English Bridle Leather Belts Are Classy And Sassy

Bigfoot leather gun belts are made from full grain English bridle leather, which makes them supple enough for comfortable wear but strong enough to do the job they're tasked with, while also maintaining a classy appearance.

That's why Bigfoot selected this type of leather for gun belts. It's a working-grade of leather, but it does so comfortably and with class.

Grades Of Leather, for Belts and Other Uses

Leather, as we all know, is made from an animal skin that's subjected to a curing treatment, rendering it usable as clothing, shoes, gun belts and so on. Besides cows, other skins used for leather include snake, ostrich, crocodilians (crocodiles and alligators), horse and kangaroo.

Leather comes in a variety of grades, each of which has their own unique properties and uses. The grade of the leather depends on what part of the skin was used to make it.

Skin is comprised of two layers of tissue: the epidermis - the outer layer of skin - and the dermis, the inner layer between the epidermis and the top of the muscle tissue. Each layer is itself comprised of several strata of tissue, but the top-most layer (epidermis) is the densest, toughest, driest and most uniform material. The bottom-most tissue, where the dermis meets the muscle, is less uniform, softer, quite moist with fluids, and less strong.

The highest grade, full grain leather, is comprised of mostly the top layer of skin. It's often about a 70-30 mix of epidermal and dermal tissue. This leather is the strongest and most uniform in consistency and appearance.

Top grain leather includes more dermal tissue than full grain, usually about a 50-50 mix of tissues. While top grain leathers can be just as serviceable as full grain, they're often a little less strong and a little less consistent than top grain.

Genuine leather is almost exclusively dermal tissue. While fine for many clothing and accessory applications, you wouldn't want to task it with much work.

English Bridle, Bridle And Other Types Of Leather

The type of leather that a particular piece becomes depends on the treatment it's subjected to. After a process of preserving and cleaning the skin, it is tanned. Tanning is a chemical curing process where the hide is subjected to tannins, acidic compounds that preserve the hide (not unlike pickling in vinegar) and seal it, rendering it less permeable to water. The tanning method produces the type of leather and determines the appropriate purpose for the leather

Alum, chromium and vegetable tannins are the most common tanning agents. Alum and chromium tanning tend to produce softer leathers and are often used on much thinner pieces of hide. The usual applications are clothing and upholstery.

Vegetable-tanned leather - made by tanning agents derived from plant matter, often from oak or hemlock bark - tends to be stiffer and more thoroughly sealed against moisture. This leather tends to be employed more often in working settings due to its inherent strength, though it can make some of the most attractive leather as well, as vegetable tanning and dyeing produce deep, rich colors.

Bridle leathers, typically employed as horse tack and specifically horse bridles, are made by vegetable tanning, which gives them rigidity but also suppleness, so leather products made with bridle leather tend to be strong but flexible.

English bridle leather differs from regular bridle leather in that the English variety purposely leaves a certain amount of "spew" - fatty acid particles present in the hide - on the surface to create a subtle, pleasant texture, much like texturing a wall before painting. English bridle leather belts are very popular due to the durability and appearance; thick leather belts made from this material make excellent leather gun belts due to these same qualities.

What Does This Mean In English?

Why does this matter? English bridle leather is a working leather, designed to work but do so comfortably and presentably. Thus, a Bigfoot leather gun belt will hold up your pants and your firearm easily. However, it's also flexible, so it will fit the wearer well and thus doesn't sacrifice comfort. It will also last, because a good piece of leather can last a lifetime.

Additionally, a Bigfoot Gun Belt will also look good with whatever you wear with it, from completely casual to business and formal wear. It won't shred your clothes and compliments your appearance like a good belt should.

It also delivers at an astonishing value. Even if you don't carry, it's a great investment in a personal accessory.