The San Mai is back with some slight design mods.
https://www.mastermindtactics.com/shop/san-mai-belt
The San Mai is back with some slight design mods.
https://www.mastermindtactics.com/shop/san-mai-belt
Oh, hell yeah! My Sanmai is what I wear every day. No other belt measures up in having just the right amount of stiffness and flexibility. I can keep the belt noticeably looser when I'm carrying, especially with a heavier gun. It's also held up really well. The stiffness doesn't go away after even years of hard use because of the inner polymer strip.Originally Posted by Mack
"You can never have too many knives." --Joe Ambercrombie
"You don’t really graduate from certain problems or certain things… like you always have to work on trigger control and pulling the trigger straight. " --Ben Stoeger 1/24/2018
We are happy to have the San Mai back and hopefully in its newest configuration it will be useful to the most people possible. Thanks again to everyone here on PF for the continued support and feedback over the years. We are working on getting black and green back in stock, we still have a few tans but hopefully all colors will be back in the next few weeks.
I was just thinking how I’d like a belt as cool as my green Specialist, but with a buckle…(I’ve been getting more button-fly jeans lately, and the velcro is getting on my nerves)
From @Mack's site:
"The San Mai belt features a UHMW polymer core to provide enough rigidity to support all carry methods and set-ups."
Out of stock, but I signed up for notification of availability. I'm forever in search of a better belt for IWB. Looking forward to the alert email.
Among all the other mail waiting for me after returning from a snowshoeing trip with Mrs. CF, there was small package from Mastermind Tactics. I opened it and found a OD green Mastermind San Mai belt in size 34 (I have a 31" waist). I'm excited about the return of the San Mai because the original version (with Cobra Frame buckle) is hands down my favorite CCW belt--actually my favorite belt of all time.
I hate belts that need to be worn tight in order to support the gun. The San Mai solves that problem with a polymer strip sandwiched inside a double layer of smooth nylon webbing. The result is a very supple belt that is stiff in the "shear" direction. In other words, it wraps around your body and holster, but supports the load easily without needing to be super tight.
The polymer stiffener in the San Mai v.2 is noticeably thinner than the original San Mai. I don't have a lot of time with the belt yet, but I think this is an improvement. The new belt conforms even better to the holster, without creating a bulge.
I'll admit, I was skeptical about the polymer GT Cobra buckle. But, it works well and has the advantage of being able to go through TSA screening. I would welcome versions with the metal Cobra, or even better the Cobra Frame.
Last edited by Clusterfrack; 01-12-2023 at 08:28 PM.
"You can never have too many knives." --Joe Ambercrombie
"You don’t really graduate from certain problems or certain things… like you always have to work on trigger control and pulling the trigger straight. " --Ben Stoeger 1/24/2018
The GT Cobra works well if given the chance. Most people write it off because it is polymer however the spring loaded friction bar is far superior to the Al version in terms of tail retention, it is lighter, less marring, low IR if that matters, as well as being much more consistent from buckle to buckle.
The UHMW core is thinner and should provide more than enough vertically rigidity while remaining flexible and conforming circumferentially. We hope that it helps fill an area of concealed belts that seems to be under-served.
We have a small re-stock of all colors for anyone who is interested.
Thanks again to everyone for the support and feedback!
Does this belt perform well for strongside IWB as well as AIWB? I'm transitioning to IWB carry from AIWB and looking for all the help I can get. I have a Specialist belt and it works pretty good but maybe a bit too stiff.
Jesus paid a debt he did not owe,
Because I owed a debt I could not pay.
For me, 3:00-3:30 IWB carry requires a stiffer belt than AIWB. The San Mai feels softer when it bends around the body and holster, but is at least as stiff as the Specialist. Neither are as stiff as a Volund Atlas belt. I would carry IWB with the San Mai, but probably not OWB with a lot of gear.
"You can never have too many knives." --Joe Ambercrombie
"You don’t really graduate from certain problems or certain things… like you always have to work on trigger control and pulling the trigger straight. " --Ben Stoeger 1/24/2018
My San Mai showed up today. First impressions are that it seems to have quite a bit more vertical rigidity than the Tenicor Zero and resists twisting a little better, but still seems very flexible around the waist. The buckle is a little bigger than I expected, but doesn't cause any issues for me and is very light weight.
I wish I could get it with a velcro tail instead of using the elastic keeper. I don't like velcro on belts that don't have a quick disconnect buckle which requires the velcro to be unhooked in order to remove my pants, but since this has the Cobra buckle I can unbuckle/rebuckle easily without messing with the tail so I'd prefer to have it tucked away a little more securely.
I'm looking forward to giving it some long term use.
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