Hello and thank you for visiting our website. My name is Barrie North and I acquired Threads Embroidery in 2020 from Harry and Julie Shaw whose names you may be familiar with. Harry, I am glad to say, is still on board in an advisory capacity.
I suppose that you are looking to buy a martial arts belt, or maybe more than one, or else you wouldn’t be looking at our website. So, whether you know all about martial arts belts or would welcome some guidance here are a few notes that may be of assistance before you proceed to the Order Form. If you have any further queries please contact us either by email on [email protected] or on the mobile number 07740 760305
Martial arts belts come in a wide variety of colours depending on the discipline concerned – judo, karate, taekwondo, jiu jitsu etcetera, and are awarded according to a student’s progress. The colours associated with Judo and karate, as listed below, are the most common. We only carry stocks of black belts although other belts of whatever colour will be gladly accepted for embroidery if supplied by the customer.
A beginner would start with a white belt and progress through yellow, orange, green, blue and brown to the highest grade, black. To merit a black belt, a student will have worked hard in training over perhaps several years, invested a considerable amount of time and expense and quite possibly suffered pain and injury along the way.
We are usually asked to embroider the student’s name on one end and, on the other end, either the name of the school or of the martial arts discipline involved, together with the requisite number of Dan bars. Our black belts come two fabrics, silk, and cotton belts which come in three grades, Standard, Superior and Ultimate. All are of excellent quality and, to borrow a phrase can be regarded as good, better and best.
Our Silk belts are3mm thick, 4cm wide and come in lengths 240cm to 320cm.
Standard cotton belts are also 3mm thick and come in widths 4cm, 5cm and 6cm and lengths from 240cm to 320cm. These are our most popular belts and have been supplied by Threads Embroidery for over thirty years
Superior cotton belts are 5mm thick and come in widths 4cm (in lengths from 160cm to 320cm) 5cm (in lengths from 160cm to340cm) and 6cm (in lengths from 240cm to 360cm). These belts were added to our product range in late 2023 and have proved very popular, being softer and more pliable, easy to knot and staying tied with a good finish.
Our Ultimate belts come in 5mm thickness and are available in 5cm with lengths from 240cm to 320cm. Of excellent quality in all respects these belts are notable for their considerable weight and heft, much prized in the martial arts community
The purpose in adding other grades of belt to our range is three-fold; to give our customers a wider choice, to avoid being dependent on one supplier and to acquire an additional supply route at a time when supply chains can be affected adversely by world events.
Embroidery is available on either one end or both, as may be required. The usual process on completion of the embroidery design is to black out the white under thread of the design with fabric paint. This element can be omitted if not required.
Embroidery on martial arts belts can be in English or translated into Korean Hangol or Japanese Katakana, the most commonly used Japanese script. Other designs (as supplied by the customer) can be digitised into a format suitable for embroidery software ) can be digitised into a format suitable for embroidery purposes by a specialist outside contractor. Where English is chosen the fonts available as standard, and are most often requested in martial arts embroidery, are the same as in MS Word as listed below.
One Dan Bar at each end of the belt is included free of charge and more Dan bars can be added if required. Space on the belts is usually left for up to four Dan bars that may be required in the future.
Dated Dan bars, commemorating the year of a grading, are available and named dan bars, acknowledging the support in progressing in martial arts of a relative or instructor, are also available (limited to not more than four letters on 4cm belts, five letters on 5cm belts and six letters on 6cm belts).
We can also add additional Dan bars to customers own belts where a small handling charge will apply. Where a customer’s belt has to be rejected on the grounds of the difficulty of obtaining a satisfactory result due to wear or insufficient space for example, a replacement belt will be offered at half price.
If more than one embroidery thread colour is required there will be an additional charge for each colour change and likewise, if a metallic thread is ordered there will also be a small additional charge. Madeira thread is used, almost exclusively, and is available as standard in the colours shown below (Madeira reference numbers shown next to the colour). Other colours are of course available if requested with the appropriate Madeira reference number quoted to eliminate any uncertainty.
Double line embroidery is available, for example where the required design cannot be accommodated in the space available.
Where the requirement is for unusually complicated embroidery a surcharge may be added at the discretion of Threads Embroidery in addition to the charges for individual components of the design.
For a special occasion presentation boxes are available and personalised, if required, to make the presentation even more special.
Threads Embroidery operates a no quibble guarantee on all products that in the event of a fault with an item we will replace it free of any charge on receipt of the item in question. Where customer’s instructions are in error, for example with spelling, we will replace the item at half price.
Threads Embroidery
The Oaklands
Rookery Lane
Burleydam
Whitchurch
Shropshire
SY13 4AY
