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Need a new belt

DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
For a good while, I have gone to a store like Sears or Kohl's and have paid no more than $20 for a belt. However, the lifespan of these belts has never been that great before they start falling apart in various ways: fasteners coming loose, bindings fraying, etc. I have a slim waist so I had been buying belts from the teenager sections and thought that might be the issue, but even after 'graduating' to the adult section and trying a few different brands, I've come to the conclusion that the problem is probably that I'm not paying enough for a decent belt that will last me for a long time. Which brought to mind the following Terry Pratchett quote
The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.

Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.

But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.

This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness.

So, here I am looking to spend fifty (or a hundred) dollars on a high-quality, hand-crafted piece of leather that will last me for decades. I'd appreciate any recommendations.

Posts

  • ArtereisArtereis Registered User regular
    The two I currently own are a SlideBelt and the PA First Party belt. Both have been pretty great for the few years I've owned them.

  • XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    I've had my slide belt for a week now and I have to say it feels like cheap junk .... but it's working fine so who knows

    If it lasts, I'll be a happy camper

  • Local H JayLocal H Jay Registered User regular
    I have a skin allergy so I buy nickel-free belts off Amazon. They typically last me around 3-4 years and I work at a job where I'm constantly moving. The company I buy from is Nickel Smart, and they have decent customer service. One time a belt of theirs broke after six months, I got in contact and the immediately sent out another free of charge.

  • SmurphSmurph Registered User regular
    I have two belts from Orion Leather. I got them in 2015 and wear one of them almost every day. Aside from some minor surface scratches, they are both in great condition. They are full grain leather and cost about $60 each.

    This is the first belt I got, and it's a 'natural' belt which means it comes super light colored but the color darkens over time to a standard light brown 'leather' color. It's more casual so I mostly wear it with jeans and not to my office. I have had to clean it a few times when it picked up some water/sweat stains, but saddle soap did the trick.

    This is the second one which I generally wear to work, although mine has a brighter silver buckle. It's held up a bit better than the other one, probably because I just sit around in it as opposed to doing yard work and shit.

    But yeah before I got these I was buying a new belt from Target or Kohls every year or so and they all eventually fell apart. Then I got these and haven't really had to think about belts since. Sounds like what you're looking for.

    I still have 2 fancy looking dress belts that are from Kohls or somewhere like that, but they last forever now because I only need them when I'm actually dressing up for a wedding or something a few times a year.

  • dispatch.odispatch.o Registered User regular
    I've had an Orion Leather for several years. It's held up really well.

  • HefflingHeffling No Pic EverRegistered User regular
    I use a slide-ratchet belt I got from Amazon and it looks almost brand new after a couple of years of use as my only belt. The ratchet mechanism prevents all of the wear-and-tear from using a buckle style belt.

  • DaimarDaimar A Million Feet Tall of Awesome Registered User regular
    I have a belt that is...25 years old that I got from a menswear store, it is just a standard leather belt with the usual buckle with some of the nickel plating worn off, but it is about as basic as you can get. I've had other belts fall apart on me, but those were ones where there were two strips of leather glued to each other with minimal stitching so you had one side brown and one side black.

    I would recommend just finding a nice, thick leather belt with a minimum of moving parts since the metal bits will fail from wear long before the leather will. I also had to punch an extra hole in this belt when I first got it as I was a fair bit skinnier than I am now, so that is always an option if you find a good quality "adult" size belt that doesn't quite fit you.

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  • zepherinzepherin Russian warship, go fuck yourself Registered User regular
    edited March 2019
    So I'm with Dark Primus with my belt search, but add in the following 2 constraints must be big and tall, must be less than 1.5 inches wide.

    I was thinking of giving bullhide belts a try.

    zepherin on
  • BeefjerkyBeefjerky Registered User regular
    I saw mission belts on shark tank once and decides to try one. I have never looked back. The leather on my first belt lasted over 2 years before I bought a replacement (buckle was still good). I also tend to obliterate things I wear. I spend 200 on tactical boots because I have not had any other footwear last more then 6 months So https://missionbelt.com/pages/how-mission-belt-works my 2 cents.

  • PLAPLA The process.Registered User regular
    I've seen some extremely minimalist slide-belts that seem to rely on being tucked in somewhere to be held in place. It looks dubious, but I can't think of many ways for the few parts to fail.

  • mtsmts Dr. Robot King Registered User regular
    I have an arcade belt but it isn't leather

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  • RightfulSinRightfulSin Registered User regular
    I have an every day black leather belt. Use it pretty much every day. I spent 35 bucks on it, though that was about 9 years ago.

    "If nothing is impossible, than would it not be impossible to find something that you could not do?" - Me
  • PlatyPlaty Registered User regular
    I've been using the same Trakline belt for eight years, but it was one of the first models, I don't know how the newer ones hold up

    Anyway any sign of wear on it seems minimal

  • DouglasDangerDouglasDanger PennsylvaniaRegistered User regular
    I bought this belt

    https://bravestarselvage.com/products/the-raw-leather-belt

    And I really like it

  • MegaMan001MegaMan001 CRNA Rochester, MNRegistered User regular
    https://saddlebackleather.com/leather-wallets/leather-belt

    I own two of the Bull Belt, one in black one in Chestnut and plan to buy a third in brown soon. I also own their briefcase for traveling and I can give you a 100% guarantee you will die before that belt gives out.

    I am in the business of saving lives.
  • MegaMan001MegaMan001 CRNA Rochester, MNRegistered User regular
    @DarkPrimus which belt did you get?

    I bought a Mission belt entirely due to this thread (canvas) as a casual jean belt and i am pretty damn happy with it.

    I am in the business of saving lives.
  • DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
    It's ridiculous but I have a Shinola belt that's very nice and will probably last forever.

    What is this I don't even.
  • DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    edited March 2019
    MegaMan001 wrote: »
    DarkPrimus which belt did you get?

    I bought a Mission belt entirely due to this thread (canvas) as a casual jean belt and i am pretty damn happy with it.

    I have placed an order for this Orion Leather belt, and am considering getting a belt from a couple other places recommended here, but I am not going to place any other orders for a couple weeks, because I'm, uh, moving cross-country soon.

    DarkPrimus on
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