The wait is over!
After years of perfecting shoes, we turned our attention to something else your wardrobe has been missing: hand-crafted, unisex leather belts. Each belt is made under our own roof here at our Whalley HQ by our ‘Head of Shoe Repairs' Sam Thompson. He has brought together the best Italian bull leathers and hand forged buckles by Carter & Duck Blacksmiths, all stamped with the Lancashire Rose, proudly made in Lancashire.
We have created 3 styles of belt: Bleasdale, Hodder and Cromwell in 3 different leathers: Cuoio, Foresta and Nero.
At LANX, we’ve always pushed the boundaries of how you can add personality to your favourite pair of shoes. Whether that’s with bold, colourful socks or bright laces, we’ve given you countless ways to stand out. Now, with the introduction of our hand-crafted leather belts, you can add a final touch of timeless class to your outfit.
Wearable, durable, for a lifetime.
WHY ARE LANX MAKING BELTS?
Over here at LANX we pride ourselves on having a good eye for fantastic materials. We have proven we know what we are talking about when it comes to leathers, but on a chance visit to a farm near Hobbit Hill (you heard that right) we found Carter and Duck Blacksmiths and our minds went racing.
After chatting with Bill Carter and Oscar Duck (the blacksmiths) we saw how their artisanal skills could be used in a way to make something brand new for LANX. Full of enthusiasm we went away and researched all the different requirements of a belt: thicker leather, curved metalwork, Chicago screws and the finish. So what did we do?
ONLY THE BEST MATERIALS
The leather we have used for our belts is the fantastically robust Walpier Rocky Leather, which is a 100% pure vegetable tanned leather, produced on full grain shoulders. When choosing the leather we had to consider that the leather has to be double the thickness of leathers used on shoes, measuring 3.8mm thick. That makes them durable and makes sure they will last a lifetime.
We have selected this leather because shoulders are nice and wide, and have a resin finish on the reverse side, making it the ideal material for belts, due to its heavyweight durability. This high-quality leather is produced by Conceria Walpier, an Italian tannery, and a member of the ‘Consortium of Genuine Italian Leather’. Their Cuoio, Foresta and Nero were the perfect colours for us to pick. Perfect with denim, earthy chinos and even a smart pair of pants.
The leather has been stamped with the famous LANX Rose icon on the tip, a LANX Logo across the belt keeper, and includes a gold debossed sizing guide on the inside of the belt.
THE BUCKLES
After many buckle designs from Matt, LANX’s head designer, we finally arrived on 3 different designs hand forged from 304 high tensile stainless steel:
- The Bleasdale is a single side rounded buckle with a full leather LANX embossed keeper to keep your belt clean against your waist.
- The Cromwell is a double sided full rectangle buckle which uses the smaller side of the buckle as your keeper.
- The Hodder is a single side squared buckle (slightly bigger than the Bleasdale) with a full leather LANX embossed keeper to keep your belt clean against your waist.
The three buckles come in 3 different finishes, showcasing the dexterity of the stainless steel material.
- Antique Brushed Brass is a worn, rugged finish that fits perfectly with the Cuoio bull leather. The finish is applied by hand using brass wire and is applied throughout the buckle. Each one is finished by hand and is full of individualistic character.
- Polished Steel is exactly what it says on the tin. The steel is polished by hand until the shine comes right through,making your buckle pop against the Foresta leather.
- The Dull Black finish is made possible by burning beeswax and applying that directly onto the steel. The burnt wax then seeps into the steel and gives a wide variety of characteristics to the buckle. Some have become slightly smooth from the treatment whilst others earthy patinas flowing through the finish. The dull black almost looks like a deep moody brown in the light and so solid Nero leather makes it come alive.
Once we have the buckles and the leather Sam cuts out the belt straps, bevells the edges and punches the holes throughout the strap. After the strap and buckle are put together, Chicago screws bring the whole item together. With the belt put together the whole product is burnished with beeswax, creating deep hues of colour on the edge of the belt. They are then finished with a hand operated heat press branding each product with our proud ‘Made in Lancashire’ message.
The best part about making these products by hand is that they are all 1 of 1. Each belt is individual in its execution and so gives you a true piece of personal craftsmanship.
THE WAIT IS OVER.
These belts have been a very highly requested and hotly anticipated introduction to our catalogue, and have been on the to-do list since the early days of LANX. To be able to create a product that combines the heritage of Lancashire with the same familiar quality and finish as our footwear, the end product is something that we are proud to finally offer.
All hand-crafted from start to finish within a 5 mile radius, using traditional techniques, explore our new LANX belts today.
Get ‘Em Worn!
