Belts made of genuine and artificial leather and suede, as well as textiles, are fashionable and stylish accessories that are present in both women's and men's wardrobe. Depending on the material and manufacturer, you can choose a product of almost any price category - from the cheapest youth models to designer and / or classic belts made of expensive leather. Belts have been and remain one of the most popular gifts for men no matter what style of clothing the presented one prefers.
According to the manufacturing technology, leather belts are divided into single-layer and multi-layer. Single-layer leather belts are relatively rare both among manufacturers of classic men's models and in the assortment of well-known brands of haberdashery products. But they are very popular among fans of casual style. Usually, single-layer leather belts are worn with jeans. They are more practical and durable than multi-layer leather belts. Such products are made from one single cut of genuine leather. Special requirements are also imposed on the thickness of the material: it should be from 1.5 mm (usually 4 mm), otherwise the product from thinner skin will quickly stretch under its own weight and fray. Another advantage of a belt made of one layer of leather is the softness of such a product, making it more pleasant to wear.
Multilayer leather belts come in three main types, depending on the production technology used: glued, stitched and combined. Combined belts are made of various types of leather. In this case, cheaper calf or even pig skin is used for the inner layer, and the upper layer is made of exotic leathers (crocodile, snake, etc.).
As the name implies, multi-layer leather belts consist of several layers. Three layers are traditionally used: the bottom layer is made of genuine leather, the middle layer is cushioning material and the front layer is made of genuine leather. Classic models can be made without a second layer of lining material. For example, traditional men's belts consist of upper and lower layers of genuine leather. But belts using cushioning materials look more neat. The role of such a material can be genuine leather of the same density as the upper part of the belt. However, many manufacturers are trying to save money and instead of using leather use a special material - leather-like rubber (leather jacket). Externally, the skinfold is no different from the skin. And not even every specialist will be able to determine such a replacement by eye. But leather-like rubber does not differ in the same strength as genuine leather, therefore, such savings are favorably reflected in the cost of the product and negatively in its durability and service life.
Separate layers of multilayer leather belts are glued with various special adhesive solutions (such belts are called glued), flashed together (but the firmware can be combined with gluing, although with a lower concentration of adhesive), as well as stitched and glued (this is how combined belts are made).
It is traditionally believed that stitched belts are more durable than glued ones. However, experts say that due to the use of special adhesive compositions and special sizing technology, there is practically no difference in the service life of stitched and glued belts.
Combined multi-layer leather belts made using exotic leathers consist of several layers of genuine leather and thin cushioning material. All work on the assembly of the belt is often carried out manually: the edges of the lower layer of leather are tucked onto the cushioning material, thus hiding it from the outside. Then all the layers are glued, and the belt itself is stitched through the entire perimeter at a distance of 1-2 mm from the edge. For such products, cushioning materials cannot be dispensed with, as exotic leathers are usually very thin and the lining gives the belt volume and strength.
Most of the work on manufacturing belts of complex design is carried out manually (although this does not exclude the need to purchase special equipment). This, as well as the expensive natural materials used in the production, explains the high prices for high-quality leather products. Of materials for the production of belts you will need leather and suede of various types and colors. Leather dressing requires a lot of effort and time, so leather goods manufacturers are trying to purchase ready-made processed material from trusted suppliers. In addition to genuine leather, leather products and textiles can be used for the production of belts. Since they are much cheaper and easier to work with, the cost of such products will be much lower than leather ones.
The main difficulty in organizing the production of belts is the search for qualified and experienced craftsmen. The quality of the finished product and its appearance depend on the master (who often also performs the functions of a designer). It would seem that there is nothing complicated in consistently folding all the layers of the future belt, gluing and stitching them, without forgetting about the fittings. In fact, even applying a thin layer of glue requires a lot of skill and dexterity. A special adhesive is applied to the inner and outer coatings, and then it is carefully spread over the entire length of the product. As a result, the belt should be a perfectly smooth strip of skin without any wrinkles or waves. An equally important role in production is played by the technologist. It is widely believed that a high-quality belt, including a multilayer one, should be made of a single piece of genuine leather. In fact, often this is simply not possible (the belt can be up to one and a half meters long), in which case the finished product is obtained by folding several separate leather patches. At the same time, the pieces are selected of the same thickness, color and texture so carefully that even a professional will not notice the joints on the surface of the finished belt.
At the last stage of the manufacturing process, the product is given the final shape and length. Often the edges of the belt are processed with a decorative seam. At the same time, an adhesive base can be applied to them, which protects the edge from wear. In addition, the product is equipped with accessories: decorated with buckles, metal tips, belt loops, rivets and plaques. Finally, holes are pierced in the skin, the quantity and distance between which depends on the size of the belt, and the finished product is packaged in a box.
To create a successful production of genuine leather belts, four basic conditions must be met: to use only high-quality leather and suede, reliable metal fittings (the cheapest option is Chinese-made, but experts recommend using fittings of Spanish, Italian or Turkish manufacture) and high-tech equipment; Collaborate with renowned professional designers.
The issue of equipment selection deserves special attention. Although most of the work on the production of belts (primarily expensive designer models) is carried out manually, it will not work completely without equipment. Moreover, it is necessary if you intend to produce products of low and medium price categories in large quantities. In general, standard equipment for the production of leather goods is used for the manufacture of belts. These include pneumatic and manual presses, nozzles and punches (consumables), machines for installing rhinestones and jewelry, pens for punches and platforms, a production line. Pneumatic presses are used for mounting holnitenov, blocks and buttons. Although hand presses cost a lot less (the price difference differs by half), they are much less productive. Additional equipment for the production of leather goods (and belts, including) include: machines for painting hard blanks on the workpiece, machines for painting the belt and the edges of the blanks, machines for uniform and smooth rounding of the edges of the belt and blanks, polishing machines for the edges of the blank and the belt, polishing machines for the edges of the workpiece and belt, cutting machines for cutting leather into separate strips, as well as cutting machines for synthetic materials, bending machines for the edges of the workpieces, gluing machine, duplicating machines for belts, special sewing machines. The total cost of new equipment for the production of belts in the minimum configuration is about 350 thousand rubles. At the same time, you can save and buy used equipment or, on the contrary, supplement the list with machines for making minions and straps, as well as window wrapping machines for bags and purses and expand the range of products, not limited to just belts.
Another item of expenditure is the packaging of finished products. If you plan to produce expensive high-quality designer belts, then you should not pack them in ordinary plastic bags. Such gift items are packed in cardboard boxes with parchment paper with the logo of the manufacturer. At the same time, the cost of the box can be about 150 rubles, depending on the complexity of the form, circulation and cardboard used.
The main people in the production are designers and a technologist, but this does not exclude the need to hire workers and skilled craftsmen who will perform most of the work.
Production and sale of belts is not a seasonal business. But, like any other gift products, they are in greatest demand during major national holidays (December, February, March). The total cost of organizing such production is about 500 thousand. Payback periods depend on many factors (price category, production volume, positioning, investment in advertising and promotion, the ability to choose the right niche and target audience, predict fashion trends). In the most favorable scenario, all expenses can be recouped by the end of the first year of the existence of your company.
Sysoeva Liliya (c) www.clogicsecure.com - a portal to small business business plans and guides08/18/2019