I may be dumb, but, what kind of belt?

[NewlyEnthused]

I have always worn wide leather belts for as long as I can remember.
But I hear that a good belt is required.
My Cross Breed holster came today, and I only had one hole left for expanding it, and needed two.
So, I need to get a new belt, so I might as well get the right kind.
Is a wide (about 1.5") by (almost 1/8") thick belt what I need? or?

Thanks

 

[Steve2511]

Cross Breed makes great belts, I would recommend buying one from them. A good belt can make all the difference in the world.

 

[NewlyEnthused]

Ok, $60 for a belt? I see it is cross stitched and stuff, but does that make that much of a difference over a plain leather belt from wally world?

 

[dblock]

i have a belt from SOE love it. it ran about 80$

 

[SR9]

It doesn't matter who or where you get a belt as long as it is approx. 1 1/4 to 1 1/2" wide and is a style you like. Everybody will tell you need this and you need that, costing up to $100.00, but that's not necessary. I have a everyday carry belt that came from Wal-mart 10 years ago($14.00) and is still very serviceable.
I have a newer one I got a Wilson's Leathers ($30.00) and they both work fine. One is brown and one is black, what else could you need.

 

[NewlyEnthused]

Thanks SR9, and the others. I realize there is always going to be a best option, and usually, that means more $$. I am on a pretty tight budget, and though I don't want to be cheap and regret it, I also don't want to splurge if it is not needed.
The way i see it, if I can save $45 on a belt that should last me 10 years or more, that means I can afford some ammo to practice. It's all about priorities. Now, I do splurge when needed, like a holster. I wanted one that would be comfortable for a long time in all temperatures. SO, yeah, I spent a little more, but, I digress.

Thanks again

 

[bofh]

I have the one from Comp-Tac (Link Removed) for $90. It works great with my Crossbreed IWB holster. The main motivation behind belts specifically designed for handgun carry is torsional stiffness, which allows the belt to distribute the weight of the handgun better around the entire body. If you are on a budget, try to find a sturdy leather belt that is 1.25-1.5 inches wide.

 

[BluesStringer]

Ok, $60 for a belt? I see it is cross stitched and stuff, but does that make that much of a difference over a plain leather belt from wally world?

Assuming that you plan on carrying concealed full-time, you chose a great holster to start with. What you maybe didn't consider is what is the best way to fully conceal that holster? Crossbreed addressed that question shortly after getting up and running with their Velcro clips. The J-clips or whatever the other ones are called that probably came with your holster are visible and obvious if you use the tuck-ability of the rig. The Velcro clips virtually disappear behind your belt, providing the best concealment possible without sacrificing holding the rig securely in your waistband.

At the time that I bought my Crossbreed, they were making the V-clips, but not making belts yet. I'm not sure if they make belts now with the loop part of the hook-'n-loop Velcro system sewn into the belt, but Beltman belts does it for $10 bucks over the base price of whatever belt you order from them. Beltman makes super high-quality leather gun belts. The only reason you're likely to ever have to buy another belt in your life is because you want more than one color, but one Beltman belt will outlive 8 or 10 Wally World belts, and they are made to carry the weight of a gun, not just hold your britches up.

Here's a view of the Velcro clips:

And here's a view of the other ones that I can't remember what they call 'em:

Interestingly, whichever brand belt is in that second pic, it has the Velcro sewn into the belt. But you can clearly see how much better the Velcro clips conceal the rig.

This is a link to the 1 1/2" Beltman order page. Velcro is sold as an option like color, length etc. in a drop-down menu.

Buy what you want, and take advice from whomever you please. I personally would never trust holding the weight of my gun to the Chinese though. Wally World has no problem asking you to trust it thusly.

Blues

 

[kkinderen]

I've purchased a couple of belts from Armour Belts and love them. The leather is very heavy duty and comes in the correct widths (up to 2" I think). They are handmade in the USA and I think that's worth a little extra.

 

[dcselby1]

I have always worn wide leather belts for as long as I can remember.
But I hear that a good belt is required.
My Cross Breed holster came today, and I only had one hole left for expanding it, and needed two.
So, I need to get a new belt, so I might as well get the right kind.
Is a wide (about 1.5") by (almost 1/8") thick belt what I need? or?

