A good BELT?

[Condor1970]

Hi, I'd like to kick off my first post with a question about belts for my new Ruger GP100 5".

I was wondering if you could give me some advice. I am looking for a nice daily belt, but also want to be able to use it for weekly use as a gun belt for OWB matches. I was looking at Daltech BULL BELTS, and I like the Dual Layer BullBelts in either embossed, or the regular stiffener.

http://www.daltechforce.com/belts/dual-layer-embossed-bullbelt-celtic-impression-black-brown-or-tan/

http://www.daltechforce.com/belts/dual-layer-bullbelt-top-grain-bull-hide-with-stiffener-black-or-brown/

For daily use, would you recommend a stiffener? Is it really needed? Will the regular Bull Belt stay stiff enough for a weekly match at the local club?

I like the Blade Tech Looper belts too, but wanted a Bull Hide belt, and Blade Techs are thinner cowhide. Will the regular embossed dual layer BullBelt be as stiff as a Bladetech Looper?

Please help. I am lost with all these choices, and I'm sick and tired of buying a new cheap belt from Walmart every year.

 

[schloss]

Find a good belt intended for carry. There are hundreds of options, but you'll only like what you like. I'm sure you'll get some good options shortly.

Remember, cheap stuff isn't cheap. Also, a carry belt is going to handle the extra cargo a whole lot better than basic belts will, so it should be much more comfortable and should last considerably longer.

Also also, welcome to the forum.

 

[Unk]

Three(3) real gun belts, all with stiffeners, and one worn every day... all good. CWL.

The Beltman
Galco Contour
Wilderness instructor

IWB, pancake, slide and OWB - all stay where placed..no retention devices.

Best.

 

[wapiti22]

thebeltman.net

 

[BlkHawk73]

All mine come from the same place my holsters do…Mitch Rosen. Not the RugerShop stuff. Order direct.

 

[HOGHEAD2]

Bullhidebelts.com- not cheap but well worth the money IMHO.

 

[RoninPA]

I've nothing but good things about the beltman belts. As the others said, don't go cheapo on the belt, a good belt wil make carrying much more pleasant. Remember, Buy once, cry once.

 

[Jim Puke]

Beltman with kydex liners....good belts.

 

[TinStarFirearms]

I really like the "Real Man's belt" from Simply Rugged.

 

[WMB30]

I have the Real Mans belt that I have worn for years, also Rob's new laminated belt called Simply Rugged. Both are excellent.

Bill

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

I have a real tough time with belts holding up and not stretching, etc, These are as good a belt as I've gun into and comfortable. http://www.diamonddcustomleather.com/

 

[K1500]

Wilderness 5 stitch.

 

[woodsy]

Well I won't even look at the sites offering belts, because I can (and do) make my own, courtesy of Tandy leather. I will say this: I am very hard on belts, being a tool-carrier on same, and always doing odd jobs and fixits of some kind or another. ANY two-or three-layer belt does not last for me. Stitched or not. NONE last longer than a few months. What does last is a thick single-layer belt (9-10 oz.). By the time one of them wears out (years) I am sick of it, fashion-wise. Just saying, for what it's worth.

 

[MCPO]

Bullhidebelts.com- not cheap but well worth the money IMHO.

*1 on that. Have 2 of there 1 3/4" belts. Great belts!

 

[bouncle]

NOT LEATHER, but the wilderness instructors 5 stitch won't roll at the edges, not OVERLY pricy, very widely adjustable, but can dig into you a bit if you have a muffin top/spare tire problem. There is even a titanium model that supposedly will go thru airport metal detectors & could be used for normal dress use.

Amazing weight difference between the titanium and the regular 'buckle'.

 

[K1500]

I fly with the regular wilderness buckle, but you have you strip it off while going through the detector. I am told it makes a great swinging weapon (cat o' one tail?), and of course you can rappel out of a helicopter with one, which has come in hand several times.

 

[Epoch]

and of course you can rappel out of a helicopter with one, which has come in hand several times.

Nice!

I own a wilderness belt as well, and really like it for "woods" use. Infinite adjustability comes in handy when layers and carry needs are changing hourly!

For anything in leather, with pistol carry as a requirement, I'd definitely go with a sewn double layer or a single layer of the heavier 9-10 oz leather. As wide as will fit in your belt loops; 1.75" or so should be good... That single layer thicker leather belt will probably save you some dollars over a sewn version, but the cement used to bond the layers before sewing also really makes a double layer belt rigid and that's exactly what you want to avoid holster flop.

For daily wear, I'd spend the money on leather. Never know when you'll have a BBQ to fancy up for! Good luck!

Chad

 

[Condor1970]

Update:

Well, I just got a 1.75" Blade-Tech Looper belt. I know it is only cowhide, but it's reinforced with Kydex for extra stiffness. Not as nice a full Bull hide belt, but is a very nice daily wear belt, imo. I like the basic square brass buckle, and the stiffness is just about perfect for clipping on speedloaders on the front with no drooping.

I think I may have preferred a textured Daltech dual layer BullHide belt, but for $55, this Bladetech seems to be good enough to fit the bill for the next few years to come.

 

[dwayne]

All mine come from the same place my holsters do…Mitch Rosen. Not the RugerShop stuff. Order direct.

Me, too. What he said.

 

[Boomer]

The only belts I wear these days (24/7 casual) are 5.11 Tactical reinforced nylon web. Combo of D-ring and aggressive velcro (clone) allows adjustability with various pants fit plus when in combo with holster and/or other accessories. I own several 1.5" Trainer in various colors for jeans and shorts having "normal" belt loops and a 1.75" Operator with pants having wider belt loops. My original 1.5" Trainer in basic black is worn nearly every day for several years now with no sign of fatigue or wear other than slight chipping of paint finish (over stainless) on the buckle. My newer Trainers have uncoated satin stainless buckles.

http://www.511tactical.com/trainer-belt-1-12-wide.html
http://www.511tactical.com/operator-belt-1-34-wide.html

 

[Long Colt]

Three(3) real gun belts, all with stiffeners, and one worn every day... all good. CWL.

The Beltman
Galco Contour
Wilderness instructor

IWB, pancake, slide and OWB - all stay where placed..no retention devices.

Best.

Funny thing happened on the way to get groceries.
I had just received my Wilderness Instructor belt, you know, the one with the 5 rows of stitches, super thick and stiff. The perfect gun belt, right?
Well, I had been wearing it for a couple weeks, breaking it in, or breaking me in, the jury is still out on that question.
So while the other half was buying groceries at Meijers I wandered over to the other side of the store, strolled through men's wear, came across the belt rack. Now I got belts on my mind cause I got one stiff example hanging around my waist.
Low and behold, here is the belt, sort of a brown/green colored webbing, with three stitch lines, but it is reinforced around the critical areas and the buckle holes with leather. This thing was almost stiff enough to hold straight out. I couldn't resist, I bought, and I am wearing it at the moment.
It is more comfortable than the wilderness, holds my full size 1911 just as well as the wilderness Instructor, and was $40 cheaper. This was about two months ago, today the cheap belt, name unknown, is still in the same shape, still does the same job, and is comfy. The wilderness belt has a permanent loop formed in the loose end from where I had it fastened, it changes each time I put it on a holster, I guess that's good. But for my nickel, the Wilderness Instructor is way over rated, and certainly over priced.