From The Beltman:
14. How should I care for my new belt?
Do NOT wad it up in a tight ball when not in use. This unnecessarily stretches the outer layer of the belt and compresses the inner layer. If you do this often , the belt will soon lose its natural stiffness.
When putting your belt on, do NOT crank it over as if you were securing a load of cargo on a truck! We can't control how you get dressed, so if you want your belt to last a long time, don't bend a dual layer belt any more than 90 degrees when you are putting it on.
Do NOT use leather softeners such as Neats Foot Oil or Mink Oil on these belts unless you want them limp as a noodle! Our leather is of sufficient quality to last for many years. This stuff is fine for your baseball glove or your hiking boots, but not for gun belts or holsters.
If your belt gets hard use or starts to look tired, a coat of KIWI NEUTRAL shoe polish, available at any grocery store or shoe shop will restore the surface appearance.
As stated in the CONSTRUCTION Paragraph, the outer layers of these belts are submersion dyed so the color penetration is quite deep. If you manage to scar it down to the natural beige leather, then the appropriate color of shoe polish will help a lot. If you buff it with sufficient elbow grease so the polish no longer comes off on an old t-shirt or shop rag, then it won't come off on your furniture or car seats either.
I just got a Gray Elephant belt from The Beltman - this thing is beautiful - and stiff as can be!