After 3 years in development, the SBD Powerlifting Belt launched at the World Powerlifting Championships in June 2017. After a long wait, we are excited to finally be able to add this product to the SBD Apparel collection in our store to offer you the complete package of equipment for Raw Powerlifting.
The SBD Powerlifting Belt features English leather produced in a 5-month process using traditional methods with a Patent Pending buckle that combines the adjustability of a prong belt with the ease of operation and tightness of a lever.
Bill Kazmaier, World Powerlifting Champion and 3 times World's Strongest Man, visits the three production sites for the SBD Belt to show the design, material selection and manufacturing of the SBD Belt.
The Tannery
Bill Kazmaier visits the historic tannery, where the leather for the SBD Belt is produced from English hides in a process that takes 5 months, using traditional methods that have been developed on this site for over 175 years.
The process starts with cleaning and trimming the hides they are put into tanks to soak in a proprietary tanning blend for longevity and quality of the leather. After the tanning, the leather is dressed with oil to give it specific properties needed for the SBD Belt. Before making it's way to the manufacturing facility the hides are rolled under 8 tonnes of pressure.
The Foundry
The SBD Powerlifting Belt features a Patent Pending fastening mechanism combining the adjustability of a prong belt with the quick operation and tightness of a lever.
At the foundry, the buckles are made by hand pouring molten aluminium into a casting machine. After extracting the castings, the excess is removed before surfaces are cleaned and smoothed. Sections are then drilled and given a powder coating finish before the parts are assembled.
The Manufacturing Facility
The manufacturing combines the high technology of the CNC cutting knife, with the old school hand craftsmanship of the final finishing techniques to produce a superior product.
The leather is cut into sized pieces and goes through a machine to achieve the right thickness before it is laminated together. The laminating process combines different sections of the hide for strength and consistency of the finished product.
The holes in the belt are cut by a knife oscillating with 30 000 times a minute within a fraction of a millimeter. After that, the belt is sewn the edges are dyed and it's finished by hand with the SBD Apparel logo.
Reach out to us if you want to find out more about the belt or need sizing recommendations or buy your belt here.