I recently tested two Klik Belts. One of them is single-ply, and the other one is double-ply. They are both excellent belts that are durable, comfortable, attractive, and do a good job of keeping my pants up. If you need a new belt, it may be worth your while to take a look at what Klik Belts has to offer.
Belts as Gear
Ever since ancient times, a belt has been one of the basic items of clothing and of gear. The armor of God listed in Ephesians 6:10-18 included the belt of truth. For the Roman soldier, the belt would hold various items of clothing and equipment in the proper place so that the soldier would not trip over a loose garment during battle, or drop an essential piece of equipment.
As we consider the constellation Orion, the Hunter, we see that the Hunter is properly equipped with a belt, and that the belt holds a sword.
The belt remained an essential piece of military equipment throughout the years. I remember a scene from one of Patrick O’Brian’s Jack Aubrey novels describing the handling of French prisoners captured in battle. Their belts were taken away and the waistband of their pants were slit, so that they needed to use one hand to hold up their pants while they were marched away into captivity. Removing the advantages of a belt from prisoners greatly reduced the risk of resistance or escape.
Canvas Belts
For many years I guess I had something in common with the fictional Mr. Miagi from The Karate Kid. I shared a preference for canvas belts. I started wearing canvas belts when I was in junior high school, found them to be very comfortable, and wore them ever since.
One drawback of canvas belts is that they tend to wear out more quickly than some other types of belts. The canvas belt that I was wearing the most recently began to fray significantly after only three years of regular use. I decided to begin looking for something more durable.
Klik Belts
One day I ran across an ad for Klik Belts online. They looked attractive and durable, so I contacted the company to see if I could have a sample for testing and evaluation. The company representative who I spoke with was very helpful in evaluating exactly which belt would best serve my needs, and after discussion offered to send me two belts. I gratefully accepted his offer. One would be a 1.5-inch wide, single-ply OD green belt with a black, TSA-approved buckle. The second would be a 1.5-inch wide, double-ply coyote brown belt, also with a black, TSA-approved buckle. All Klik Belts are custom-made in Texas. When my order was received, it was sent to a seamstress. When the seamstress was finished sewing the belts, they were packaged up and shipped. The whole process took just a few days. A week later the package arrived in my mailbox.
First Impressions
Upon opening the package, I found two zippper-style plastic bags, each containing a belt. The clear and simple directions for each belt were printed directly on the bags. I strongly approved of the packaging because it was effective without diverting resources unnecessarily from the product itself.
The Klik Belt buckle is not designed to go through belt loops. Instead, the tail of the belt is threaded through the belt loops, and then fed into the buckle.
I decided to test the single-ply belt first. I was pleased to find that the color was, in fact, OD green as advertised. This was in stark contrast to an “OD Green” belt that I ordered online a couple of years ago. When that belt was actually delivered, I found it to be more of a neon green. I was pleased to see that Klik Belts are not chromatically challenged.
The belt proved easy to put on, and was very comfortable. I found that it held up my pants better than the canvas belt I had been previously using. The ability to hold one’s pants up is, of course, a highly desirable quality in a belt.
The next day, I decided to try the double-ply belt. I found the coyote brown color to be attractive, and the double-ply construction to be even more comfortable and to hold up my pants even better than the single-ply construction. The double-ply belt immediately became my favorite belt. I have been wearing it every day ever since.
Since the buckles of this particular model are made out of polymer, they are able to go through a TSA screening without the need to be removed. In spite of being composed of polymer, the TSA-approved buckle is remarkably durable.
When I first put the belt on, my wife said that it looked “nice”. Since I trust her fashion sense much more than my own, it is significant that the belt has the “Kari Christianson seal of approval.”
The Limits of My Experience
I believe the double-ply belt would be quite adequately stiff to serve well as a belt for either concealed or open carry. Since I do not generally carry, either concealed or open, my opinion on this matter does not carry as much weight as that of someone who does regularly carry. If you regularly carry and have done so with a double-ply Klik Belt, I invite your comments to the regular weekly “Snippets” column sharing your impressions.
The reason I do not generally carry is because I am the pastor of a church. I admit that being a pastor is not by itself an adequate reason not to carry. In Luke 22:36, Jesus commanded His Apostles that if they did not have a sword that they should sell their cloak in order to buy one. He clearly wanted them to be able to defend themselves from highwaymen by using lethal force if necessary as they went forth in obedience to His command to bear the good news of Jesus Christ to all nations. If the Apostles as fully authorized representatives of Jesus Christ could be armed, there is no reason that I, as a simple pastor, should not be armed as well. But Western Civilization has a long-standing expectation that ministers of the Gospel will go unarmed. This cultural expectation continues to be manifested in many ways. For example, chaplains in U.S. Military service do not bear arms to this day. Out of respect for this cultural expectation, I have chosen to surrender my right to go armed, so that like the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:19-22, though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant of all men that I might by all means save some.
I fully respect other ministers of the Gospel who have a different conviction on this matter. Indeed, my own decision on this matter is influenced by the relative safety of the area in which I serve. When I first came on staff at my church twenty years ago, we would unlock the church building in the morning, and leave it unlocked all day, whether or not the building was occupied. It was unthinkable that anyone would steal from or vandalize a building dedicated to God’s service. Our insurance company had a less optimistic view of our neighbors than our church family did, and we eventually submitted to the insurance company’s guidelines regarding locking up the building when it is unoccupied. But I am probably still more likely to be struck by lightning in our community than I am to find myself suddenly and unexpectedly in need of a firearm.
On the other hand, I do not expect current conditions to necessarily last forever. So I am at least interested in whether or not a belt I own would be suitable to use in conjunction with carrying a firearm, whether openly or concealed. So I would very much welcome feedback on carry using the double-ply Klik Belt in the Snippets Column.
Klik Belt Options
Klik Belts come in a dizzying array of options.
One options is color. Klik Belts are available in black, gray, OD green, coyote brown, wolf gray, navy blue, forest green, hunter orange, brown, marine gray, desert sand, and black multicam.
They are available in either 1.5 or 1.75 inch widths. They are available as single, double, or triple ply. They are available with metal or polymer buckles of various types. The buckles come in matte black, polished aluminum, brown, and gunmetal. The belts are available in various lengths. They are available in nylon or leather.
Conclusions
The Klik Belts I have been testing have provided outstanding comfort, durability, attractive appearance, and effectiveness. The double-ply belt in particular seems especially durable and comfortable. If you are in need of a belt, I recommend Klik Belts as genuinely viable options.
Disclaimer
Klik Belts was kind enough to provide me with two samples for testing and evaluation. I did not receive any other financial or other inducements to mention any vendor, product, or service in this article.