Belts made using the vegetable tanning process are made from the shoulders or double butts. For special sizes dossets may also be used. A suitable grade of softness may also be achieved by including oils and fats in leather fully vegetable tanned. It is also possible to use mixed tannages and chrome tannage to achieve a completely soft feel.
The most suitable type of leather to use is full grain leather. However it is also possible to use all kinds of corrected grain leather and embossed leather with plaits.
The leathers which are normally used are dyed with the same colour as the facing side. The flesh side is resined, to avoid problems of stiffness and to achieve a better look.
The main characteristics of a good tanning process: Avoids the grain cracking (which happens when there is a deficiency in the tanning process or an inadequate process), avoids suture of the grain (caused by spaces between the dermis and the epidermis), avoids friezing of the grain (caused by the difference in the elasticity between the finish and the grain). This intensifies with the brightness of the finish and damages the grain of the skin.
The quality of the vegetable tanning process permits many types of finish in the leather.
Another advantage of vegetable tanning process is that it can be embossed using a heated iron (branding iron) and can create a marvellous array of colours.
The full grain leather can be replaced by pigmented split leather to make cheaper belts, however with the lower quality they are easily damaged.
