Leather or Nylon belt?

[tarheel7734]

I have decided on the sig scorpion carry 1911 for ccw and looking at some custom leather holsters as well looking for kydex holsters. I guess if I go leather holster I should use a leather belt correct? and nylon for kydex.

 

[Byrd666]

I use a leather belt regardless of the holster. Then again, buckling a web belt to a comfortable point is a bit too difficult for me, so...

 

[F350-6]

I like leather regardless of holster. I also prefer a belt with a stiffener. Makes a world of difference.

 

[vmax]

go to bullhidebelts.com

great selection and those 1/4 inch wide leather belts hold up very well. I've worn mine for over a year now every single day.

 

[jocat54]

Go with a leather gun belt and you won't be sorry.

 

[Vehemence]

Leather, but I'd avoid 511 Tactical. Spent $50 and thought I got a thick, heavy duty leather belt. What I actually got was a stiff plastic insert sandwiched by two thin strips of leather. This worked great for a while, until the rigid plastic insert broke and the jagged edges cut through the leather. $50 and it didn't even last a year. I felt duped.

 

[SIG_Fiend]

I like leather regardless of holster. I also prefer a belt with a stiffener. Makes a world of difference.

^ This. I'm going on I think ~3-4 years now with my Comp Tac kydex reinforced leather gun belt, and it still works just fine. You definitely want a belt with some sort of stiffener. The more the gun is allowed to sag outwards from poor holster design and/or a flimsy belt, the less comfortable and concealable it will be. A whole lot of nylon/cordura type belts, like all the riggers belts out there, are not nearly as stiff as a thick leather belt with a kydex or other stiffener insert.

Any day now, I should be receiving a Ted Blocker leather gun belt. It has a steel band for a stiffener...

 

[F350-6]

Any day now, I should be receiving a Ted Blocker leather gun belt. It has a steel band for a stiffener...

Interesting. I guess it's a hardened spring steel so it doesn't get a crimp in it? I'd be intersted in reading a review after you've taken it for a few test runs to hear impressions vs. the kydex stiffener. Is the steel thick enough to hand refrigerator magnets off of?

I checked the website and couldn't find reference to the steel stiffener. Am I missing something? Do you think there will be advantage to this over what has worked for the last few years for you?

I'm happy with my belt from a fellow Jarhead at A&G gunleather, but I don't mind at least kicking tires if something interesting comes along.

 

[c_m_shooter]

Check out the double layer leather belt from Filson. It should last a long time. All the store bought belts I've tried have worn out in a few months to a year of carrying a 1911.

 

[F350-6]

Check out the double layer leather belt from Filson. It should last a long time. All the store bought belts I've tried have worn out in a few months to a year of carrying a 1911.

My belt is several years old and holds up just fine. Not my image, but this is from a quick google search to give you an idea of what a belt with a stiffener does. My belt from A&G will still do this with my 1911 after several years of daily wear.

See the difference now?

 

[shortround]

Woven cotton is King.

 

[SIG_Fiend]

Interesting. I guess it's a hardened spring steel so it doesn't get a crimp in it? I'd be intersted in reading a review after you've taken it for a few test runs to hear impressions vs. the kydex stiffener. Is the steel thick enough to hand refrigerator magnets off of?

I checked the website and couldn't find reference to the steel stiffener. Am I missing something? Do you think there will be advantage to this over what has worked for the last few years for you?

I'm happy with my belt from a fellow Jarhead at A&G gunleather, but I don't mind at least kicking tires if something interesting comes along.

From what I understand, he uses a piece of spring steel probably not unlike a slim jim or other really slim piece of spring steel. IIRC, I believe I saw mention somewhere that the spring steel is already pre-formed into the circular shape of the belt, so it's not quite like it's a flat piece of steel that could more easily bend. I'm wondering if it's going to be overkill in terms of rigidty, or "the answer". I'll definitely do a review once I have it and have worn it a bit, as well as some pics like those below of how it holds up to a carry setup. As far as the advantage, I tend to think that the steel stiffener probably won't ever wear out and will remain 100% as rigid since day one (provided there are no stress fractures over time), and if anything the leather itself will go first. That's just a guess. I tend to carry a full size gun (Glock 17) most of the time, and I find with larger/heavier guns that it is increasingly easier for them to hang outwards, even with some belts that have stiffeners. My Comp Tac belt has held up just fine, though I've tried some nylon belts like a Volund Gearworks Atlas belt, several different riggers belts, both reinforced and not, and found that a lot of nylon/cordura belts have to be fairly thick and reinforced to truly be rigid. Even then, the rigidity is often not quite the same as a reinforced and thick leather belt. Can't quite say how, it's just a bit different IMO. Maybe a difference in torsional rigidity or something. Although it's a great belt, well built, and excellent design, I was disappointed with the Atlas belt because the weight of the G17 is enough that it still sags outwards a bit and doesn't conceal as well. If I was carrying a Shield or PPS or something with that built, it would have been a non-issue I'm sure.

 

[40Arpent]

go to bullhidebelts.com

great selection and those 1/4 inch wide leather belts hold up very well. I've worn mine for over a year now every single day.

Got my Bullhide belt in yesterday. Very nice quality, but I am not yet convinced that it will measure up to my Beltman belts in terms of rigidity/sag. The thickness of the single piece of leather is roughly the same as that of the double-layer Beltman, but the Bullhide belt is much softer and more pliable. I am sure it will be fine for IWB carry, but I don't think it will handle OWB carry as good as the Beltman. Time will tell....

 

[Huntindoc]

Not only would I consider leather. I would go with a Black Sharkskin belt from Milt Sparks. I bought mine in 2000. I have worn it daily and it still looks new. That's over 13 years folks. Yes, they are a little pricey but nothing else gives that quality and durability. I would have gone through 10-$50 belts in that time.

 

[Jakashh]

Leather is better for whipping.

 

[Dreamliner787]

First thing is to make sure it's a belt designed specifically for holding up a gun and holster. Not all belts fall into this category. A good gun belt makes a big difference in being able to carry comfortablly and for long hours. I like both one good nylon like Ares Ranger Cobra, Original SOE low profile and for leather the Comp-tac kydex reinforce. Pay for what you get and get what you paid for. IMO.

 

[SIG_Fiend]

Another factor is torsional rigidity, which is one of the things I was getting at above. A belt might be stiff top to bottom, such as if you try to pinch the top and bottom to get it to fold over a bit, but it may not be stiff in a torsional sense to where you can pull on the top, push on the bottom, and it will flex outward significantly. A lot of reinforced nylon belts seem to be like this, where they might be stiff top to bottom, but not as stiff torsionally as opposed to some reinforced leather belts. At least, that's my own opinion. Probably way too much "science" for a belt anyways.

 

[Texasslinger]

I like this one. I ordered a black and brown. Order 2-4 in over your pant size. I carry a crossbreed iwb for beretta 92 compact. Dickies Men's 35mm Genuine Leather Belt,Black,34
http://amzn.com/B001FOR2RO



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[MPA1988]

Allow me to recommend the NRA 5.11 TDU

 

[raw10628]

I just got a Crossbreed belt that I really like so far.