Handmade in Udaipur: how a leather belt is actually made

Udaipur has worked leather for generations. The process has barely changed, and it is slower than most people imagine.

Selecting the hide

Hides are inspected panel by panel. Thickness and grain vary across a single hide, so the straightest, most consistent sections are cut for belts.

Cutting

Straps are cut by hand along the spine of the hide, where the fibres are tightest. This is why a good belt does not stretch out of shape.

Tooling and stitching

Patterns are pressed or hand-tooled into damp leather, which holds the impression as it dries. Stitching, where present, is done by hand with waxed thread.

Burnishing

The cut edge is sanded, wetted and rubbed until the fibres compress into a smooth, glassy finish. This step separates a belt that lasts from one that frays.

Finishing

Holes are punched, the buckle is set, and the finished belt is checked once more.

Why no two are identical

Natural grain varies, and dye takes differently across a hide. Small differences in colour and texture are the mark of a real handmade piece.