Thomas Bates Titan Durable Outdoor Nylon Web Belt Metal Free

I stumbled on this when I was looking for a military style web belt to wear with my work clothes. At first I wasn't sure I would care for this belt because it is made of Nylon Web. if you never wore a web belt they come in two forms; cotton and Nylon. Cotton is a bit thicker and most buckles hold better with this fabric but the color fades. Nylon is thinner, doesn't hold as fast, but is more durable and retains its color without fading. Typically I prefer the cotton so I was about to pass on this one, but the buckle looked heavy duty. I read mixed opinions, but decided to try it anyway.I've been using it about a week now and I absolutely love this belt. The nylon is nice and thin which is usually a problem with military style buckles but this plastic buckle grabs and holds really tight, It doesn't slip at all. The buckle doesn't have teeth that bite into the fabric like a traditional web belt so the Nylon doesn't tear, shred, or wear out. The buckle just clamps the nylon in place using pressure. I imagine this belt will last a real long time since nylon web doesn't get distended with use like a cotton one would. this is a very durable and comfortable belt. I saw some reviews stating that the buckle is a bit bulky and it does look bulky in the picture. Compared to a traditional belt the buckle may be a bit large, but compared to other web belts I don't find it to be too large and when I received it, i was surprised how much smaller it looked in person compared to the picture on Amazon. I'll be back to purchase this in a few more colors soon. I might get one in each color since they will most likely last me the rest of my life. The only bad part is it only comes in one size. If you are larger than a size 40-42 then it will be too short. If you are smaller you will need to cut it to size and then melt the end so it doesn't fray. I am pretty good at this having had worn nylon web belts in the Navy, but if you never done it before be careful because it is easy to scotch the Nylon. If you have a hot knife it will work best or just leave it long and tuck in the access in your belt loops if its not too cumbersome. Unfortunately, this belt doesn't have the metal tabs that clamp on the end after you cut it to give it the neat appearance. The tab would not fit in this buckle, so you have to use it as illustrated in the picture with no tab.

So I wanted to add a review to this once I got it, I legitimately have owned one of these belts for over 6 years now (see attached photos for comparison) used everyday, I'm about 240 lbs so it's got to hold back a good amount of gut, and what I've always hated about leather belts is the holes would stretch, or you would have to poke different holes to make it tighter or whatever, this belt is great and just closes into place and DOESNT move unless you unbuckle it, nothing stretches or gives eventually. I almost didn't buy another because of some reviews that claimed these belts to be made differently now or have inferior components compared to the past, I can 100% tell you they are wrong because I have the 6+year belt to prove it, it's EXACTLY the same, and makes me so happy I bought the replacement.Just buy one, they're so cheap and last a long time, I could keep using my other belt for years more, it's just faded, I wanted it to look fresh again lol.

The belt that I received does not match the picture. The buckle is more rounded and the black that appears to be on the edges from the front and totally covering the back side of the belt is not there. I ordered the Graphite color and it is just 1 solid color all the way around. The description also states it is 1 1/2" wide, while it actually measures 1 1/4" (while on the subject of measurements, the total length from tip to tip is about 48 inches, so if you are larger than about a size 42 this will probably be too small for you). All of these things are really just splitting hairs considering my intended use, but I can't give 5 stars to something that isn't exactly what you ordered.With that being said, provided you aren't buying this belt for the looks it is fantastic. I bought this only because of the fact that it supposedly really clamps down on itself and doesn't let go. I wanted something sturdy like this for hiking, yard work, or pretty much any outdoor activity so I don't have to constantly readjust my belt with dirty hands or while wearing gloves. In this respect it does perform as advertised. In my experience synthetic fiber belts last for a long time but don't have a very good grip like natural fiber belts do, so if you bend over or squat down or otherwise really press against the belt it starts to come undone. That is not the case here, the only way I have been able to get this thing to loosen up is by undoing the buckle, so you are really getting the best of both worlds. Overall I would recommend this belt to most of my pants and your pants too, and I may buy some more just in case the first one gets lost.

I just came across this in my order history and wanted to take a minute to write a review. I've had my two belts now since 2016. I bought them because they're easy, they were affordable, and I needed a decent workbelt. Six years later I still wear them daily. They've never worn out, never slipped or given me trouble, and have been often used for tightening straps, tie-downs, and to support my pistol, work tools, and other materials on the range and on the job. Overall, these are a great utility belt and they hold up better than anything else out there. Are they sexy? Nope. They're functional. My wife will wear mine to the range. I'll wear them with shorts that might get wet.. no problem just drying it out and carrying on. A great purchase!