DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  
  DUS 1608  
Second  Edition  
2021 -mm-dd 
 
 
 Reference number  
DUS 1608 : 2021 
© UNBS 2021  
  
Men's , women's  and children’s  leather belts — Specification   
 DUS 1608 : 2021 
ii © UNBS 2021 – All rights reserved  
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself confer immunity from legal obligations  
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all necessary provisions of a contract. Users are 
respons ible for its correct application  
© UNBS 2021  
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without pr ior written 
permission from UNBS.  
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to  
The Executive Director  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards  
P.O. Box 6329  
Kampala  
Uganda  
Tel: +256 417 333 250/1/2  
Fax: +256 414 286 123  
E-mail: unbs@infocom.co.ug  
Web: www.unbs.go.ug  DUS 1608 : 2021 
© UNBS 2021 – All rights reserved  iii 
 Foreword  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and 
Cooperatives established under Cap 327, of the Laws of Uganda, as am ended.  UNBS is mandated to co -
ordinate the elaboration of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and  
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the Nationa l Enquiry Point on TBT Agreement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).  
The work of preparing Uganda Standards is carried out through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards in a given field or area and consist s of key stakeholders 
including government, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties.  
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The co mmittee reviews the comments before recommending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council.  
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee UNBS/TC 305 , Leather and leather  
products.  
 DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  DUS 1608: 2021  
 
© UNBS 2021 – All rights  reserved  1 
 Men's , women's  and children’s  leather belts  — Specification  
1 Scope  
This draft Uganda standard specifies requirements and test methods for lined, unlined and reversible waist 
leather belts for men, women and children.  
2 Normative references  
The fo llowing referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated 
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced 
document (including any amendments) applies.  
US ISO 1164 0, Leather — Tests for colour fastness — Colour fastness to cycles of to -and-fro rubbing  
US ISO 11644,  Leather — Test for adhesion of finish  
US ISO 3376 , Leather — Physical and mechanical tests — Determination of tensile strength and percentage 
extension  
US ISO 3380 , Leather — Physical and mechanical tests — Determination of shrinkage temperature up to 100 
degrees C  
US ISO 4045 , Leather — Chemical tests — Determination of pH  
US ISO 5402 -1, Leather — Determination of flex resistance — Part 1: Flexometer meth od 
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions shall apply.  
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:  
— ISO Online browsing platform: available a t http://www.iso.org/obp  
3.1 
bovine hide  
hide from a bovine animal, usually mature, and of any breed  
3.2 
bovine leather  
leather made from the hide or skin of a mature bovine animal  
3.3 
calfskin 
tanned skin from a youn g bovine animal  DUS 1608: 20 21 
2 © UNBS 2021 – All rights reserved  
 3.4 
exotic leather  
leather made from the skin of game, reptiles, birds, fish or other exotic species  
3.5 
glacé kid  
chrome -tanned leather made from kidskin or goatskin, finished to a smooth, glossy finish  
3.6 
goatskin 
tanned skin from a goat  
3.7 
inorganic tanned leather  
leather tanned with an inorganic tanning agent (or agents) and that may have been re -tanned with an  
inorganic or an organic tanning agent (or agents)  
3.8 
kid 
chrome -tanned leather made from kidskin or goatskin  
3.9 
organic tann ed leather  
leather tanned with an organic tanning agent (or agents) and that may have been re -tanned with an organic or  
an inorganic tanning agent (or agents)  
3.10 
pigskin  
tanned skin from a pig  
3.11 
split 
leather made from the flesh layer of a bovine hide  and that has been finished as suede or with an acceptable  
synthetic coating  
3.12 
suede  
leather buffed to an even nap on the flesh side and used with this side outwards  
3.13 
acceptable  
acceptable to the parties concluding the purchase contract, but in rela tion to the standardization mark and to 
inspections carried out by Uganda National  Bureau of Standards  (UNBS) , acceptable to UNBS   
4 Requirements  
4.1 Material requirements  
4.1.1 Leather  
4.1.1 .1 Leather shall be bovine, split, calf skin, goat skin, kid, glacé  kid, pigskin or exotic leather, as 
required.  
4.1.1.2 Leather shall :  
a) be well tanned and of acceptable quality ; DUS 1608: 2021  
© UNBS 2021 – All rights reserved  3 
 b) be free from defects that affect its appearance or that may affect its serviceability (or both ); 
c) not be loose grained ;  
d) be well fleshed and free  from flay marks ; and  
e) have an acceptable finish.  
4.1.1.3 When tested in accordance with the relevant methods given in column 3 of Table 1, leather shall  
comply with the physical and chemical requirements given in column 2 . 
Table 1 — Physical and chemical r equirements for leather  
Property  Requirement s Test method  
Shrinkage temperature , °C, min.  
 Inorganic tanned leather  
 Organic tanned leather   
100 
75  
US ISO 3380  
pH value, min.  3.3 US ISO 4045  
Colour fastness ( resistance to wet and 
dry rubbing after 50 rub s), 
 Grain side (all leather ), 
permissible colour change rating  
 Flesh side (leather for type A 
only), permissible colour transfer 
rating   
 
