You're the expert holster designer, and I'm not, I'm just a peon, but I can't agree with this. For over 40 years I've bought nothing but the best holsters from Sparks, Kramer, Rosen, and Null. They offer gun belts from 1 1/4" up to 1 3/4" and some places 2". Even the best newer holsters with a low carry axis don't carry very well with common clothing store belts.
So their belts are a waste of money and they are just trying to make an extra sale from the buyer? Tell me, please.
Every major holster maker says you need a dedicated gun belt. Ken Null was the first holster maker to reveal this to me as a neophyte when he was still in PA. decades ago. At first, I didn't take his advice, but over time I learned he was right. A K Mart belt affixed to the best holster still carries lousy, shifts around and becomes uncomfortable over the course of a day of carrying (unless the user is just strapping it on for a few minutes to get coffee and a doughnut at the 7/11 and removing his rig when he gets home). I never did buy the Null belt at $90 (at that time). I thought it was too expensive. Now I buy Kramer gun belts that cost $155 and although I wish they cost less, they are far better than a single layer belt I can get at Macy's or wherever.
I use the excellent Tony Kenealy designed Sparks made VM2 IWB holsters for large semi autos and revolvers, the Kramer IWB nos. 2 and 3 for small revolvers and small semi autos, Kramer belt scabbards for OTB holsters and the old Bruce Nelson designed Summer Specials (only occasionally now). Except for
the summer special, these are not ancient designs, and none of these are high axis designs like the Galco Silhouette or the Buchheimer semi shoulder holster. I don't think high axis holsters are very popular any more, at any rate.
Any era holster benefits from a good gun belt
Look, I'm actually trying to teach something here. There's the old joke about the kid encountered banging a post on the ground. "Why are you banging the post on the ground?", he's asked. "To keep lions away".
"But there are no lions here!".
"See, It works!".
Stiff wide gunbelts are promoted by people who don't know any better, because the belts appeared in the '70s and they haven't learned a darned thing since the '70s. They even make the same holsters. So Tony at Sparks and I nearly came to blows over this one, because he only learned what Milt knew; and Milt only knew what he'd copied from Andy; and Andy only knew what he'd learned in the Fifties!!. But I've been part of the making of tens of millions of holsters and never stopped learning.
Great example: the Askins Avenger of the '70s. JB and I created this one and JB insisted on making it very high riding. But to keep it from tipping outward, a heavy belt had to be used. So the myth of 'get a good gunbelt' appeared. My final version of an Avenger? Not topheavy in the slightest, use any belt you like, guaranteed to fit right out of the box.
Since that time I've created many, many, many new models of holsters for many, many more companies than Bianchi. Because I can't make myself copy. Which then drives innovation. And during that process I learned new things, like how to position the holstered pistol 'just right' vertically so that a wide belt is not needed. I literally used a WalMart belt I bought for the purpose. I call it 'floating the pistol' and the Sparks people, on another forum, were furious. We ended up in court!
All that's needed from a waistbelt is (1) a holster with an ideal center of gravity design, (2) a belt tunnel the same width as the belt's width, and (3) stiffness ACROSS the width of the belt only. Thickness is irrelevant, stitching only prevents stretching. You will find that a curved belt is best on men and women; mine was triple curved, like a snake. Wear one every day.
Yes, I know all these gunleather makers personally, and I'm saying that there's a LOT they don't know about their trade. Their business? Well, that they do know.
I no longer build becasue I declined to be a part of the striker-fired pistol fiasco; none of these makers declined that business yet the likes of Safariland, who once used to be a premier maker, compounded the problem when they created their lightbearing holsters. These people DO know their BUSINESS, but they aren't concerned with yours.
. If your carry setup needs 'a good gunbelt' then the holster is substandard; in this case, top heavy. Take it from me, I designed it and Galco copied it, line for line! It's the Bianchi "Black Widow".
