Let's begin with the obvious difference in this belt - the eagle. We found these amazing vintage embossing plates from the 1970s. The pattern is a huge bald eagle, flanked on each side by another eagle. It's got a great old-school feel and a very patriotic look. We apply these with an eighty-year-old printing press machine, for even more authenticity.

We start with a 100% vegetable tanned horsehide leather from Horween. These are strips cut from just above the "shell" of the horse (where shell cordovan comes from). Although this leather is thinner than most single layer belts, this horsehide is extremely dense and has almost no stretch to it. This unique thinner, stronger leather makes for a durable, long-lasting belt without the bulk of a heavier belt.

Rather than keeping the leather natural on these, we're lightly hand-oiling them to bring out the richness in the tan color of the leather. We pay special attention to the finish as we do on all our products. The strap is edged, burnished with beeswax, and finished with a traditional English point. We use a custom-made solid brass center bar buckle that gets tumbled to subtly tarnish the nickel finish. It’s secured with two solid rivets, and the back of the belt is stamped with both a Gustin and a Horween stamp.