4 
 
4  
 
US ISO 11640  
Adhesion of finish, N, min.  
 Dry 
 Wet  
3.5 
2  
US ISO 11644  
Flex endurance (flexometer), after 
10,000 cycles  Only fine cracks in the finish are 
permitted  US ISO 5402 -1 
Breaking strength, N, min . 400 US ISO 3376  
4.1.2 Other non -leather components  
Genera l 
All metal components, whether functional or decorative, shall be of an intrinsically corrosion -resistant metal or 
shall have been so coated as to render them resistant to corrosion.  
4.2 Construction requirements  
4.2.1 Type, and size of belts  
4.2.1.1 Type  
The belts shall be of one of the following types (or acceptable modifications of these types), as r equired:  
a) type A  - belts of leather and of unlined construction, incorporating a buckle or a closure fitting;  
b) type B  - belts of leather and lined with leather, incorporating a buckle or a closure fitting; or  
c) type C  - belts of reversible construction, incorp orating a buckle or a closure fitting.  DUS 1608: 20 21 
4 © UNBS 2021 – All rights reserved  
 4.2.1.2 Size 
4.2.1.2.1 Size shall be determined by measuring the belt from the centre (middle) buckle hole to the buckle 
edge of the belt.  
4.2.1.2.2 Adult belts shall have a minimum length of 87 cm.  
4.2.1.3.3 Children  belts shall be supplied in sizes as given in Table 2 or in other sizes, as the purchaser 
may require.  
Table 2  — Sizes of children belts  
Category  Size 
Inches,  
in Centimetres , 
cm 
Extra small  Up to  20 Up to 50  
Small  21 – 24 53 – 60 
Medium  25 – 27 63 – 68 
Large  28 – 29 71 – 73 
Extra large  30 – 32 76 – 81 
NOTE  Unit conversion: 1 inch = 2.54 cm  
4.2.2 Construction  
4.2.2 .1 Lining and interlining  
4.2.2 .1.1 Belts of type B and of type C may be interlined with fabric or other acceptable interlining mat erial.  
4.2.2 .2 Strength of belts  
Finished belts,  when tested in accordance with US ISO 3376  shall have a breaking strength of at least 400 N.  
4.2.2 .3 Riveting  
All rivets shall be securely and neatly attached and of sufficient length to allow the caps to be  firmly clinched.  
4.2.3 Seams and stitching  
4.2.3.1 Seams  
Seams shall be free f rom twists, pleats and puckers.  
4.2.3.2 Stitching  
Stitching may be functional or decorative (or both). In no instance shall the number of stitches per unit length 
be of such fre quency as to impair or appreciably reduce the strength of the material being stitched.  
The ends of all stitched seams shall be back -stitched and free from loose threads.  DUS 1608: 2021  
© UNBS 2021 – All rights reserved  5 
 4.2.4  Workmanship and finish  
Belts shall be clean, well made, and free from any defect s that affect their appearance or that may affect their 
serviceability (or both).  
Sewing shall be uniform, and double rows of stitching shall be uniform unless intended to be otherwise.  
5. Packaging  
The belts shall be packed individually in packages made o f suitable material or in bulk packages as to protect 
them from damage during transportation and storage.  
6 Marking /labelling  
6.1 Belts  
Belts shall be legibly/indelibly marked/labelled with the following information:  
a) manufacturer's name, trade name or trad e mark ; and  
b) country of origin  
6.2 Bulk packages  
The packaging containing the belts shall have the following information  legibly and indelibly  marked /labelled : 
a) manufacturer's name, address and trade name or trade mark;  
b) gross weight ; 
c) type of material ; 
d) colour ; 
e) quantity , and;  
f) country of origin.  
6.3 Bulk  packaging  
The following information shall appear in neat, legible and indelible marking on the outside of each bulk  
container:  
a) manufacturer's name, trade name or trade mark;  
b) type of design;  
c) colour; and  
d) quantity , and; 
e) country of origin.  DUS 1608: 20 21 
6 © UNBS 2021 – All rights reserved  
 Bibliography  
SABS 1540, Specifications – Men's and women's leather belts  
US 1608:2015 , Men's, women's and children’s  leather belts — Specification  
 DUS 1608: 20 21 
© UNBS 2021 – All rights  reserved  7 
 Certification marking  
Products that conform to Uganda standards may be marked with  Uganda National Bureau of Standards 
(UNBS) Certification Mark shown in the figure below.  
The use of the UNBS Certification Mark is governed by the Standards Act, and the Regulations made 
thereunder. This mark can be used only by those licensed under the certification mark scheme operated by 
the Uganda National Bureau of Standards and in conjunction with the relevant Uganda Standard. The 
presence of this mark on a product or in relation to a product is an assurance that the goods comply with the 
requiremen ts of that standard under a system of supervision, control and testing in accordance with the 
certification mark scheme of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards. UNBS marked products are 
continually checked by UNBS for conformity to that standard.  
Furth er particulars of the terms and conditions of licensing may be obtained from the Director, Uganda 
National Bureau of Standards.  
 
 DUS 1608: 2021    
 
ICS nn.nnn.nn  
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© UNBS 2021 – All rights reserved