifetime Belt
THE NAME SAYS IT ALL
Imagine having something in your possession that will stand by your side your entire life. Something that's dependable and brings you joy everyday. The lifetime belt will fit into your life for exactly this reason.
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Important! Please Click Here for Timelines
Important! Please Click Here for Timelines
Pre-Orders Open: April 2nd to May 1st
Leather Production Phase (Selection, Tanning and Import): May 1st to May 30th
'Making of Belts' Phase: June 1st to July 1st
'Shipping Out Belts' Phase: June 20th to July 15th
Important! Please Read
ESTIMATED ORDER COMPLETION TIMELINES
This is a pre-order event. Which means that we will be delivering your order after procuring leather, hardware and making your belt, all of which will take between 70-100 days (~3 months) from the date of the campaign launch.
Please Note - These timelines are fair estimates based on our past experience of working with this tannery, importing leather via customs, and handcrafting time. In the event of unforseen occurences, it is possible that there may be delays. But we are always here to provide you with updates. Plan B: Given the recent events in the world (pandemic, wars, earthquakes and floods), and that we are going to import the leather from USA, we have a contingency plan. We have a couple of alternate sources for the same leather, possibly 4 mm thick (not 5mm, as would be from the tannery). Rest assured, we will be able to complete your order with this leather that will be sourced from a distributor, not the tannery. It's good to have a Plan B, we will most likely not need to use it.
Keeping track of your order - We will be posting regular updates on: Email, our Blog and on Instagram (@godbolegear).
Options After Your Order is Placed
Customise Your Design
Select from 4-6 styles of buckles, 3 styles for belt tip design, and more belt detailing. We will also help you get accurate sizing for your belt.
By APRIL 30TH, we will get in touch with you via email/phone with options to help you finalize options for your belt.
Buckle Styles
There will be 4-6 options for buckles.
When can I select my buckle option? Our post-campaign email will include a list of buckle options to choose from.
We'll have 4 finishes - Solid Brass Natural, Solid Brass Matte Silver, Solid Brass Antique and Solid Brass Polished Silver
These options will apply to both the buckle as well as the Chicago screws.
Belt Tail Design
We will primarily offer two styles of belt tails, an angular tip and a curved tip. We will note your favourite design after you place your order, in our post-order email.
Belt Head Design
Screws, Stitching, or Both?
Option 1. Only Stitching, No Screws/Rivets: For a clean and minimal looking belt. The buckle will be attached to the belt with a durable saddle-stitch. Each knot is made with our standard military-grade Julius Koch thread. I don't see any potential issues in longevity by not using screws or rivets.
Option 2: Only Rivets, no stitching detail (recommended): As rivets, we will be using long-lasting brass Chicago screws that are screwed on to secure the buckle to the belt. This will not compromise the attachment in anyway. At the same time, it will make it easy to swap out the buckle with any other buckle in the future.
Option 3: Rivets and Stitching: A combination of options 1 and 2 above. Well, since we are offering options, why not?
Again, this is a design choice we will help you make after you have placed your order, in our post-campaign email.
Waist Size
We'll make a perfect fitting belt for you. And to prevent any size or fit issues, we'll reach out to you with a belt sizing guide after you have placed your order.
For example...
BELT HEAD DESIGN OPTIONS
Examples show Chicago Screws used to attach Buckle, With and Without Stitching
BELT TAIL DESIGN OPTIONS
Examples show 3 types of Belt Tail options
EXAMPLE OF A NARROW BELT
CLOSEUP OF A NARROW (1 INCH) BELT shown with a solid brass buckle in gold finish
The story behind this belt
Many moons ago, On a cold dark morning in New York City...
I decided to make a leather belt. A belt to end all future belts. A belt that was going to last me till I was in the ground, dead and buried. Good thick leather, solid hardware. Not much to muck up here unless you want to. At this point, I had been a hobbyist leather crafter for close to 6 months. Godbolé Gear had not been born yet.
The first belt I made. Picture taken in 2019, long before the belt went missing earlier this year.
I did make that belt. It endured harsh winters and cold rains of New York. Later, when I moved to India in 2014, it went through the heat and the incessant one foot a day rains in Mumbai. It did right by me for a long time, 2013-2023, until I went and lost it. Now it’ll be buried with someone else. Sucks.
Time to make a new belt
A tough belt that’ll handle a lifetime of abuse. A belt that will develop a rich and unique patina. All the tiny dents, scratches and coffee spills over the years will make a belt that will be unmistakably yours.
The older it gets, the better it will look. This is decidedly going to be a casual/semi-formal belt. Let’s not pretend it’s a dress belt. However, I am a little weird and would most definitely use it with a suit. You do you.
There's really just three things you need to make a good belt - get the right leather, get the right hardware, and make it right.