Thanks

Not dumb, but a valid question. I had the same one. I finally bought a "Bull" belt which is 1.5" wide and a quarter inch thick. I absolutely love it. My son wanted a slightly narrower one for dress slacks and they sell those, too. I just ordered one for myself last week. Made in the USA, too. Michigan. Check it out: Welcome to [Jack Russell Leather] - [when only the best will do] Free shipping, I believe as well.

 

[farsidefan1]

Beltman and Armour make exceptional belt but so do half a dozen others. If you stick with those with multiple recommendations you can't go wrong.

 

[apvbguy]

if you don't mind spending for quality, check these belts out

Quality USA Handcrafted Belts - Bullhide Belts, Dress Leather Belts, Gun Belts, Holsters, Double Prong Belts, Money Belts

 

[Eidolon]

Thanks SR9, and the others. I realize there is always going to be a best option, and usually, that means more $$. I am on a pretty tight budget, and though I don't want to be cheap and regret it, I also don't want to splurge if it is not needed.
The way i see it, if I can save $45 on a belt that should last me 10 years or more, that means I can afford some ammo to practice. It's all about priorities. Now, I do splurge when needed, like a holster. I wanted one that would be comfortable for a long time in all temperatures. SO, yeah, I spent a little more, but, I digress.

Thanks again

You may lay out more money initially but you’ll end up saving in the long run.I've used the same Wilderness Instructor belt (1-3/4" with stiffener) for about 7 years now without signs of it wearing out.Kind of hard to argue the price when you get that much use out of it. What's that? $10 per year and falling?

 

[dstryr]

Best belt I have ever owned came from Eddie Bauer about 10 yrs ago. 'course, they're cheapened up now and junk compared to then, go figure. I have found Mills Fleet Farm has great quality belts also- wide, stiff, and still finished nice on the inside so they slide smoothly through belt loops. Takes some looking, but $30 can get you in Mills what $80 will get you somewhere else.

 

[Eidolon]

When I first started carrying as a civilian I got a Tony Llama belt. Tony Llama isn’t a cheap belt, it’s not a gun belt but it isn’t a cheap belt and I’m sure that under normal use it would probably last forever.

As a gun belt however, it didn’t work. After about a month it started to sag and stretch and I had to keep pulling it tighter and tighter. That lasted for about 2 more months and then I said the Hell with it and dug my Wilderness Instructor out of my duffle bag and started wearing it again.

My point is that a good quality belt that isn’t a gun belt will set you back anywhere between 50 and 70 bucks and still won’t work and you’ll end up looking for another belt. Where if you take the same amount and put it towards a gun belt, you may spend a little more but you’ll only spend it once

 

[Rockmc64]

I had an Amish harness maker make mine to my exact specs for $20. I could by 3 or more for the price of those on line and wouldn't have a better belt.

 

[Inocense]

Also check out Aker Leather.. They are supposed to make really nice Concealed Carry belt's and they run under $50.

 

[UATKP]

Thanks SR9, and the others. I realize there is always going to be a best option, and usually, that means more $$. I am on a pretty tight budget, and though I don't want to be cheap and regret it, I also don't want to splurge if it is not needed.
The way i see it, if I can save $45 on a belt that should last me 10 years or more, that means I can afford some ammo to practice. It's all about priorities. Now, I do splurge when needed, like a holster. I wanted one that would be comfortable for a long time in all temperatures. SO, yeah, I spent a little more, but, I digress.

Thanks again

Wally world has a very stiff belt for 12 bucks, and it works well to hold up a handgun. You want something that won't stretch and sag over a period of hours wearing it.

 

[subvet69]

I bought a "custom" belt, then read here about Tractor Supply and their $20 belts. Better than the $60 one I had made.

 

[Mobuck]

Two things I have to comment on. First, I don't like the belts with a stiffener. Son has one and it's literally a PITA. Doesn't conform to the squat position at all. Second, if you're using a holster with metal "hooks", the hooks will wear the stitching on your belt. Soon, you have a two piece belt. Son's $50 belt has already split where the Crossbreed hooks rubbed the top seam.
I prefer a one piece fairly stiff belt that has some give to allow squatting, doesn't have a prominent buckle, and fits the belt loops of my pants(city boy jeans sometimes don't have decent belt loops). A couple of years back, I got some good belts(maybe Triple K brand) at a great price and bought 3-4 in normal and +2" sizes. If you can hold a new belt by the buckle and it doesn't fold or droop, it's good enough.