I acquired a vintage basketweave Bianchi Ranger belt that says made for LL Bean. The belt looks to be from the 1970s. Can anyone tell me the difference between the vintage USA made Bianchi belts and the vintage Made for LL Bean Bianchi belts? Were they also made in USA and were they thinner or of any lesser quality? Thank you

Yes it was 1970s and my own parents were big fans of L.L. Bean catalog shopping at that time :-). My memory fails as to there being a difference in quality of materials or construction; but I reckon we wouldn't have changed anything but instead, put Bean's name on them. They were called the 'rifle sling belt' by using the military rifle sling frogs as a buckle. Cheap'n'easy to make.

Good point about 'thinner leather': the difference in price between, say, 9 ounce and 10 ounce is very small and when slit into belts, even smaller. Bianchi worked on healthy margins in the days when we could command them; which were the Golden Age of Gunleather that was 1960s, 70s, 80s.

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The Holstorian