One area where there is a huge difference in quality between American-made, and say, Chinese-made products, but not such a big difference in price, is in the area of hand-made leather products.

You'll find some of the highest quality American-made leather goods around at www.yourtack.com, where they offer leather belts, leather wallets, belt buckles, horse trophies, door chimes, bridle reigns, tie downs, nose bands, cavesons, and other tack items like breast collars and saddle bags.

YourTack products are made in the USA from leather tanned in the USA as well.

When you visit www.yourtack.com for the first time, you'll definitely notice that they offer several styles of American-made belts for you to browse through, as this is the main focus or YourTack's design and handmade manufacturing.

The proudly-American YourTack website offers men's belts, women's belts, youth belts, work belts, embossed belts, cowboy belts, ranger belts, and big & tall belts, too.

You'll also notice a Texas or Southwest style to many of their products on www.YourTack.com, but you don't need to be from Texas or be motivated to show a Texas pride to order from their website. Among the many styles of belts offered, you'll see a fantastic selection of men's dress belts, too.

When I first found out about YourTack, it made me think how I needed to replace my set of aging dress belts I bought years ago with my American-made dress suits. I haven't bought any dress belts for some time, since I am relatively sure the place where I bought them - The Men's Wearhouse - doesn't carry many, if any, American-made belts anymore.

Back when I bought those American-made suits, I would occasionally visit the store afterward to look at new and different dress shirts to go with them. Each time I visited, the American-made selection was less and less. The selection became so scarce that one of the associates there told me that it probably wouldn't be long until all the American-made styles were gone.

That's why I'm especially thankful there are American companies like YourTack that go the extra mile to ensure that every product and every process down to the last detail is done right here in America.

After all, I doubt that many of their customers are from China, so why would they or should they produce there?

And possibly seen or experienced the shortcomings of the cheaply-made Chinese belt. It's no surprise that there is a huge difference between a quality, American-made, YourTack belt and that cheap one from China.

Here's how China makes their belts: They often take two pieces of very thin leather, insert a thin piece of cardboard in between, press it together, and presto! You have your cheap Chinese belt.

This inexpensive process also explains why you've probably seen belts that are separating, or they are cracking right where they're buckled. That's not going to happen with YourTack belts, considering they have a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee, and all of their belts have a 2-year guarantee.

The fine folks at YourTack believe that quality leather plus quality American workmanship equals a great product that will give you years of service.

You can also customize your new belt by personalizing it with your name or upgrade to one of their over two dozen custom belt buckles. There's even a belt-sizing page so you get your exact information to YourTack to make sure your belts fits just like they should.

And if you need more than just a few belts like me (work, casual, dress, etc.), you'll qualify for free shipping if your order is over $100.00.

Sure, a quality YourTack belt will cost you a little more than a cheaply-made Chinese one, but wouldn't you want one that is not going to separate and crack in the worst possible places after just a few buckles, while employing Americans and reducing our burgeoning trade deficit at the same time?

President William McKinley had a few things to say about the word 'cheap." He said, "I do not prize the word 'cheap.' It is not a badge of honor...it is a symbol of despair. Cheap prices make for cheap goods; cheap goods make for cheap men; and cheap men make for a cheap country!"

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