About the Author: Adam Terry is a thirtysomething salesman in the heating and manufacturing industry. He enjoys bourbon, boots, sneakers, denim, and working on his dad bod father figure.
Huckberry is no stranger to these parts, but we don’t often see reviews of their house brand Flint and Tinder, which was acquired by Huckberry back in early 2016. Flint and Tinder was founded way back in 2012 and was/is focused on bringing rugged, well-made apparel manufacturing back to the States. (Although to be fair, not all of their goods are made in the USA. Many are not). They were highly successful in the early days of Kickstarter, specifically with their entry level denim and their now infamous 10-Year Hoodie. Today, the brand offers a ton of stylish clothes including waxed trucker jackets, casual 5-pocket pants, denim Western shirts, and much, much more. Today we’re checking out their latest line of belts, named the 365 Belt 2.0, to see if the juice is worth the squeeze. How’s it stack up?
Available in dark brown, chestnut, tan, or black.
Yep, it’s a belt. But is that all there is to it?
My “365 Belt 2.0” in dark brown was ordered from Huckberry on a Saturday afternoon and it shipped out on the following Monday via UPS SurePost. Note that standard shipping is free for orders over $98, but you’ll be paying extra for shipping for all orders under that threshold. My shipping charge was $4.99. The belt arrived on Wednesday afternoon of that week, stuffed inside my mailbox next to some local advertising flyers that I’ll never read and coupons for fancy gutters that I’ll never use. I was excited to see the belt. Not the other stuff. Anyway, we should be satisfied with two to three day shipping times as standard in today’s economy.
FYI: Huckberry offers free 60-day returns for most items, barring final sale stuff, and your original shipping fees are not included. As usual, items must be in brand new, unworn condition. For belts, make sure you’re trying them on gently as to not crease or scratch them.
Score: 5/5 Stars – Easy ordering, quick shipping, and better than average return policy.
A padded mailer and unassuming box kept this belt protected in transit.
This belt arrived in a small, unbranded square box that was shipped inside a padded mailer. The padded envelope and stiff cardboard box provided the right amount of protection during shipping. The belt arrived in great shape, coiled inside the box, ready to be worn. There were no other notable items inside, save for a Huckberry postcard that doubles as an advert.
Score: 5/5 Stars – Simple, no fuss packaging. Nothing to complain about here.
Fresh out of the box, I’m already a huge fan of how thick and hearty this belt’s leather is. The full-grain bridle leather is sourced from Wickett & Craig, one of just a small handful of American tanneries still in operation after more than one hundred years. Bridle leather is unique in that it is high quality cowhide that has been finished on both the flesh and grain sides at the tannery. The hides are drum dyed for an even, deep color and then both sides are hot stuffed with waxes and oils for a smooth, flexible, and durable finish. Bridle leather is traditionally used for horse bridles, saddlery, and high-end leather goods, so it must be strong and durable enough to endure lots of hard use. Bridle leather also tends to age well, earning a warm patina and a wonderful depth of color in time. Wickett & Craig is known for their high quality bridle leather.
Bridle leather is finished both on the flesh and grain side.
This 8-10 oz band of vegetable tanned leather is cut well from the hide with no noticeable loose grain or other “character” marks like big bites or hot brand scars. There is one section on the flesh side (inside) of the belt that could have been shaved down better at the tannery, but that’s a minor gripe and no one will ever see it. The tip of the belt is cut into a lovely rounded V and the edges of the belt are rounded and burnished smooth to the touch, likely with beeswax.
Edges are nice and softly rounded on this hearty slab of leather.
The single tang buckle is made from brass and it feels solid and durable. I like the subtle antiqued finish and matte shine here instead of the highly polished buckles used elsewhere. The keeper loop is stapled closed, instead of being hand stitched, which is a minor gripe but certainly not a deal breaker at this price point. The domed brass rivets are well-executed and permanently attach the buckle to the belt. While I personally prefer “Chicago screws” instead of rivets so that I can change out the buckle for something different should I feel the need, that’s a personal preference and has no real bearing on the design or build quality of this belt.
A single tang brass buckle in an antique finish that forgoes the shine clean/new brass can bring.
Most people will just see this as a simple brown belt, not worth anything at all. That na¯ve opinion is misleading; if we look closer, we can see that this belt is something special and it’s more than meets the eye. The materials, the details, and the simple, yet elevated aesthetic help cement this belt into the smart casual arena. It’s extremely versatile and could be worn with anything from a slub cotton tee and khaki chino shorts, all the way up to a smart casual outfit with a sport coat, Oxford cloth button-down shirt, neatly tailored denim, and leather loafers. Let’s also not forget that this belt is crafted and assembled in the great state of Massachusetts.
Score: 5/5 Stars – Love the overall design and batch of materials. Well made!
In terms of fit and sizing, I recommend sizing UP two sizes from your normal belt size. I tried this belt in my normal belt size of 36 and found that it runs smaller than average, fitting like a 34 instead of a 36. The most common rule for belt sizing is taking your men’s pant waist size and adding two inches. IE: If you typically wear a size 34 pant, you would order a size 36 belt. Alternatively, you could measure your favorite belt’s length from the most frequently used hole to the end of the belt where it meets the buckle. However, it looks as if Huckberry’s F&T design team designed the belt to fit two whole pant sizes larger than your normal waist size. IE: If you typically wear a size 34 pant, you should order a size 38 belt from Flint & Tinder. Strange!
This belt is on the shorter end, so consider sizing up two sizes from your pant waist.
(i.e. if you wear a 34 waist, get a 38. Not a 36.)
For size reference, I am a size 36 in most belts from Allen Edmonds, Trafalgar, J.Crew, etc.
Comfort is always subjective, but a well-selected ribbon of high quality, full-grain leather will almost always break in wonderfully over time. Like all leather goods, you can expect a leather belt to stretch a bit and curve as the leather bends and molds around your body’s curves. I find a well-made belt to be very comfortable, especially wider belts like this one which can help to hold up heavyweight jeans or chinos better than cheap and thin belts from fast fashion stores.
Score: 4/5 Stars – Sizing is a bit weird, but overall it looks and feels great once worn.
Straight to the point here, this belt is absolutely worth its current price. I know that $85 for a belt seems like a lot of money, but thinking frugally here, this belt fits properly within “buy once, cry once” territory. It has everything you’d want in a great belt – gorgeous Wickett & Craig full-grain bridle leather, durable brass hardware, and a versatile design that works well with everything from simple shorts and tees to smart casual styles with a blazer and chinos. I highly recommend that you buy this one great belt instead of two or more cheaper, less durable belts.
Avg. Score: 4.75/5 – HIGHLY recommended. Fantastic belt, great value in my opinion.
Cheers to Flint & Tinder on making a fine belt, worthy of investment.
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