I make belts. That's the whole business.

I'm the guy who cuts, burnishes and assembles every belt you order from Amopelle Co. By hand, to order, in New Jersey outside Philadelphia. Most ship within a week, sometimes in two or three days.

By day I work in healthcare as an EMT. By night I make belts.

How I got here

I started with bags. The first one I made was horrendous. We called it the guppi bag. I finished it anyway.

I moved on to wallets and every other project I could think of. I spent about $2,000 before I made a belt I was happy with. Wallets were crowded with very good, very cheap makers, and belts weren't. I'd also spent years making straps for fire and EMS gear, so strapwork was the thing I was best at. One thing led to the next.

I've made leather goods since 2019, and only belts since 2023. Across this shop and my earlier brand, Frontline Leather Co., that's a few thousand belts.

What I believe

A good belt should be simple, last a long time, and cost a fair price. That's it.

Most belts sold today are fast fashion. I get emails every day offering to import leather for $1-2 a square foot. I turn them all down. I care about quality control, and I wouldn't wear it either. I pay $10-20 a square foot for North American bridle leather, and I won't sell a belt I know will fail.

What goes into one

• One strap of full grain English bridle leather, 1-1/2" wide and 10-12 oz thick. No stitching to come apart.
• A solid brass buckle.
• Chicago screws, not rivets, so a belt can be repaired later instead of replaced.

English bridle was made for the horse world, to take rain, snow, sweat and mud. That's why I use it.

What I won't promise

I won't give you a 100-year warranty. A belt is a natural product, and a cowboy and an office worker will wear the same one very differently. It can be built to last. Whether it does depends on how you treat it. Wear it, wipe it down with a damp cloth now and then, and don't overthink it.

Who shouldn't buy from me

• You want a status brand. I'm not one, and I don't want to be.
• You want a heavily customized belt. I'll point you to another maker, and I'm happy to.
• You live near a good local leatherworker and shipping is steep. Buy local.

What it costs

$85 for casual and dress casual belts. $90 for dress. Free shipping in the contiguous US, and exchanges are free too. If something is wrong, tell me what outcome you'd call fair and we'll sort it out.