Instructor's Belt Follow-up

[SSKC]

I have a couple of the 1 1/2" Wilderness belts, one three-stitch and one Combat Shooter's Model with the polymer insert. I agree that they are a lot of belt for the money and also are good "beater" belts for times when you might damage a nice leather belt. I think they would be a good product to stock.

The three stitch is plenty rigid enough for carry. The extra stiffness of the CSM is a liability in my opinion. It is too stiff to easily thread through the slots and loop of a pancake style mag/flashlight pouch. Consequently, I never use my CSM belt when carrying, which seems bass-ackwards. The three stitch model is flexible enough, yet is sufficiently rigid to support a stainless 1911.

The only downside I see is that my holster tends to gradually slide back from my preferred 3:00 position to 3:30-4:00. I haven't had this problem with thicker leather belts. That might just be a problem with my phsique (or lack thereof). YMMV.

The Wilderness belt is more adjustable than a standard belt that limits you to using the various holes. That comes in handy after a big meal of turkey and all the fixin's. On the other hand, it doesn't give you the feedback that you're putting on pounds like a regular belt does when the normal hole gets a little snug.

As an aside, I think it speaks well of Gary's integrity that he posts a positive evaluation of a competitor's product. I doesn't surprise me in the least, but I thought I'd point that out.

SSKC

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[maclean3]

Gary:
Any idea when you'll have the stock in house and ready to order? I noticed that WT includes the buckle width in their belt measurements, unlike leather belt makers I've worked with. You'll have measurement instructions on your website too, correct?
Thanks again,
Jack

[Gary Brommeland]

As an aside, I think it speaks well of Gary's integrity that he posts a positive evaluation of a competitor's product. I doesn't surprise me in the least, but I thought I'd point that out.

SSKC

Thank you, sir. I appreciate your kind remarks.

[Gary Brommeland]

Gary:
Any idea when you'll have the stock in house and ready to order? I noticed that WT includes the buckle width in their belt measurements, unlike leather belt makers I've worked with. You'll have measurement instructions on your website too, correct?
Thanks again,
Jack

I will definately have them in time for Christmas - perhaps a bit sooner. The measurement thing is a bit different than what is used to size leather belts. It is pretty straightforward, however. Just remove your present belt, wrap a tape measure around yourself (either with or without a firearm, but measure it like you intend to wear it) and snug it up about as tight as you'd wear the belt. Whatever that number is, is your correct size.

[Gary Brommeland]

Howdy all!
I would like to sincerely thank you all for taking the time to let me know how you feel about the Wilderness belts. Given what you've had to say here, I will go ahead and order an inventory of them.
Based upon the sizes of leather belts that I typically make, I am guessing that 36, 38, 40, and 42 will be the sizes most in demand.
Also based upon what's been said here, I am also guessing that the 1.5" width will be most popular.
Please let me know what widths, sizes and colors that ya'll would prefer. I want to make sure that I have in stock the belt that you want when you call. Thanks again for the feedback.

[Anubis]

My current Wilderness belt is black, which color I ordered purely because it matches my other self-defense equipment. The color is really immaterial to me because I prefer to conceal with the shirt tail, so the belt is always covered anyway. I intentionally conceal this belt, because I consider it to be an obvious "tell".

Mine is a 39-inch size. Of course, I hope to be able to order a 38-inch eventually .

[grnzbra]

I was looking for the

5 Stitch Instructors belt

[Gary Brommeland]

I was looking for the

I am working on becoming a dealer for The Wilderness products at this time. If you would care to state your preferred color and size, I'll be sure to order one for you. Thanks!

[maclean3]

Gary:
Just emailed your Earthlink address with the info.
Thanks,
Jack

[maclean3]

Gary,
Just sent you a PM about the belts.
Jack

[blacksan]

Gary,

I am a FNG at combatcarry.com but see your name come up often so you must be a good person to deal with. So, I am searching for a good belt and have been kicking around the 5 stitch 1.5" width version. The only thing that concerns me is sizing. I use both IWB and OWB carry but don't want to purchase 2 belts. Can 1 size work efficently with both mods of carry?

Thanks,
Adrian

[maclean3]

Blacksan:
I'm in the same situation, I carry my 642 IWB but my 66 OWB. With my gear on, IWB measures 36", OWB measures about 32" to 33". The belts allow for about 2" of adjustment either way so I emailed Gary and we decided splitting the difference made the most sense, I decided on a 34". Hopefully this will work out well, if not at least I'll be able to report "Don't try this at home kids."
Jack

[Gary Brommeland]

Gary,

I am a FNG at combatcarry.com but see your name come up often so you must be a good person to deal with. So, I am searching for a good belt and have been kicking around the 5 stitch 1.5" width version. The only thing that concerns me is sizing. I use both IWB and OWB carry but don't want to purchase 2 belts. Can 1 size work efficently with both mods of carry?

Thanks,
Adrian

Howdy and welcome aboard! To answer your question, there is enough room for adjustment with the Wilderness belts that you should be OK. When you measure yourself, wrap a tape measure around your waist, thru the belt loops of your pants (WITHOUT wearing a belt) and pull it as tight as you would wear the belt. That number is your size. If you do it with an OWB, an IWB and no holster at all, I should be able to fix you up with a size that will work in all three situations.
Please let me know if there is anything else that I can do to help. Showing the ropes to an FNG is part of what we do.

[blacksan]

Howdy all!
I would like to sincerely thank you all for taking the time to let me know how you feel about the Wilderness belts. Given what you've had to say here, I will go ahead and order an inventory of them.
Based upon the sizes of leather belts that I typically make, I am guessing that 36, 38, 40, and 42 will be the sizes most in demand.
Also based upon what's been said here, I am also guessing that the 1.5" width will be most popular.
Please let me know what widths, sizes and colors that ya'll would prefer. I want to make sure that I have in stock the belt that you want when you call. Thanks again for the feedback.

Gary,

I guess I am the odd man out as I need a 32" inch belt. Are you going to stock the black, 5 stitch, 1.5" width, 32"?

Thanks,
Adrian

[Gary Brommeland]

Gary,

I guess I am the odd man out as I need a 32" inch belt. Are you going to stock the black, 5 stitch, 1.5" width, 32"?

Thanks,
Adrian

Hi Adrian,

I am about to order my stock of Wilderness stuff. If you would like a 32" belt, please give me a call and I'll gladly make sure that I have one for you. I will probably not keep that size in stock - it is something that I rarely get any requests for. If you decide to get one at a later date, I can get them in just a few days. Either way, I'm happy to serve you. Thanks!