For the past few weeks, I’ve been wearing the Big Hoss Full Grain leather belt from Thirteen50 Leather. I have nothing but great things to say about a solid and cool piece like this one. But let me start from the beginning.
BestLeather is no stranger to the three guys out in California. Pat, Trey, and Craig started the shop a few years ago when they realized they could make better quality leather goods, and still charge a reasonable price. We’ve seen their full grain leather belt and we are inclined to agree.
But recently, Thirteen50 released their new Big Hoss belt, and this thing is just phenomenal. When you take it out of the bag, you can tell it’s unique, and that’s because it is.
CONSTRUCTION
The belt starts with Old World Harness leather from the Hermann Oak tannery in St. Louis. This stuff is tanned and finished to be durable and weather resistant. Beyond that, Thirteen50 uses the thickest hides they can get for this belt: around 14 oz. For reference, most leather belts are between 8 to10 oz in thickness. It’s also runs about an inch and half wide, wider than most products on the market. There’s no stitching at all on the belt-generally the weakest point of any leather product-which will likely extend its lifetime.
When holding it in your hands, you can feel the weight and thickness immediately. I imagine that this will be the heaviest belt that the average person owns. Putting it on for the first time, I almost felt like I was holding a saddle. I did experience a bit of stiffness from the belt at the beginning, but it’s been wearing down during each wear.
The rest of the design is pretty straightforward. There are four Chicago screws punched and attached near the buckle, which hold a single loop in place. When you order from the Thirteen50 site there are two options for the buckle: either a slider or roller. All these pieces of hardware come in a matching set of silver or brass.
AESTHETICS
The build of the belt, pragmatic and rugged, is intrinsic to its style. Because this hide is vegetable tanned, you can see the beautiful and natural grain lines running across the width of the leather. The screws and buckle come in simple tones and designs that compliment the leather quite well.
The entire belt has a simplicity which just gives it a certain kind of cool. Its thick, wide, and warmly colored. It goes great with a good pair of jeans and a casual look. I wouldn’t recommend it for a formal event of any kind, but I don’t think the guys at Thirteen50 would either.
CONCLUSION
The Big Hoss Full Grain leather belt truly meets the goals that Thirteen50 set out to accomplish. This is a great product, made with some terrific leather that’s been properly hand burnished and waxed. It has simple and durable screws and buckles that do their jobs well. I can’t tell you for sure, but I would bet that the Big Hoss will last you years and years. For all that, it comes at a pretty fair price.
