Chronos:
I’m guessing that by “ratchet belt”, folks mean the same kind that I used to wear with my Boy Scout uniform: The belt itself was a strip of webbing with no holes whatsoever, and the buckle was held in place by friction, and had to be pulled out at an angle to release. That’s fine, too, except that I hardly ever see that sort of belt except as part of a specific uniform.
Leather ones have an embedded strip of “teeth” along the back side to catch the mechanism. You can see how it works here. That one is made to fake up a normal belt but they come in a number of styles with normal dressy looking buckles.
Not all other types are made that cheaply and are also a single strip. Full-grain is distinguished from other types by the following:
The strongest and most durable part of the hide of an animal is just below the hair. The grain pattern in this part of the hide is very tight, and the leather made from here is called “full-grain” leather. Full-grain leather is the strongest and most durable leather. Additionally, since the grain is so tight, it resists moisture very well. Over time, full-grain leather will look nicer and nicer and develop a patina from being handled.
The next best—and second strongest—leather is called “top-grain” leather. Top grain leather is similar to full-grain leather, except that the top couple millimeters have been sanded and buffed to take away imperfections. With the top layer removed, the leather will have a more uniform finish, but it won’t be as durable—and it will break down much faster. This is more of a “cookie cutter” leather that most leather wallets and handbags are made of, which lends to their generic appearance. Top-grain leather can be good leather, but its strength and durability is not even close to the strength of full-grain leather.