Founded in 1963 in Offenbach by Erich Kreis, the Hessian leather manufacturer Kreis became specialised in belts early on. The firm is run today by Bernd Kreis, the son of the founder. He uses only full-grained leather: classic box calf and traditionally pit-tanned cow leather from Germany, saddle leather from England and the legendary Shell Cordovan horse leather from the Horween® tannery in Chicago. Kreis is one of the very few manufacturers of hand-made leather belts which still cultivates the time-consuming art of triple layer belt construction.