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  1. The Dinghy Skippers are sold out and will ship by February 2nd! Another batch will release on February 23rd.
The Man O' War Belt
The Man O' War Belt
The Man O' War Belt
The Man O' War Belt
The Man O' War Belt
The Man O' War Belt
The Man O' War Belt
The Man O' War Belt

The Primordial Line

The Man O' War Belt

Sale price $110.00

Color: Russet
Size
Size guide

Perhaps the most important strip of leather you’ll ever come across. One to keep those pesky pants of yours afloat. The Man O’ War! Meant to be strikingly minimal, with only a tad of flair when not in use (the debossing is visible only when the belt is unfastened). The Man O’ War follows the precise methodology of the Dinghy Skipper: letting the user enjoy a material in its simplest, yet considered, form. It isn’t often we’re able to interact with leather from one of the highest-quality tanneries on the planet—let alone have a reason to use it as a tool. Toss it on, forget about it, and let it soften, conform to your waist, and age beautifully.

Now, to get to brass tacks: the Man O’ War is a burly, hand-selected 12–14oz leather—quite thick—and thus comes with a lifetime warranty. The edges are beveled, burnished, and finished with beeswax for a smooth shine (and dyed, in the case of black). There is a hidden hand stitch holding the keeper firmly together; normally, this would be a brass staple—fine on a lower-priced belt, but one that’s subject to fatigue. Finally, the Man O’ War is made by two hands in the great state of Georgia by none other than Aaron Harker himself.

A belt—a Man O’ War—should be with you throughout time. Across years, pants, houses, apartments, and the like. I know an ol’ Joe who wears the same belt I met him in back in the 4th grade. The Man O’ War is overbuilt. That ol’ Joe could have put it on the day he left the womb. Mr. Harker leaves no detail out, though most would never know. Buy once. Done. Problem? We fix [it].

Man O’ War. Simple on the outside, complex when you get a bit closer. Just like me. Hopefully.

Snail Streamline Icon: https://streamlinehq.com

What is our Primordial Line?

You’re currently viewing our Primordial line of accessories. This collection features more premium materials, details, and features that far exceed the quality of standard pieces. In this case, it's best seen through the level of craftsmanship Mr. Harker is performing. The labor-intensive hand-stitched keeper, the burnishing along the edges, and an ol' coat of beeswax all come together to make one lean, mean, pants-holding machine.

Specs at a Glance

- 1.25" wide
- Hand-burnished
- Made from Wickett & Craig Leather
- Made in USA
- Lifetime Warranty
Carbon-neutral shipping on all orders

The Fleet of Leathers

In a nod to our Dinghy Skipper's we've elected to use Wickett and Craig's leathers once again. Although, these are their big, heavier brothers.

Our chestnut and black Man O'Wars use an “English” bridle leather from the legendary, Pennsylvania-based, Wickett & Craig. Originally made for horse riding, bridle leather is hot stuffed with waxes and gum pasted on the flesh side. The waxes give the leather a dense, “saturated” feel, and the gum paste smooths the flesh side of the leather to a waxy and smooth texture, originally for the comfort of the horses that bore it.

Our russet Man O' War is crafted from Wickett & Craig’s skirting leather. Traditionally used for saddles, holsters, and sheaths, skirting leather goes without the hot stuffing of waxes. Importantly, it typically also does away with the gum pasting, although we've elected to modify that formula for our belts and included it. Skirting leather feels firm in temper yet oddly soft. As if there were imperceptible fibers creating a gap between your hands and the leather itself. Russet just so happens to be my favorite leather for the way it ages. Wickett & Craig exclusively vegetable tans their leather using tannins derived from tree bark, rather than using chromium salts or other toxic tanning chemicals. They’ve been audited by the Leather Working Group and are transparent about their usage of leather from hide to end product. They are considered to be one of the best tanneries on the planet.

General care advice: let your hands do the work. Your handling of the Man O' War will keep the leather moisturized, the sun will darken it, your waist will break it in, etc. Little care is the best care. (If there is an extreme soaking event, we would recommend a small amount of leather conditioner.)

A Bit of Bling

“The buckle is the face of your belt.” — Me

For our first round of Man O’ Wars, we’ve chosen a smooth, shining buckle and screw combination. Why? Like many of you, when it comes to a belt, I want one that works with anything—but still has a little bit of zing to it. This particularly fine specimen of a buckle, after testing dozens, felt just right. It shines when needed, works with just about any pair of pants it touches, and shows the right smattering of consideration in your belt choice.

The Man O' War

  1. The Portuguese man o’ war (Physalia physalis) is a highly venomous, carnivorous marine colonial organism found in warm, tropical waters—often mistaken for a jellyfish. It is, in fact, a siphonophore.
  2. A man-of-war was a powerful warship or frigate, frequently used in Europe from the 16th to the 19th century.

Our Man O’ War belt tells the tale of a creature resembling both. A being of massive scale, meandering passively through the seas via wind, mimicking a man-made vessel, with tentacles filtering through the water. Passive. Powerful. Enormous.

We include a booklet with the full tale.

The Man O’ War debossing is 100% hidden when the belt is worn.

Oh, Mr. Harker!

Who else would we trust to build a belt for us other than Mr. Harker of Harker Leatherworks (and those he chooses to bring on should we need to scale)?

“Passionate” is the wrong word to describe Mr. Harker. He floods our inboxes with ideas, creations, experiments, improvements (ask him about distilled water), and new gear acquisitions—all in the name of creating a belt that we all find special.