Current top CCW belt options?

[vcdgrips]

Ok -- I will play

1. If 1/4 inch of belt adjustability difference is driving your EDC CCW train, your developmental issues are far bigger than the belt you wear.

2. You asked for equal or superior, not identical. "If you know of an equal or superior ratcheting belt made in the USA in terms of fit / finish / function / quality / value, tell me who it is and I'll place an order today."

3. By very definition, there is often no comparison between made in the USA v Made in the PRC offerings in this space on price.

4. Again, if Kore works for you, wear it with pride. But don't imply that product is not getting a fair shake in this community because it does not not advertise here. Google for "Kore" on this forum and you get approximately 64 hits. Google for Wilderness (which does not advertise here) and it gets 800 + hits.

5. "I appreciate you trying to sell me on seeing your side of this issue but I'm full-grown and have been for quite a long time and don't require your help in establishing my purchasing philosophy."

VCD Response-I am simply trying to help the OP. I would note that you were the only post re Kore, most of the rest focused on Wilderness, Mastermind Tactics, Tenicor and similarly designed belts. Therein lies a clue re Kore.


Larry T says:
“The next time I post something you disagree with, feel free to let me wallow in my ignorance. I won't be offended.”

VCD says:
It does not work that way. You post up on a forum, you get deal w those who disagree. Don’t want to do that, don’t post up.”

[blues]

Without pointing fingers, if the shoe fits...(perhaps take it elsewhere)

Dictionary
Definitions from Oxford Languages ·

su·per·cil·i·ous
/ˌso͞opərˈsilēəs/

adjective
behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others.

[msstate56]

Use the ignore button, it will make your life better.

I used Kore gun belts for a couple years, but switched to Nexbelt about 2 years ago. The Nexbelt it a little more flexible around my waist, but still being stiff vertically. I find it more comfortable for all day wear. I wear IWB and OWB at 3 O'clock. I find that most of the "AIWB" specific belts aren't stiff enough for the days I have to wear a Safariland ALS OWB. I really like the ratcheting style, which makes it super easy to adjust throughout the day.

The one issue with Nexbelt, is the plastic stiffener will crack after about a year of wear. I can live with buying a replacement strap once a year.

[Larry T]

Use the ignore button, it will make your life better.

I used Kore gun belts for a couple years, but switched to Nexbelt about 2 years ago. The Nexbelt it a little more flexible around my waist, but still being stiff vertically. I find it more comfortable for all day wear. I wear IWB and OWB at 3 O'clock. I find that most of the "AIWB" specific belts aren't stiff enough for the days I have to wear a Safariland ALS OWB. I really like the ratcheting style, which makes it super easy to adjust throughout the day.

The one issue with Nexbelt, is the plastic stiffener will crack after about a year of wear. I can live with buying a replacement strap once a year.

I find the buffalo leather to be the sweet spot for AIWB. It feels about the same stiffness as the leading nylon brands. I switch to their heavier nylon belt for OWB - usually a Glock 17 on the right and a light and spare mag on the left.

[JTQ]

I'm surprised it wasn't mentioned here before, but for the past ~2 years, I've been using an EDC Belt Co "foundation belt".

I've seen that belt at LTT's web store and have wondered, what holds that belt in position? Is it the buckle or the velcro.

I have a Wilderness Instructor Belt, and I know some have commented, elsewhere, that only the velcro holds the belt in place, but clearly the toothed buckle clamps down and locks the belt in place, while the velcro just holds the extra belt tail.

It doesn't seem as if the Foundation buckle provides a lock point for the belt.

[Casey]

I did not care for the Tenicor Zero. While I appreciate a flexible belt for AIWB, my perspective is that it went a little too far in terms of lack of rigidity. My EDC is a G17+WML and spare 21-rounder. Perhaps if I was carrying less gun, it may have worked better for me. I also found the buckle annoying. I like being able to pull on the tail end of a traditional belt to cinch it down without having to fiddle with the buckle and the tail being trapped beneath the belt. Neat concept, trapping the tail without the use of hook and loop, but didn't work well for me.

My preference remains the Graith/Mastermind Specialist. At this point I must have half a dozen of them in different colors, because god forbid my belt—which is of course concealed under my shirt and highly unlikely to be seen by anyone—isn't color-coordinated with the rest of my outfit. I find the Specialist to be just a touch more rigid than the Tenicor, and it's just right for me. I offset the buckle at about 10:00 so that both my mag carrier and holster (both AIWB) are attached to an uninterrupted length of the rigid portion of the belt. I found that keeping the buckle centered would create a small section of floppiness at 12:00 where the belt isn't reinforced as it transitions to becoming the tail. This in turn would allow the belt to twist a bit so the mag carrier and holster could rotate slightly in opposing directions as I moved, which, while perhaps aiding in comfort slightly, also resulted in a bit more printing and less stability than is my preference. I don't know if I adequately articulated that.

I found the Blue Alpha Low Profile EDC belt to be too stiff. (Amusingly, I don't think their 2" Duty Belt Rig is nearly stiff enough. I just can't win!) Likewise, the Ares Aegis and Aegis Enhanced, which I adored for IWB, absolutely do not work for me AIWB. I think at this point just about all of us understand the hula hoop effect of an excessively stiff belt for AIWB use, so I won't rehash that.

[David S.]

After a wide variety of high quality leather and stitched belts, I'm all in on the Enigma at this point.

[LJP]

Little bit late to the party, but… in uniform (EMS), Wilderness Tactical 5-Stitch Instructor Belt. That’s mainly habit at this point after nearly 2 decades, but it just works. On my own time, I bought a blem Tenicor Zero and haven’t looked back since. Works perfectly for AIWB, and I see no real need to try anything else. The lack of any Velcro to wear out is a huge plus. OP, I’m confident that you’ll be happy with your purchase.

[medmo]

+1 Wilderness Instructor belt. A couple decades of experience with three of them. (Just expressing my personal experience and have no desire to engage in a Current top CCW belt option pissing match.)

[YVK]

I did not care for the Tenicor Zero. While I appreciate a flexible belt for AIWB, my perspective is that it went a little too far in terms of lack of rigidity. My EDC is a G17+WML and spare 21-rounder. Perhaps if I was carrying less gun, it may have worked better for me. I also found the buckle annoying. I like being able to pull on the tail end of a traditional belt to cinch it down without having to fiddle with the buckle and the tail being trapped beneath the belt. Neat concept, trapping the tail without the use of hook and loop, but didn't work well for me.

My preference remains the Graith/Mastermind Specialist.

Likewise, the Ares Aegis and Aegis Enhanced, which I adored for IWB, absolutely do not work for me AIWB.

I guess the way to express my agreement would be "+3" 'because that's my experience on all three accounts. Or belts, even though my EDC is much lighter than WML G17 + 21.
I didn't find the buckle on Zero objectionable but I thought that the concept didn't work unless the tail was of a perfect length. Too short, not enough rigidity around the buckle, too long and tail gets out anyway. I ended up between sizes and tail was too long. Attempts to shorten only led to mutilation without much reward.