I once towed my friend's motorcycle with my handmade Mexican belt. It's super thick, and I use it for work. Like you said, I like a dressed up work belt.
I'm a leatherworker myself and have made quite a few belts but still bought one from Carmine Jack. They use Baker's leather which is the best belt leather available - seriously cannot think of anything better. I've been wearing mine daily for four months and it has aged beautifully; notably the leather is crazy thick and it has not stretched at all. And Carmine Jack is the official Baker's leather distributor in the US so nobody beats their pricing.
I own both the Mountain Belt and the Navy Sedgwick belt with the double prong copper buckle from Pigeon Tree Crafting. The pigeon tree belt has an amazing level of finishing that makes you want to hang it on display instead of wear it. It’s definitely one of the few things I own that can my big smooth brain smile.
I love a good thich leather belt. The safety it assures, keeping everything where it should be. I love the rugged feel and design of the craft & lore and hollows.
I have been using the occidental leather 1 1/2” belt for about ten years and while it has held up and matches my tool belt, I would not recommend it. They use a red dye that, when I sweat a lot in the summer, has stained my pants. I am thinking of replacing it with the nick’s belt. I have two pair of their boots and love them.
I've got 3 belts from Pigeon tree crafting and as someone who has owned many craftmans belts I can say that while they all use top quality leather and most have good features like teardrop holes only the pigeon tree belts have the truly unbeatable quick release system. It has never in 6 years come undone by accident and makes using one of these thick leather belts so much more liveable.
I have 3 Hanks belts and they are superb but their buckles are well made in China. MACK BELTS make their own buckles on-site with American machines and are the best belts I have found! They could use your teardrop or oval hole comment to make their buckles lay flatter though.
I know I'm three year's late, but happy you mention Nick's Belts. They are awesome still rockin mine. Also check out there new Steel Core Gun Belt, I'm still waiting for mine though.
I have a Craft and Lore Mountain Belt, and it is a tank of a belt. It very thick, and will take a bit of breaking in. But I love it, it is my go to belt for any outdoor activity.
I have a custom made by a smaller leather worker gun belt made from 2 layers of 1/8” thick leather glued and sewn together. When I first put this belt on I was wowed! Today if I’m not wearing it I wear a 5mm thick belt of two layers of Red Wing Briar Oil Slick Leather. It’s pretty but not as solid feeling as the thicker gun belt which is my number one. I’m looking now at ordering a new belt from Mean Gene. Thanks for the video and giving out the makers names.
There’s a leather shop in Frankenmuth, Michigan that I visit every couple years and always pickup a new belt. They have EVERY variety imaginable but I usually gravitate to the artisanal, more beefy thick rugged style. One that won’t wither under the weight of a full frame GLOCK for instance. But this place is my Go-To for all leather goods.
Well late to this video lol....My favorite belt is the Filson double prong. It has a D ring on the side for a carbiner clip on your keys. My only negative of this belt are the sizes run very small.
Great roundup. I wish I could get the aesthetic of some of these with the functionality of the Anson ratchet. Then I'd be golden, that adjustment increment is money!
A good belt needs to be made from two strips of quality leather in alternating grain, glued and stitched together in a quarter inch thick finished product. I need a belt that can hold a 40 oz gun, and spare mags without sagging.
@@kawlreaper I can’t find what kind of leather Mean Gene Leather uses. I know “The Premier” from Hank’s Belts uses two layers of vegetable tanned full-grain English bridle leather. It comes out to 18oz, 1.5” wide and 1/4” thick.
@@andrewsalazar98 let me seen i can find out. I have the reinforced shooters belt and have definitely put it through its paces. Pistol and one/two mags..every day. Love it. www.meangeneleather.com/shop/mgl-shooters-belt/
Yup, if you're looking for something that stands up to abuse and can carry more weight than just your pants, something like this is 100% the way to go.
I too was searching for the perfect leather belt. I had a hard time justifying the price for a natural CXL belt from Pigeon Tree, but I’m extremely happy with my 3 belts from a brand called Thirteen50 Leather; made in USA, lifetime guarantee, solid brass hardware + chicago screws, and very thick 12 - 14 oz leather all sourced from USA tanneries, all of that for $53 (currently $43). My personal favorite is the Big Hoss belt which uses Old World Harness leather from Hermann Oak Tannery here in the US, it’s the perfect leather for a hard wearing belt.
I like belts from RM Williams (the Australian boot maker), especially their one piece full grain leather belts. Tough but stylish, I've used a black one on dress pants in VIP meetings and a brown pair works well with jeans or moleskin.
I’m amazed Carl has never featured moleskins ! I swear by Rodd&Gunn moleskins and they would compliment the hemp shirt he is wearing , would be like wearing PJs out in public .
My favorite belt of all time is Hank’s Belts “The Premier” 1.5” belt. It’s made of two strips of vegetable-tanned Full-Grain English Bridle leather and it’s 1/4” thick and 1.5” wide. The company has amazing customer service and paid for two returns when I had ordered the wrong size two times in a row. Third time was the charm and I’ve been wearing it every day for almost a year. It’s barely broken in. They also have a 100-year warranty.
I just bought two belts from them. Same thing happened with me. Got the wrong size but no trouble at all exchanging them. That warranty seems worth it too.
