Looking for a good gun belt.

[SAWBONES]

They will contour to a bow, but not to a recurve bow, shape. Red is the only one making the recurve bow shape I'm aware of.

I agree there's no real difference in comfort. The difference with the recurve is how much weight it supports at a given tightness and it's resistance to sagging during motion.

Right you are about the recurve bow.

Still, I was never carrying more than ~40 oz. strongside (1911 pistol), usually less, and always trying to balance the sidearm weight with similar weight on the offside (spare magazines, knife, keychain apparatus), and couldn't tell any difference in how things felt.
I expect that someone carrying really heavy gear would probably be able to feel the difference, though.

In any case, I remain pleasantly surprised how much more comfortable it is having the weight all shifted forward with AIWB-style CCW.
I've since tried carrying in traditional IWB mode again, just for sake of comparison, and the difference in comfort using AIWB is quite considerable.

[BehindBlueI's]

Right you are about the recurve bow.

Still, I was never carrying more than ~40 oz. strongside (1911 pistol), usually less, and always trying to balance the sidearm weight with similar weight on the offside (spare magazines, knife, keychain apparatus), and couldn't tell any difference in how things felt.
I expect that someone carrying really heavy gear would probably be able to feel the difference, though.

In any case, I remain pleasantly surprised how much more comfortable it is having the weight all shifted forward with AIWB-style CCW.
I've since tried carrying in traditional IWB mode again, just for sake of comparison, and the difference in comfort using AIWB is quite considerable.

I can tell the difference with just a Glock 17M and a reload, but that's likely body shape differences changing experiences person to person.

The most I've had on my Nichols belt is a Sig P226, 2x spare mags, cuffs, and a radio. With a regular belt I had to hitch my pants back up every time I stood up from a seated position. With the Nichols belt everything stayed in place.

[AKDoug]

Cornelius - I have a Wilderness 3-Stitch FF belt in size 42 if you'd like to try that out. PM me your address and I'll mail it to you, if you're interested.

IMHO, having tried them out, all of the "Nextbelt" style "infinitely adjustable" belts are good for light carry duties only. Mine was insufficiently stiff to support the weight of a holstered G19, and the "buckle" seemed poorly constructed. Might be a good idea for something to hold up your pants if you're NOT carrying a pistol, but otherwise, I'd suggest a hard pass.

My personal favorite belt for OWB carry (my primary method nowadays) is the Volund G-hook belt in 1.5". Infinitely adjustable, tough as nails, and holds very nicely.

One of these days I've got to spring for a nice custom leather belt, but I always shy away at the price, lead time for production, and the fact that most only have five holes, meaning if you gain or lose 2-5 pounds (a frequent issue for me), you can easily get caught between holes, and have a belt that's either too tight or too loose.

I bought a Beltman leather belt after I lost 60#. It was nice but I ended up missing my Volund G-Hook, so I ordered a new one. I'm a huge fan of the G-Hook, but using one gets some getting used to.

[corneileous]

I bought a Beltman leather belt after I lost 60#. It was nice but I ended up missing my Volund G-Hook, so I ordered a new one. I'm a huge fan of the G-Hook, but using one gets some getting used to.

Which belt you and @psalms144.1 are talking about?


http://store.volundgearworks.com/ind...hook-belt.html


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[AKDoug]

Which belt you and @psalms144.1 are talking about?


http://store.volundgearworks.com/ind...hook-belt.html


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Yes, that's the one I'm talking about. I love the no buckle aspect of it.

[corneileous]

Yes, that's the one I'm talking about. I love the no buckle aspect of it.

How’s that belt for stiffness and support? Also, how’s that buckle work? I take it it’s designed to be buckled/unbuckled under tension?


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[corneileous]

I’m kinda liking this Atlas Cobra Belt too.


http://store.volundgearworks.com/ind...-biothane.html


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[psalms144.1]

Which belt you and @psalms144.1 are talking about?


http://store.volundgearworks.com/ind...hook-belt.html


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That's the one! I find it very stable and supportive even when not cranked terribly tight. In fact, I'm wearing one right now, set for IWB carry of a G43X, and it's keeping my pants up even though there's an inch plus "air gap" between the belt and my belly...

[voodoo_man]

I’m kinda liking this Atlas Cobra Belt too.


http://store.volundgearworks.com/ind...-biothane.html


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My (old) review of the atlas g-hook.

http://www.vdmsr.com/2014/07/volundg...elt-175in.html

It worked really well for its intended purpose but the g-hook system creates a lot of bulk around the main area of tools, which is definitely a no-go for today's selection of AIWB. Back in 2014 when I did the review, the current options didn't exist.

As I stated, if you are looking for 3-4 o'clock traditional strong side carry you may be able to use the g-hook effectively, however, the belt will eventually have issues as it's part of the design of that type of belt.

[corneileous]

My (old) review of the atlas g-hook.

http://www.vdmsr.com/2014/07/volundg...elt-175in.html

It worked really well for its intended purpose but the g-hook system creates a lot of bulk around the main area of tools, which is definitely a no-go for today's selection of AIWB. Back in 2014 when I did the review, the current options didn't exist.

As I stated, if you are looking for 3-4 o'clock traditional strong side carry you may be able to use the g-hook effectively, however, the belt will eventually have issues as it's part of the design of that type of belt.

Although I don’t know anything about the “G” hook but even if that cobra clasp on the other one is like another belt of mine like that where the male part of the clasp has to come off to slide the belt through the loops, I’m cool with that.


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