As soon as I removed the leather belt from its plastic bag, it reeked of some sort of chemical smell.  It continued to off-gas something terrible all day, so I put it on the outside doorknob of my apartment entrance door.  Three days later, it was still off-gassing, so I returned it.  A neighbor suggested the belt may have been chemically treated to prevent mildew while it sat in a warehouse.  I wouldn't recommend this belt to anyone.