Let's talk belts! (The pants kind)

Maybe I'm hard on belts, but I can't get a leather belt to last 6 months.

Suggestions?

Go to the fair the next time it's in town. Find the leather vendor and have him make you a belt. The last ones I bought are 8 years old now and I still use them daily. Do not buy them from a retail store, they are crap.

You might find a leather shop in town as well. We have a guy that sets up at the flea market every weekend that does a pretty good job as well.

Funny, I was shopping for belts today. I'm 52 and never worn one before. Impossible to find for a 30" waist.

I have a Carhartt belt that's about a 2 years old and looks barely worn. The only thing with them is all their stuff runs small. I'm a 34" waist everywhere else I shop but I need at least a 36 it anything carhartt.

I bought a dickies belt years ago. Still going strong.

Zomby Woof wrote: Funny, I was shopping for belts today. I'm 52 and never worn one before. Impossible to find for a 30" waist.

I have a MAC Tools belt that I wear sometimes at work. The semi-official sizing procedure is, if you have a waist smaller than 40", you punch a new hole where you want it and trim off the excess if you feel like it.

MAC belt has no metal buckle. No need to worry about the belt accidentally scratching someone's car.

In reply to Toyman01:

I have one I got from a guy on Brooklyn that does saddles. I've had it for about 6-7 years now as well.

A modern EPDM serpentine belt would probably last forever.

Wally wrote: ...a guy on Brooklyn that does saddles...

I can see why he took up belts as a sideline...

Hanks Amish

Mine broke in 1996 while skiing in colorado, I went in one of the trendy nautica/rusty/quicksilver stores that are in abundance there and bought whatever was on sale. It is a Nautica and I'm still wearing it today, looks new still.

Edit: brown leather

Zip ties between belt loops. They last longer than the belt loops.

EvanR wrote: Maybe I'm hard on belts, but I can't get a leather belt to last 6 months. Suggestions?

pricy … but the claim are "lifetime" belts

http://www.duluthtrading.com/search/searchresults/sitesearchresults.aspx?pg=1&p_keyword=mens+belts&p_utk=belts&p_search_sid=&gndr=&p_origin=mens-home&processor=content

I'm loving this one

http://www.takeahikenc.com/store/541%21BIS01/Bison+Last+Chance+Light+Duty+Belt

Go to Amazon, start searching for "nylon concealed carry belts."

I'm wearing the brotastically named "spec-ops" currently. They take a beating and can be machine washed.

http://www.amazon.com/Bison-Designs-Chance-38-Inch-Maximum/dp/B0081ZX6UM

The last chance belts are supposed to be strong enough to use as an emergency climbing harness.

DrBoost wrote: Zip ties between belt loops. They last longer than the belt loops.

Must carry a Leatherman for when you have to go........

So it ain't just me. Belts fail in short order. The last one I got at a Western/Shoe store. It's a leather belt and it cost over $20, but it is holding up well. I thought it was pricey, but it replaced one that failed in a few months.

Find a western store and see what they have.

I have 2 identical belts - 1 black, 1 brown, plain with a moderately heavy single post buckle. They're about 1-3/8" wide, 5/32" or so thick. The trick is to buy ones that are cut from single slab of leather, rather than a thin covering bonded to a backer.

I bought mine from either LL Bean or Land's End for around $20 each. The original pair lasted 7 or 8 years; I'm about 4-5 years into their replacements. Considering the toolshed I'm currently carrying around, I'm satisfied with that lifespan.

I've had the same Eddie Bauer brown leather belt for 15+ years, it is often worn at least 5 days a week.

• Lee

I bought a double eyelet belt some fashion at american eagle of all places probanly 12 years ago. Because its got eyelet s all the way round, it its plenty big, or small. Some of them have fallen out, but the leather shows no discernible sign of fatiguing. I hate the company, but much of their product is well made.

Look for belts made for concealed handgun carry applications. They're made to be extra-stiff and have holes that don't tear when you cinch them tight.

Knurled wrote:

Zomby Woof wrote: Funny, I was shopping for belts today. I'm 52 and never worn one before. Impossible to find for a 30" waist.

The semi-official sizing procedure is, if you have a waist smaller than 40", you punch a new hole where you want it and trim off the excess if you feel like it.

Not if you're wearing it with a $1500 suit it's not

I have a black leather belt from Old Navy that is at least 15 years old, I wear it 4-5 times a week (to work). Have had to punch 2 new holes in it and it needs another now.

The other belt I have is from Bison Designs... it's fine but I wish it was wider.

I wear a brown leather belt from Tractor Supply every day for work. Gerber multi tool on the left and key rings cliped to the right.

I replaced it a few years ago with an identical one so I guess about 7-8 years of use before the buckle gave out.

Avoid belts that are reversible. Those things are POS.

I doubt that any of my belts that lasted more than a year cost any less than $50 full retail. I've gotten a few at estate sales, a few at TJ, etc. Find one that is actually all leather. Made in USA or Spain or Italy is as a general guideline (not rule) going to be better quality. If it has stitching in it, look how tight it was.

If it is plasticky, it probably isn't full leather. PRobably going to break.