Need a good, sturdy belt for IWB carry. Any good suggestions?

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hartzpad

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I just started to carry my Steyr S9 (and sometimes M9) in a Blade-Tech IWB kydex holster and I have realized that my 6 year old GAP brand leather belt just doesn't cut it, it just isn't stiff enough. I need a good, stiff belt that is around 1.5" thick so my holster's J-hooks will still fit OK. I don't want some "Mall Ninja black stealth tactical belt", I just need a good leather belt that looks normal and can be worn with many different types of clothes.

I have all the normal chains of stores around me here in Utah. Thanks.
 
I carry a full size M1911A1 both inside and outside and needed the same type of belt you describe. Believe it or not, Walmart came through. I have a 1 1/2 inch solid leather, not laminated, belt that is 1/8 inch thick. Black with a silver colored buckle. The cost was around $13.00 and I figure that even if it wears out after 6 months that is fairly inexpensive. I had looked at gun shows and on line and just could not spend the $75.00 or more for what they offered. :)
 
Check the department stores. I've got a 1 1/4" (I think) heavy duty leather belt, paid about $15 for it.
Saw somewhere about wearing suspenders for concealed carry, I might be trying that in the near future.
 
Went to my local Red Wing boot dealer. Heck, I guess any real boot repair place will carry good leather goods. Anyway, Red Wing has some nice 1-1/4 and 1-1/2 belts. Nice simple buckles too.
 
Blackhawk industries has a new "Carbon Fiber" belt that looks like a dress belt, but is very rigid.
 
I have heard great things about Rafter and I am ordering one of their belts after the New Year. If you want a belt a little faster though, I have heard good things about the belts from Gunners Alley, and they only have a one week wait. American Hand gunner did a review of the belts, and they seem to be good quality. I am ordering a plain cow from gunner’s alley and black sharkskin from Rafter. I would avoid the Wal-Mart belts, as any gun belt is better than a regular belt. If your not worried about style the wilderness instructor belts do a great job though I will never wear mine with a tucked I shirt as the belt is very web gear like.
 
Hartz,
Those who tell you to get a "heavy-duty" belt from wally world, haven't bought a real gunbelt yet. I always wore fairly heavy belts, and thought they were great for holding up my gun... then I got a gunbelt. Mine is a Rafter S, but since I got it a year ago, I have worn it EVERY DAY, and carried every day that I haven't been out of state. It's certainly doesn't look as new as the day I bought it, (character) and it's probably not quite as stiff, but when my wife and I look at our old belts, we laugh- as they have a stiffness comparative to a wet noodle. I'm going to need a new belt soon, as I'm now on the shortest notch :D. I think I may try Brommeland, as I L-O-V-E his holster.
 
Nearly all of my gunleather is Milt Sparks, I'd go with them on this. My Sparks belt serves me well and is quite a bit more classy than a Wilderness.
 
Those who tell you to get a "heavy-duty" belt from wally world, haven't bought a real gunbelt yet
Click to expand...

You are certainly right about that...I bought my belts from wallyworld at 10 bucks a throw, at that cost I can buy 4 for the price of one Rafter belt..leathers is leather.....a buck means a lot to me sometimes...to each his own. ;)
 
To be fair, just plain old heavy duty leather belts were doin' the job long before "gun belts" came along to tempt us with their tactical mystique.

Quality leather is quality leather.
 
my 2 cents

I am a contractor and I have been wearing Carrhartt belts for several years. My tool belts are the hard finished weightlifter type with the wide part in the back but my jeans belts and dress belts are carrhartts too.
I bought a Gail and Goodrich gun belt after I got my carry permit, it had the polymer backer for stiffness and the polymer (plastic) broke after a few months. Went back to my carrhartts belt. 21 bucks 1 3/8 wide by a 1/4 inch thick and solid fittings.
 
Well, if you look closely you'll notice that the best gunbelts such as those made by Alessi, Sparks, RafterS, etc. are actually two strips of leather sewn together. This means the belt is stiffer, less liable to lose its shape, flex or turn down from the weight of your accouterments as a one-piece belt will do quite readily. The two-piece belt will, therefore, bear the weight of your stuff and distribute it more evenly around its entire length, making your load seem lighter, with the holster and pistol tucked up tighter into your torso (where it belongs) instead of "listing out" a degree or more. Every little bit helps.
 
Sorry for the double post, the board is moving so slowly this morning I did not know the first one actually got posted.

I tried to remove this one, but couldn't figure out how to do so.
 
Check out the belt page at Gunner's Alley. They have a nice overview of why a gun belt is a good idea. Click on their belts which are in the top row of products. I am wearing an inch and a half one that I got back in the spring, with a SIG P228 IWB. Excellent product.

I met Jim, the fellow who makes them at the Raleigh gun show. Great guy. He took my order, made the belt after the show weekend and I had it before the next weekend.

I used to have one of those thick Wal-Mart belts. While better than most dress belts, it simply does not compare to what I am wearing now.
 
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