Made On Delmarva: Malina Custom Leather

Dennis Napolitan, the owner of Malina Custom Leather, is crafting a legacy one piece of leather at a time. 

He got his start in New York City in 1964. Tough times in the big apple caused him to learn new skills to make a living. Napolitan and his partners decided to invest their savings into opening a shop.

"It was that time of the year that the fashion shows in Paris were sporting leather. The designers and buyers from NYC were over there, and when they came back we were already set up, we were advertising and everyone went downtown to buy a piece of us," says Napolitan.

Eventually Dennis got tired of the bustling city life and wanted to take a break from the industry. However something about the business kept calling him back.

"I couldn't get it out of my blood.15 years down the road here we are, I started this up again," says Napolitan.

Napolitan later moved to the Eastern Shore and opened Malina Custom Leather in Downtown Cambridge. He showed 47 ABC how he makes his belts.

He starts with a pre-cut piece of leather and cleans off any residue off the belt. He then takes a deglazer to prime the belt before its gets a chocolate color coat.

Napolitan uses a tool called a beveler to create a unique design, but also prevents it from fraying. He then rubs on a liquid that adds a little shine.

He sprays water resistant spray to make it durable. Up next, is punching out the holes.

"So I usually like to give them 3 holes behind, and 3 holes in front in case they want to eat or go on a diet," says Napolitan.

Napolitan then hammers a piece of the belt's end to create a tip and makes holes on the edge to stitch a design.

Once it's sewn, it gets the Malina stamp of approval and it's ready to be worn.