Just ordered The Premiere. Their site says to go 2 sizes up from normal size for normal wear. I’m a 34 and I ordered a 38. Based on your experience, is this correct?
Chadwick belts! He used to offer belts made to your exact measurements, seems to be currently taking a break on custom belts at the moment but he still has default sizing ones available! He used to have a for life belt available too, would be worth checking out if when he gets back up and running full time!
I've had my Mercy Supply (now Sidnaw Company) belt for 6 years and it only gets better the longer I wear it. Had to replace it this year as I'd lost enough weight that it was time to go down to a smaller belt. The new one is the exact same quality as my last and I'm looking forward to putting some hard miles on this thing. Can't recommend this company enough.
I'm certainly open to other brands, but after wearing Carhartt and Duluth belts for years, I finally got myself a 1.75" walnut belt from Nick's and I'll never go back....I absolutely love this thing. My second best is my Galco dress gun belt...great product as well. Great video Carl 👍
I recently purchased a rough out belt with nice solid brass buckle from texas saddlery. Impressive quality and value, and their customer service was great and exchanged it for a different size. I may get another for my son.
Brave Star raw leather belt has treated me well. Added a little oil to start the darkening process and it has become very attractive with heavy use outside. Going on three years now.
Carl, my Nick's belt is the king of belts. I love it. FYI - we were chatting on Instagram about CT BBQ places. Pig Rig in Wallingford is my #1, Chesters in Groton (used to have another location in Clinton) is my #2. Meats are almost tied between the two, but Pig Rig is top tier, while Chesters has better sides all around - all in my opinion, of course.
Great video Carl. Got my veg tanned full grain leather belt from MandW leather for about $45. It’s four months in and it holding up great! Also many great options on Etsy, some even use Hermann Oak leather and sell for about $35.
I bought a craft and lore mountain belt probably around 2015ish. Although it is built incredibly well, it stained every pair of pants I put it on. From the looks of yours it looks like they stopped staining the inside. I had to go with a cheaper Hanks belt but I’ll definitely look into some of these other belts shown here.
Corter Leather makes a really nice and thick veg tan belt for like $50. It’s pretty simple but has brass hardware and Chicago screws. Really great budget option for someone looking for veg tan without spending big $$.
Boston Leather 1 3/4 Garrison belt!!!! Perfect workbelt, gunbelt, etc. They are often found in western pictures and are known to hold up for years! I'm disappointed you didn't mention that!! (LOL) And they're not that expensive either!! Though, not all such belts are created equal, granted. But to my knowledge, Boston, Jaypee, are a few of the BEST brands. There are other cheaper knockoffs that stretch out or just don't do the belt any justice. So beware!!
The best belts in my opinion are Mexican Piteado belts I have one vegtan leather and beautiful embroidery a bit pricey but I have my dads as well as a new one and my dad is easily 30 years old and still looks great
Carmine Jack Leather in oak bark leather is great, too. I got one in natural leather with the quick release buckle and it is great - so great that I ordered another in black.
something i’ve noticed in this video is that stitching is the preferred method for the keeper and to hold the buckle. Now stitching is still one of the strongest ways to hold leather together, but I like a more mechanical fastener. I recently made a work belt for my self using natural veg in 8-9 oz, and for the keeper, I held it in with two copper burr rivets. It made the keeper tighter and now it cant be lost, but at the realistic draw back it is difficult to replace if it wears out, and it is fixed so if you’re not a fan, there’s no removing it. The other thing I decided to try out was two Chicago screws to hold my buckle in, and honestly i prefer them over line 24 snaps or stitching any day. When I wore a Saddle Back Tow belts, the first thing to wear out was the buckle. It got all bent up when I carried some heavy steel from point A to B, and because of the stitched in construction I was left with a $100 belt that just became a shelf ornament. That was a few years ago now, but it has certainly changed the way I look at leather goods, and how i make them in my own hobby setting. At the end of the day, those are some gorgeous belts, and they have the pride of the maker sewn right into them.
Yes! These new commers like ratchet belts and Thursday boots pops and fool guys but soon we realize that old school leather goods are the best and can not get replaced with new stuffs 😂
For durable, work belts, I stick to Dickies & Levi's. Go for heavy stitch & riveted. Stay away from reversible versions, screws, and thin plate-oversize buckles. Excited with the tan, undyed belt that will patina.
I must agree, wherever you live there will be a local craftsman who can make you a quality belt. Both my belts are made by Chadwick Handmade Belts. It's one bloke who hand makes them. He lives in the same county as me so it was a no brainer. I was alerted to him by a RU-vid video a couple of years ago by The Devon Reviewer who reviewed one of his belts.
Just bought two belts from Hanks belts. Got the legend and a Marshall. Funny you made this video because I just got them this past week. They seem sturdy at around that mid affordable price range. Hope I made a good decision
Just like my leather wallet, it took me almost 10 attempts till I found the right one. (Red wing). Same with my belt, 6 times till I got the one I've had for 13 years (Red wing). Great review Carl.
Forgot to mention, around 25 to 35 dollars and a hole punch, buckle, and you can have a punch for the end of the belt or cut it at a 45 degree angle or a semi-circle
Timberland PRO 42mm double prong leather belt. Excellent quality that stays put, resists weight, and is fairly priced at $30. I have a habit of resting heavy objects on my belt buckle as I carry them, and am often afraid of this damaging the belt. But not with the Timberland.