Alright now, let's take a look at how the finer details will play out, shall we?
Locating Good Leather
Thick full grain leather that will brave the elements
The leather needs to be full grain, thick, strong, supple and should not stretch. Let’s get leather made from one of the oldest tanneries in America - Wickett & Craig. Wickett & Craig has focused, since 1887, on making some of the best full grain, vegetable tanned leather worldwide. That is quite literally all they do. The fact that most of their leather is used for making saddles and saddlery is a testament to its strength and durability.
Pic Courtesy: Wickett&Craig Tannery, Pennsylvania
I chose Wickett & Craig, because I really like how their leather feels. Located in in the little town of Curwensville, Pennsylvania, they have a deep knowledge and understanding of their leather. Their master tanners and curriers have passed on their knowledge for generations since 1887. Their leather smells good, just how leather should smell - a woody and earthy smell that's not pungent.
And most importantly, they have the right type of leather that will make fantastic belts. 5 mm thick, vegetable tanned leather tanned just right to last a lifetime. Well cared for, this belt will last……an eternity.
In all seriousness though, the fact is that there was absolutely nothing wrong with my belt after ten years of use.
Crafting for Longevity
making sure the lifetime belt is designed to 'not fail'
Over the years I have made close to 500 belts. Might not seem like much. But when you spend 4 hours making a single belt and then do it 500 times, you really get time to think about the function, design, why things are made a certain way, why things might break, what could be done better.
"Regular" belts fail in all sorts of ways. To address that, we've selected the right kind of leather. Let's look at what else I have planned for your Lifetime Belt. I have incorporated simple yet powerful techniques - not often used in 99.9% belts out there, sometimes to cut costs, or at other times because of plain lack of know-how.
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Maintaining Full Thickness
You know that piece of leather that goes over the buckle and is attached back to the head of the belt? That part of the leather is usually “skived”. Meaning it has been cut and made thinner. That thinner piece of leather is one of the major sources of failure. It’s done in the name of comfort, however I did not suffer a single minute when I made mine without thinning the leather down. Lifetime belt will be full thickness.
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Stitching for a Long Life
Another major point of failure is due to the orientation of stitching. In many leather belts stitching is done perpendicular to the length of belt. In other words stitching is done along the width just under the buckle and then after the belt keep. This is done for ease of making. That stitching seam just below the buckle along the width is the single biggest point of failure. We will NOT be doing that.
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Chicago Screws for Easy Swaps
We will be offering the option of deploying Solid Brass Chicago Screws on your belt. This will make the construction super strong. Not only that, care and maintenance of the belt will become a breeze with the Chicago screws!
Selecting Good Hardware
solid brass, made right
We are going to go with good-old, field tested, solid brass hardware. The kind that is exceedingly rare to find in most name-brand belts these days. The hardware we use feels heavy. It is heavy for a good reason. The reason is Solid Brass.
These buckles are masterfully cast with zero pitting. Each buckle is hand polished and laquered to prevent corrosion.
Solid Brass Buckles from our Newburyport, MA supplier in Antique, Gold, and Silver Finishes. Each buckle is perfection personified.
Most hardware these days is made from Zinc alloys. Looks fine, work’s well, until it doesn’t. One fine day zinc hardware will just break with no notice. A brittle failure.
We source our hardware from a 4th generation, family owned and operated business based in Newburyport Massachusetts. They have been consistently delivering quality for over 78 years! We have sourced all our hardware from them for the last 9 years. They have 100% reliably delivered excellent hardware. They are good.
A word about Chicago Screws - In all pictures, you can see what looks like brass rivets on the belts. These are actually Chicago screws. They are also made of high grade brass. These are as strong, if not stronger than rivets. While being very secure they can be unscrewed with a household screwdriver! So if you want some variety and want to swap out your buckle with a new one, it's super quick and easy.
Important! Please Read
ESTIMATED ORDER COMPLETION TIMELINES
This is a pre-order event. Which means that we will be delivering your order after procuring leather, hardware and making your belt, all of which will take between 70-100 days (~3 months) from the date of the campaign launch.
Please Note - These timelines are fair estimates based on our past experience of working with this tannery, importing leather via customs, and handcrafting time. In the event of unforseen occurences, it is possible that there may be delays. But we are always here to provide you with updates. Plan B: Given the recent events in the world (pandemic, wars, earthquakes and floods), and that we are going to import the leather from USA, we have a contingency plan. We have a couple of alternate sources for the same leather, possibly 4 mm thick (not 5mm, as would be from the tannery). Rest assured, we will be able to complete your order with this leather that will be sourced from a distributor, not the tannery. It's good to have a Plan B, we will most likely not need to use it.
Keeping track of your order - We will be posting regular updates on: Email, our Blog and on Instagram (@godbolegear).