The more I write about this industry, the longer it is since I first covered someone. It’s nice, but it always surprises me how fast the time goes. 

I wrote about Equus Leather back in 2011, and purchased one of their ‘lined and raised’ belts at the time. (This is what Charlie calls their hand-sewn belts, in bridle leather.)

As with all bridle leather pieces, the belts are wonderfully thick and heavily oiled. I’ve found that the Equus one adapts to the body shape nicely, but it is also very strong and heavy. If you don’t normally wear a belt, you might find it too thick. 

The video above shows all the stages that go into sewing such a belt, from saddle stitching (the two needles looping around each other) to edge finishing. 

Saddle stitching, of course, is the technique that most obviously separates hand-made leather goods (bags, belts and shoes) from more machine-made ones. It is stronger and more reliable – if one of the threads breaks, the other will still hold both sides together, unlike a machine stitch. 

Below is another video from Equus, showing their watch straps being made.