Okay, so another year of everyday wear has passed and review number three is as positive as the first two. The buckle on mine is the older, all composite style and it’s holding up nicely. Scuffs and scratches hide well.
The belt material itself continues to be nigh upon indestructible. As mentioned previously, this was the major selling point for me. There’s been no cracking or delaminations of any sort and it stands up beautifully to kydex holsters or anything else you might care to hang off of it. The ratcheting action isn’t perhaps quite as crisp as it was years ago when new, but neither has it ever slipped on me.
On the flip side, the “survival” features still strike me as a bit gimmicky. I would very much like to see a $60 version of this belt that skips the blade, flashlight, fire starter, etc. All in all though, it easily retains a strong buy recommendation from me.
sblaydes
Mar 4, 2020
Uhm, sure let me take my belt off to open this beer.
That will never be awkward.
What kind of metal is the buckle made of? The Slidebelt website just says it is a "metal alloy face" but does not specify what metals it is comprised of.
Well, it’s coming up on a year since my last contribution to this thread and I have to say, this product continues to perform wonderfully after a total of almost two years of daily wear. I use the ratcheting feature dozens of times every day because it’s so effortlessly fast and easy to do and because it makes life just that much more comfortable. I have to imagine this feature would be an absolute godsend for a heavier set person.
I don’t know that I’ve ever used the knife or the flashlight in all that time, mainly because I’m almost always carrying a more capable knife and flashlight elsewhere on my person. Nevertheless, the “survival” version of this belt was the right choice for me for two reasons. First, the buckle portion is made out of a durable polycarbonate type material that hides wear extremely well. There’s no need to worry about a finish wearing through, flaking off, or getting badly scratched up. Second, the belt itself is nigh on indestructible. The composite, multilayer construction is stupid strong and I haven’t seen the first sign of any cracking, fraying or other degradation. I’ve since purchased a second Slidebelt with a shiny metal buckle and leather belt for dressier use, but honestly, I think this one could do double duty. Great piece of gear.
Especially if you do not drink beer. I’ve needed a bottle opener exactly 0 times in decades. Every sparkling apple cider and root beer I’ve come across has a twist top, bottle opener optional.
I saw another survival belt that doesn’t have anything built into the buckle just a bunch of little pockets along the entire length of the belt. I think I would like something like that better.