Customer Service

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What size belt should I order?
2. Soft-core or Stiff-core, what's the difference?
3. Will my belt shrink?
4. How do I clean my martial arts belt?
5. Can you make a special martial arts belt that I don't see on your website?
6. Can I get three or four lines of embroidery on a belt end?
7. Can I see an image of the belt before you embroider it?
8. How long will it take to receive my embroidered belt?
9. How much will shipping cost?
10. Will you embroider my existing belt?
11. Can you lengthen my existing belt?
12. What is the difference between Japanese kanji and katakana?
13. Do I need to provide translations?
14. Can I have embroidery with coarse language?
15. Do you offer wholesale accounts?
16. Can I cancel my order?
17. Why did my credit card get charged twice?
18. How do you pronounce "Kataaro" and what does it mean?
19. What is digitizing?

Answers…

1. What size belt should I order?

   We recommend considering actual belt length rather than belt size since there is no industry standard for belt sizing. A great place to start is to measure your current martial arts belt, or you may use our belt size calculator to help determine the correct belt size. Please take into consideration the -2" and +3" tolerance for length. Firmness, as well as the width of the belt, will also affect belt sizing. Since a thicker or wider belt will take up more of the belt length in the knot, a bigger size may be needed for a wider belt.

2. Soft-core or Stiff-core, what's the difference?

   The stiff-core option is more dense and slightly thicker. Stiff-core is about 5mm thick as opposed to 4mm thick for soft-core martial arts belts. Increasing the size choice is recommended. See video.

3. Will my belt shrink?

   If you wash your belt, it may shrink after the first wash. If you do not wash your martial arts belt, it may shrink over time due to sweat and wear. Our poly/cotton belts may shrink up to 5%. Our brushed cotton belts and Grappling Weave belts may shrink up to 8%. Keep this in mind when choosing what size belt to order. Belt shrinkage will NOT harm or effect the embroidery.

4. How do I clean my martial arts belt?

   Try using a lint roller to remove surface dirt and debris. Clear packing tape is great for stubborn spots. Apply a piece of clean tape to the dirtied area of the belt and then remove it. Repeat this with the clean areas of the tape or with a new piece of tape until the belt is clean. We recommend that you don't wash your martial arts belt due to possible shrinkage or discoloration. If you must wash your belt: First, wash separately in warm water on gentle cycle with mild detergent and fabric softener if desired (DO NOT use bleach). Then, immediately after washing, gently stretch the belt back to its original length. Finally, to maintain the belt length, clamp the stretched belt to a rigid object, such as a metal chair back, to air-dry (drying belt example). Do not use a laundry dryer if you are trying to control shrinkage. Washing your belt in this way will NOT effect the embroidery.

5. Can you make a special martial arts belt that I don't see on your website?

   We can custom make most any belt! We love collaborating with you on unique designs. Send us an email with the details and we'll let you know what we can do. Please note that custom belt designs may take longer than our Standard production time to complete. View our All Belts page for a complete list of our martial arts belts.

6. Can I get three or four lines of embroidery on a belt end?

   Maybe. Depending on the size of the lettering and the width of the belt, you could get at least three lines of embroidered text on the martial arts belt end. You will need to email us with the request since the website will not allow more than two lines of embroidery.

7. Can I see an image of the belt before you embroider it?

   Yes. We will provide you with an embroidery design proof or your martial arts belt or uniform (in PDF file format). You will have a chance to review and approval this before we start the embroidery process. This is NOT meant for belt construction specifications (size, width, firmness, etc.) approval.

8. How long will it take to receive my embroidered belt?

   Items with embroidery will take about 20 business days (Monday through Friday) to produce. We also offer Expedited (12 business days) or Rush (6 business days) production for an additional cost. Shipping time will depend on the shipping option you choose. Delays in design approval or multiple revisions may extend production time. After your order has shipped you can track your order at: View Order

9. How much will shipping cost?

   We offer shipping using various shipping carriers, offering a variety of service options. Shipping cost is based on weight, package size and shipping location. You can calculate your shipping cost in the shopping cart prior to checkout by clicking "Shipping Rates".

10. Will you embroider my existing belt?

    Yes! We can embroider your existing martial arts belt or uniform. Just send it to us with the embroidery details as well as your contact and shipping information. Once the package arrives, we will contact you with a price quote. You can find our shipping address on our Contact Us page.

11. Can you lengthen my existing belt?

    We can graft belt segment into your existing Kataaro martial arts belt in most cases. The cost will vary based on length needed and belt type. You may also try washing your belt and then hanging it with a 40 lbs. weight to stretch it. Our test yielded a 3 inch gain in a Brushed Cotton Black Belt.

12. What is the difference between Japanese kanji and katakana?

    Japanese katakana are phonetic Japanese characters, each representing a particular sound. Katakana is typically used for words not familiar to the Japanese language. Your English (or non-Japanese) name will typically be translated using katakana. Japanese kanji are traditional Japanese characters, each with a meaning. It is not typical to translate your name into Japanese kanji, but if your name's meaning is available, it is possible. For your name in kanji, please specify this in the Special Instructions section. Other words that are familiar to the Japanese language will be translated using kanji.

13. Do I need to provide translations?

    If you have the Japanese, Chinese, or Korean characters, please provide them since you may have a unique translation. Otherwise, we can do the translations for you. If you'd like to use another language not listed, please provide the text.

14. Can I have embroidery with coarse language?

    Kataaro reserves the right to refuse production of artwork or language that may be deemed offensive.

15. Do you offer wholesale accounts?

    Yes. We offer wholesale accounts to school owners / operators only. To request a wholesale account, send us an email with your company information.

16. Can I cancel my order?

    The best way to cancel your order is to call us during business hours as soon as possible, but you can send an email to info@kataaro.com with your order number as the subject line. If you have not paid for your order, we can cancel the order immediately. If you have paid for the order, your belt may have already been started being made. If this is the case, we can issue a partial refund. Since Kataaro items are custom, we reserve the right to not accept certain cancellations based on the ability to resell the item. Some features that may effect the ability to resell are large or narrow width, stiff firmness, rank stripes, and features not listed on the website. See our Return Policy for more information.

17. Why did my credit card get charged twice?

    It probably didn't. More than likely, you made multiple attempts to charge your card while entering the wrong credit card information. In that case, your bank is temporarily listing it in your records, which should clear in 24 hours.

18. How do you pronounce "Kataaro" and what does it mean?

    It is pronounced ka-ta-ro. That's ka (as in karate), ta (as in top), ro (as in row). The name Kataaro comes from the family name meaning "weaver". For more information about Kataaro, view our About Us page.

19. What is digitizing?

    Embroidery digitizing is the process of converting existing artwork, like a company logo or team emblem, into a stitch file that an embroidery machine can sew out. Before any design can be embroidered, it must be digitized using specialized software. Digitizing is a complex process that is both a skill and an art. New logo pricing includes a one time digitizing fee. If the logo is used on future orders, you will only be charged the cost of the embroidery. Once digitizing has taken place, it is non-refundable. The digitized file that is produced for your project remains the property of Kataaro. No digitized stitch files will be sent to the customer. We do not accept digitized files from customers.