Belts
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I have purchased a few belts based on the feedback here: http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=168954&highlight=unlucky
Scott (aka Unlucky) makes belt/wallets/leather accessories. You can specified the colour, the thickness and width of the belt and pick the belt buckle you want - the quick release buckle is pretty wicked. Turnaround time is very quick. Prices are decent too - U$60 - $70 shipped. He will send you pictures of items he made in the past to help you decide. If you want his contact information, please PM me. It is buried somewhere in the thread as well. I think he is a teacher during the day, but he will work on the order in his spare time and get back to you very quickly.But I also want to point out I will eventually get an IH belt just because it is an IH. You can't get the heavy duty buckle and belt (IH goodness) anywhere else!
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I have this belt from Tanner (link), mine has darkened quite a bit over the past 6 months, so don't let something that looks too light sway you. You can always hit it with some neatsfoot oil and tan it out in the sun for a while, that will darken it up as well.
I imagine the Tanner 13oz. compares well to the IH offerings. The Tanner 11oz. I found a little too thin for my liking.
EDIT: I should add when I purchased mine, the HD belt came with a leather keeper, much nicer and more rugged looking than the brass keeper they have on there now. Perhaps they could produce it with the leather keeper if you asked them; they often don't make your belt until you order it.
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Trying to get a sense of the heft of the IH belt since I'm in middle America and can't hold one in my hands without buying one…
I have a Tanner heavy duty 13 oz. belt (http://ow.ly/3uflT) which I like, and I'm shopping for a black belt. I purchased a black Tanner belt in 11 oz. (they don't offer a 13 oz. in black) but it seemed plainly thin compared to the heavy duty.
Can anyone provide opinions on the IH belt compared to either Tanner's 11 or 13 oz. offerings… Of course either belt could stand up to anything I could put it through, but when you can go heavy duty, well why not?
I'll answer my own question here. I acquired an IHB-02 in brown. It's a little thinner than the Tanner heavy duty I own, and the Tanner is much stiffer and has virtually no stretch to it; the IHB-02, on the other hand, certainly has a little stretch to it. The Tanner leather feels a bit denser than the Iron Heart.
The Tanner heavy duty is advertised as a 13 oz, with their regular belts offered as 11 oz, but the Tanner folks will actually tell you the HD leather is often closer to 15 oz. I'd guess the Iron Heart is around a 13 oz leather.
Both very nice belts. I'll keep and enjoy them both.
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Hello, I got a natural tan belt recently. I heard they get denim stains very quickly and is better to use a leather conditioner to avoid this. On the other hand I also heard is better to use the belt for a while and develop some patina before you apply conditioner for the first time. But if I do that I guess I will get some stains, so what´s the truth about all this and the best way to go?
cheers
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If you wear the belt with jeans, then it's going to get indigo stains, that's just a fact of life. As for whether using conditioner will slow that down or not, I can't say. Likewise, patina will develop over time; all you have to do is wear it. If you want it to darken it up quickly, leave it out in the sun for a while. Leather will tan just like people do. Personally, I think the best thing to do is just wear the belt and don't worry about what's going to happen. It will age to match your life, that's what makes it yours.
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so, here is my current rotation:
somehow I developed the spleen having a belt from the same brand to go with the jeans (if available in a satisfying quality/design).
Studio D'Artisan - probably my favorite belts at the moment…
Pherrow's - the best leather (IMO), so far…
Fjällräven - actually not a denim brand, but it has aged fairly well…
Iron Heart - very nice indeed, I have ordered another one in tan - the leather is very "elastic"…
Pike Place Market / Seattle - a nice souvenir - like the buckle - a cheap alternative to the above…
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I only wear 2" belts.
wow that limits your choices quite substantially.
Trying to get a sense of the heft of the IH belt since I'm in middle America and can't hold one in my hands without buying one…
I have a Tanner heavy duty 13 oz. belt (http://ow.ly/3uflT) which I like, and I'm shopping for a black belt. I purchased a black Tanner belt in 11 oz. (they don't offer a 13 oz. in black) but it seemed plainly thin compared to the heavy duty.
Can anyone provide opinions on the IH belt compared to either Tanner's 11 or 13 oz. offerings… Of course either belt could stand up to anything I could put it through, but when you can go heavy duty, well why not?
I'll answer my own question here. I acquired an IHB-02 in brown. It's a little thinner than the Tanner heavy duty I own, and the Tanner is much stiffer and has virtually no stretch to it; the IHB-02, on the other hand, certainly has a little stretch to it. The Tanner leather feels a bit denser than the Iron Heart.
The Tanner heavy duty is advertised as a 13 oz, with their regular belts offered as 11 oz, but the Tanner folks will actually tell you the HD leather is often closer to 15 oz. I'd guess the Iron Heart is around a 13 oz leather.
Both very nice belts. I'll keep and enjoy them both.
thanks that helps alot.
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So even though he didn't have to Giles got me a new brown IHB-02 leather, and the new one is very different than the one I had. Stiff with zero stretch, perfect, and just a hair thinner than my Tanner heavy belt. A great belt, it now lives on my SR's.
do you know the reason behind the difference? change of leather stock or a one off?
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The leather on my belt was soft and the edges were fraying and bleeding color terribly. I took it to a repair shop that tried to burnish and wax the edges but it didn't help.
I contacted Giles and was going to send it to him to check out and see what he thought, but he just straight up replaced it for me. He really was under no obligation to me. The replacement leather he sent me was very different, stiff, smooth shaved edges, no problems.
The impression I got was that the belt I had was too soft for such a thick belt, as if it were treated (oiled?) a bit too much but I don't know. I still have it, it's just sitting in a drawer…
Giles stood behind a product I didn't even buy from him. He's earned my business for life. I'm gradually trying to repay him by buying way too much Iron Heart from him...
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Brand Belts vs. Custom belts
Hello guys,
I have a couple of belts from Unlucky, now looking at photos of samurai, Ih and strike gold belts, japanese brands in general, they seem more refined in the edges. I dont know if this may be a photo effect, any experience comparing brand belts vs. custom like unlucky, hollows etc? do brand belts maybe have a factory machine that cut them cleaner?
cheers!
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Brand Belts vs. Custom belts
Hello guys,
I have a couple of belts from Unlucky, now looking at photos of samurai, Ih and strike gold belts, japanese brands in general, they seem more refined in the edges. I dont know if this may be a photo effect, any experience comparing brand belts vs. custom like unlucky, hollows etc? do brand belts maybe have a factory machine that cut them cleaner?
cheers!
Do you mean that they bevel the edge?
