New Belt

[Joe7]

So, the first "gun belt" I bought when I started carrying was Kore Essentials belt. It appealed to me for a few reasons.
- I really like the ratchet style buckle. I can shift my weight up or down 40 pounds although I typically float within about 20. The tiny little 1/4 inch adjustments were great.
- The style was OK although it's never really in sight anyway.
- I typically carry smaller firearms. Shield, P238, BG or S&W40c. Therefore at the time I didn't think I needed a super thick leather belt and the thinner leather with the plastic "kore" would suit me well.
The Kore Essentials belt lasted about a year I'd have to look at some dates to get more specific. It showed SIGNIFICANT wear on the belt itself as well as the buckle. I could start to feel a crack in the plastic core on my right hip although the leather there was ok. Later the leather began to crack on the inside portion of the belt right where my spine is. Odd place I thought. I figured it would be alright for a little while since the Kore was still ok there. Wrong. One day it snapped right in half. Leather, kore, stitching, all of it. It went from cracked to in half very quickly.

Enter search for new belt.
Google everything. Amazon reviews etc.
Finally I saw one company that seemed to stand alone as far as belts go.

Relentless Tactical
A ridiculous number of reviews on Amazon and over 95% of those were 5 stars. I read several reviews including where folks purchased the wrong size and NO issue getting it replaced. Life time warranty. Lets try it.
Ordered Wednesday night 9pm. Arrived Saturday morning. Solid packaging. Paperwork stuff. Rubber bracelet my kid loves. Product brochure. And belt. lol
I got brown. Looks fantastic. Roller buckle works well. No insert in mine just plenty of leather this time. Currently holding my 40c and I like it a lot. Only time well tell how it holds up but I have a decent feeling about this one.

If you are in the market for a new belt, check them out. I ordered directly from them vs Amazon and even found a coupon code for 20%

So far, very impressed with the company and the product.

 

[Onomea]

Well, that sounds great, Joe. A good belt goes a long way towards making a good day!

 

[Jimmy4570]

Here are my go-to leather shops... Mernickle, Milt Sparks, Kramer, El Paso Saddlery, Tucker and Byrd. Can't go wrong with any of them. Best value for the money, especially over the long haul...

 

[gnystrom]

Glad you made the switch to a dedicated gun belt. That makes all the difference in the world when carrying any handgun. Your choice looks to be a good one.

 

[Manchu]

Concur with the dedicated gun belt. A lousy belt will make even a great holster feel sloppy.

Btw, I have the same belt. Wise choice.

 

[Kiwi cop]

Here in Kiwiland belt makers seem to stop at 40" or so. Anything above that for the "ample" size tends to be scarce, and when I find one pretty weak (one belt lasted less than a week before it stretched and cracked!) I do have one pretty good belt but it is soft and supple. It needs to be done up very tightly to work properly.

I measured myself up for the right sizing of a De Santis pistol belt before I travelled to the US recently and put two on my Midway wishlist. During the first week on a visit to Walmart I found a thick leather belt of the right size on the belt rack.

The Walmart belt is now by dedicated jeans belt. One of the De Santis belts is for my uniform trousers, the other for my "casual dress" pants. The difference in all three is amazing.

Being stiffer and heavier leather they tend to distribute the support over a wider area with less tension needed. I still need to "pull them up" occasionally (usually after more than an hour in the car) but far less often than with my old belts. So a decent gun belt, even if not supporting the weight of a pistol, is a wise investment.

I don't think I will ever go back to a "normal" belt again.

My only thought on the OP was why buy from Amazon? I try not to give Jeff Bezos any business at all these days.

Any of the manufacturers mentioned above or someone like Midway would be my preferred supplier.

 

[Robspeire]

X2 on Relentless Tactical. I bought 1 and liked it and bought another.
Best belt(s) I have ever had.

 

[EMP3]

Here are my go-to leather shops... Mernickle, Milt Sparks, Kramer, El Paso Saddlery, Tucker and Byrd. Can't go wrong with any of them. Best value for the money, especially over the long haul...

Mike Trout's leather is Rawlings ;-) He's got an extensive rap sheet for doing serious damage to horsehide.

I do appreciate the heads up. It's always good to have options. As we know, a good quality leather belt can make all day carry a whole lot more comfortable.

 

[NYlakesider]

The wife and I were at a small local gun show a few weeks ago. We both need and wanted new gun belts. We have seen this outfit at a couple gun shows so we stopped to look at his products. He must have had over 300 belts of all lengths and types of leather and many slings and a few other home made products

We both bought some very nice belts and as his products have no holes in them he measure you and puts the holes in while you wait. As my weight tends to very I had a couple more holes put in!

His outfit is called Tauris and his shop is locate south of Utica NY. Heck its only a couple hour ride for us, might go and take a look around!

 

[HorizontalMike]

Living in South Texas, I have learned that leather belts are TOO HOT in the summertime. I have moved to web belts and have never regretted it. Recently picked this one up, and am quite happy with it.

MidwayUSA Instructor Belt L Black - MPN: 393105

 

[Joe7]

My only thought on the OP was why buy from Amazon? I try not to give Jeff Bezos any business at all these days.

I just looked at the reviews on Amazon. I bought directly from Relentless.

Quick update:
Still love the belt. Been wearing it every day since I got it. It holds my Bodyguard in a leather appendix and a Crossbreed minituck. It also holds my 40c in a Blackhawk appendix, Crossbreed Supertuck and occasionally a Fobus paddle.

Next is the search for a nice OWB for one or both of the above mentioned CCWs. I like the paddle but it obviously sits low and far from the body.