Anyone who has followed their passion since childhood and still enjoys it knows that they are doing the right thing. Anyone who listens to themselves, does what they are really good at and what they are passionate about, will find fulfillment in their job. That is also the case with Lukas from “Lukes Custom Belts”.
His company name is made up of his name Lukas, meaning Luke, and "custom" because when he first started his own business he only made belts to customer specifications. The belt is his favorite item of clothing; you are never fully dressed without it. Luke has been making his products in the depths of the Sauerland, on an old farm in the middle of the Arnsberg Forest, since 2013. Leather has been a hobby of the now 35-year-old since his childhood and early adolescence. And at the same time he began to become enthusiastic about the USA.
For his products, Luke mainly uses US saddle leather from the "Hermann Oak" and "Wickett & Craig" tanneries, because the heavy leather with a thickness of six to eight millimeters is only available in the USA. In Europe, due to conventional dairy and meat production, animals no longer live long enough to produce leather that thick. But Luke also uses pit leather from England, which is still traditionally tanned with oak bark, as well as harness leather from Switzerland, which is manufactured according to military specifications, and bridle leather from Sweden.
Luke is very proud of his choice of leather, as he sources his leather from the best tanneries in the world. He places great emphasis on ensuring that his customers are aware that he only sells the best saddle leather. This is also the basis of his slogan "Old School German Craftsmanship". It is about the interplay of American materials and the claim to work according to German saddlery standards.
Over the years, the requests increased so much that in 2018 Luke produced more belts than ever before. In 2020 he decided to become part of the digital sales world and through Instagram and his own website his craft became really in demand. From that point on, Luke, who is actually a social worker, was able to turn his passion into his main job. This led to collaborations with "Riders Room" in Hamburg, "Herrenzimmer Celle", the jeans brand "Tellason" and participation in the first "The Heritage Post Trade Show".
Luke is constantly expanding his product portfolio. In addition to the particularly heavy duty utility belts in his "Outlaw" series and his classic belts, Luke also makes extremely robust dog collars to measure. One of Luke's specialties is his "pancake knife holsters", which - naturally based on the American model - are wet-formed directly on the knife like the revolver holsters. This means that each holster is completely individually made for the customer. He also sells handmade candles from the USA and bandanas made from American cotton in his shop.
His products all share passion, quality and craftsmanship. We can see this just by picking up one of Luke's exceptional belts. In fact, there is even a waiting list for belts that are "seven millimeters and over" thick, as it is pure luck to get one of these thicknesses. But even at six millimeters, you already have an exceptional "heavy duty" belt.
To give hobby leather craftsmen the opportunity to make their own belt, Luke offers the "Beltmaker's Kit" - as you would expect from Luke, with five to six mm thick leather. Luke would have wanted this easy way to make his own belt when he was starting out. With the Beltmaker's Kit, he encourages us to just give it a try and maybe find a new passion or even a calling.
Text • Finn J. Muchow | Photos • Lukas Arndt