My God. Why does this man have under 200 upvotes?! This is quite possibly the very best toolbelt comparison video that I have ever seen. It is thorough, impartial, objective, and practical. All without needless anecdotes, cries of "smash that like button", and stupid theatrics, marketing tie-ins, or theme music. Primo, just on this one video alone, you have my 👍👍 and viewership
So far my journey is from OL to DB too.I work as a old stone houses renovator in Spain and my job is very diverse.One day I am on the roof and the next day I have to do trim work.The OL made it difficult to me,specially the indoor works.The pouches are plenty of space and because of that it made me run into everything.DB Artisan pouches are tight and it doesn´t make you a turkey but some pockets and spots are too tight.Because virtue is the happy medium between two extremes Badger tool belts seems(not sure,I never try) to solve this problem. Nice,honest and real life review
I’m from the US but I just spent some time in Spain, that sounds like an amazing job you have. The older homes are so interesting, it’s great you are renovating them.
Finally a real world diamondback review! I'm in a similar boat being that I'm looking at them but can't find sufficient footage of them in use or being used. Hard to pull the trigger on something that expensive with only basic stock photos on a website. Thank you for this video.
I've got Occidental stuff from 25+ years ago that I still use. The sheepskin hip pads are awesome. They make a set that can/does work with any belt/pouch setup as well as the integrated one. I have a few different setups depending on elec. plumbing. etc. etc. etc. I prefer the leather gear over the nylon/poly as it breaks in and feels great. I'm posh like that. I have a few old OLD leather pouches that are still going strong. The leather isn't as heavy as the Occidental, but perfect for elec and plumbing parts. One is Abco (now Abcogear). I'm not sure if the new stuff is beefier or not.
THANK YOU!!!! I’m in the place you were. I’m an electrician, and I’ve been a fan and customer of Occidental leather bags for year! But I’ve been more and more interested in trying Diamondback bags. Being from Oakland, CA, there aren’t any retailers nearby that I can go to and try them out. And the website doesn’t give a lot of description. So thanks for taking ur time and showing all of the comparisons. Between the two brands, empty bags vs loaded bags, pros and cons, likes and dislikes, etc. much appreciated. I think I going to buy a set of Diamondbacks!😳
Nice Mano a Mano comparison. You must be a boxing fan because you went from the weigh-in to the blow by blow. Nice review, personally I have never had any luck with cordura, nylon bags. I’m an Occidental leather with the Stronghold suspenders convert.
What are your thoughts on the OxyLights? Which set do you have? I'm looking at the OxyLights 7 bag framer. But not 100% how long did yours take to soften up?
Jack Gibson Thanks for reaching out. I have the 5191 rig which is full leather which are solid leather. If you oil them they soften sooner than if you keep them dry. Just like breaking in new boots or a ball glove. The Oxy-lights do not require this break in period and weigh about half of the full leather, but they are prone to puncture and cut damage. I recommend the hard plastic sleeves for you utility knife or chisel. Worth the investment. If I was going to buy a new rig, I would go with the Buckaroo belt and the Black fat lip Oxy- light bags.
this was a outstanding review my friend i have all was been a occidental man do to my dad giving me his occy's when i started working. but none the less excellent job
For that big open left pouch I use a 9501 clip on and it works to separate it into three different pouches for example the sides for pliers or tools and the middle for fasteners. And I can still use the speed square slot too.
Paco Casarrubias the 9501 appears to be a single pouch with a belt clip. I am looking for a clip on bag where the bag itself has two or three separators in it that form pockets. Like the fastener outer bag is separated into two pockets. Thanks for the reply.
Thanks for the post... as a side note, I have had two OL framer and electrician belts for the past 25 years and other then aged leather, they are still running great. I am quite weary of the DB material as it is similar to my military webbing of years gone by... it wore overtime and the corners ended up tearing. IMO, leather withstands time much better then material. Note that OL has a horizontal setup and the DB has a vertical setup. Depends what you like but for me vertical involves bending to the side for access. Lastly, OL has light suspenders as well. Great review on both belts.
I have had both. I started with Occidental leather first in the early 90s. That set that lasted for about 10 years. The bad part about leather is that the corners wore out and stuff would leak out. They wore like iron and conformed to you like well worn gloves. I tried diamond back around 2002. They are very comfortable also. They have too many pockets compared to ol. I thought that they would not last as long, but was wrong. They got ratty and worn but never had holes or did they ever RIP. They lasted for about 12 years. The buckle was plastic and lost its strength. I would bend over and the buckle would release and fall off. The buckle was the reason I switched to an all cordura Occidental leather tool belt next. I've worn that one for the past 4 years and have just recently switched back to my old diamond back tool belt. That hammer holder is the best thing going. The ultimate tool belt would have features of both companies. Ol has specific spots for specific tools. Db has generic pockets that let you put tools and fasteners any way you like. Sometimes tools dont fit in them as well. It is very hard to pick a winner here.... I just ordered a new diamond back set in that new tan color. Now I wont have to decide, I will have both.
dsgrayco - lollll way to go with the tan DB and lucky you to have the best of both worlds. I know about that hammer holder... very innovative and worth it... in my case, the hammer head sticks out a little and I can't take the chance of knocking or hitting walls or furniture (institutional work) so a back model is preferred. Haven't had holes in my belts yet. Like you said, with age they get very comfy. When they wear, and if they do while I am still wearing bags, I'll take a look at other brands. I don't think this will happen anytime soon though. But I must admit, leather bags are really what I like... that smell, the aging and how they fit when broken in. Can't seem to find that in material type bags. Good luck with your DB's.
So quick question for you. Does that buckle on the belt cut into your stomach a little bit at all? Just asking for us handsomely husky boys out on the job sites.
Hi , thanks for great video and comparison , the Oxy seem to be higher up hips and the diamondbacks seem to hang a long way down as you state at end of video , what is the difference between hang on hips 2 to 3 inch? from oxy to DB
If you ever wind up getting the vest to replace the diamondback suspenders review that. Currently I'm using tradegear, which is okay. It's too wide to walk in between studs though and wish there were more pockets.
Whats up man thanks for the video i love my occidentals to but how do you keep the suspenders in place like that mine want to slide off i have to be careful and readjust them everytime i put them on i still love them once they are adjusted they speak for themselves but just curios what you do
hey man great vid. quick question. Do the Diamondback toolbelts hang low beside your legs? they look long... lets say you are doing trim work. do they get in your way?
What leather conditioner you use on you occidental bag? I have the same one and been thinking of switch over to a diamondback belt ... been looking for this video
spyderx92 I used my leather boot conditioner from Danner ! Honestly any boot conditioner is better than no conditioner it will keep the leather from cracking. Thx for watching the video!!!
