Leather goods designer Billy Moore isn't one to wax on about superficial or exotic influences for Cause and Effect, his ruggedly handsome line of handmade belts. The real inspiration comes from the men he looked up to as a kid. Men like his father or grandfather. "They made things that were meant to last, they created and fixed things, they didn't call a mechanic or a carpenter," he says. "They had serious tools, not just hammers but anvils, torches and for some odd reason, dynamite." So in the name of quality and authenticity, Moore sources the best leathers—both new and vintage—and painstakingly crafts each one by hand. It's no wonder stylish, heritage-minded guys (along with labels like Rogues Gallery) have sought out Billy's belts. We documented his process as he crafted a belt from Horween horse hide in a mountain stream near his home in Tennessee.
Handmade
the Hard Way
- The belts are arriving at Steven Alan, Jack Spade, By Robert James, Bows + Arrows and Wharf this fall. Order yours now via email.
The leather starts out soaking for a few days in the stream.
Moore then pounds the wet leather into the rocks for texture and shaping.
After laying out in the sun to dry and darken, it's ready to be finished.
The leather is then cut into strips, oiled and attached to a handcrafted buckle.
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