CAUSE AND EFFECT BELTS

On my recent trip to NorthernGRADE I had the pleasure of meeting Billy Moore from Cause and Effect Belts. We were introduced at the welcome party held at MartinPatrick3 the night before the event and from the minute we starting talking, I knew Billy was a person I had to get to know better.

Our conversation started with our professions and why we were at the event. Over the course of the night, it evolved into how we both had been to the Quaker Steak & Lube in Sharon, PA numerous times and what were the outcomes of those visits. I am keeping most of the details between Mr. Moore and myself, but lets just say those visits included underage drinking, a boilermaker contest with a ‘made man’ from Youngstown and a fight that one of us did not remember until a parent woke one of us up the next morning and asked ‘who’s blood was all over your clothes’. (See, I told you I knew he was somebody I had to get to know better.)

The next day at the event I was able to see Billy’s goods. He had all his leather belts, straps/cuffs and copper buckles laid out on display. The leather comes from various places, some from Horween, some from random tanneries and some vintage Amish harnesses. He treats the leather belts and straps/cuffs with nontraditional methods. Some are hand pounded with rocks while others are soaked in a river and laid to dry in the sun. All of this buckles are handmade from copper, and like his leather, none are the same. I was able to pick out nice piece for myself, a Horween belt with an anchor buckle for $150.00. Billy was so nice that he threw in GWP (Gift With Purchase), a cuff made from a vintage Amish harness, that the wife wanted for herself.

We hung out after the event and into the early AM with the rest of the crew from NorthernGRADE, with Billy telling stories at each stop we made along the night. There was a post a few months ago stating that there was this ‘hillbilly’ from Tennessee that make belts. After meeting the man and seeing his product and great passion for what he does, that post needs to be revised to read ‘an artist and true talent’