Frequently Asked Questions

When will I receive my order?

Customized, made-to-order belts are made in the order that they are received, and typically ship within 12-18 days from the time we receive the order (this estimate is subject to change depending on the season and demand).

QUICK SHIP belts ship the same business day OR the next business day (depending on when your order is received) via Priority Mail, UNLESS they are ordered with one or more made-to-order belts in the same order.  *** IMPORTANT ***  If your order contains both QUICK SHIP belts and made-to-order belts, we will hold the Quick Ship belts until your made-to-order belts are ready and ship them all together.  If you want to order both Quick Ship AND made-to-order belts, but you want the Quick Ship belt as soon as possible, please place a separate order for the Quick Ship belt.

How do I determine what length to order?

Please refer to our Gunbelt Sizing Guide

Where are your belts made?

All of our belts are proudly manufactured in our leather shop right here in the USA (Clanton, Alabama to be more precise).

Are your buckles removable?

Yes, the buckles are attached with "Chicago Screws". That's the good news. The bad news is that screws sometimes tend to come loose! You should check the screws from time to time to make sure they are tight, or secure them with LOCTITE (blue formulation) or clear nail polish on the threads. We CANNOT do that here for obvious reasons.

How are the belts shipped?

We use TWO- to THREE-DAY PRIORITY U.S. MAIL.

How thick are the belts?

Each layer of the bull hide is almost 1/8" thick so the finished dual-layer CCW belt will be ALMOST 1/4" thick.

What's the difference between BULL hide and COW hide?

Bull hide, as the term implies, is the male of the species, whereas cow is the female. The bulls grow up with testosterone in their blood which causes the hide to be firmer, denser, and therefore stiffer. It just makes a better belt.

Are the belts as wide as the stated width?

Darn near!  The leather needs to be SLIGHTLY less wide than the inside of the buckle used on the belt, so we make our CCW belts approximately 1/16th of an inch narrower than specified so that the leather will properly fit through the buckle.

I'm a big guy, what if I lose a lot of weight?

Don't go punching a lot of new holes in the belt! Send the belt back to us and we'll shorten it from the buckle end. The charge for this service is $20 IN CASH per belt, which covers our labor to shorten the belt AND return shipping back to you. Any dual-layer NON-TAPERED bull hide or horse hide belt can be shortened TWO inches, FOUR inches, or six inches or more. They cannot be shortened one inch, three inches, five inches, OR fractions of an inch. (Shortening service only applies to the standard dual-layer non-tapered bull hide and horse hide belts. The "no-buckle" belts, taper belts, and exotic hide belts cannot be shortened.)

Should I get the internal stiffener?

Although a stiffener is not strictly NECESSARY in most cases, it is highly recommended if you carry a heavy firearm or have a high-ride top-heavy holster. The stiffener provides a greater degree of vertical stability but still allows the belt to take on a natural curve that any leather belt will do after it has been worn for a while. And the stiffener keeps the belt stiffer for a longer period of time, making it a good investment if you plan to wear the belt for many years (as most of our customers do).  Horse hide is even stiffer than bullhide, so a stiffener is even less necessary in most cases, but is still preferred by many customers who like an extra-stiff belt.

When do you bill my card?

Credit cards are charged when the order is entered into our website, or when an order is taken by phone.

How should I care for my new belt?

Do NOT wad it up into a tight ball when not in use. This unnecessarily stretches the outer layer of the belt and compresses the inner layer. If you do this often, your CCW belt will soon lose its natural stiffness.

When putting your belt on, do NOT bend the tip of the belt back on itself 180 degrees and use it as leverage to crank the belt tight. In other words, DON'T crank it over at the buckle as if you were securing a load of cargo on a truck! If you want your belt to last a long time, don't bend the belt more than 90 degrees when you are putting it on.  A much better way to buckle your belt is to keep the tip of the belt as straight as possible and pull it straight ACROSS your body while using your other hand behind the tip to push the buckle IN towards your stomach. And sucking in a bit never hurts. :-) 

Do NOT use leather softeners such as Neats Foot Oil or Mink Oil on these belts unless you want them limp as a noodle! That stuff is great for your baseball glove or your hiking boots, but not for CCW gun belts or holsters!

Our leather is high quality and will last for many years if treated with care.  If your belt gets hard to use or starts to look tired, we highly recommend Obenauf's Heavy Duty Leather Preservative.

If you manage to scar your belt down to the natural beige leather, then the appropriate color of shoe polish will help a lot. If you buff it with sufficient elbow grease, so the polish no longer comes off on an old t-shirt or shop rag, then it won't come off on your furniture or car seats either.

Do you have a warranty or a return policy?

All Beltman products are warranted to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for ONE YEAR of purchase. This DOES NOT cover abuse on your part.

Why do you use two layers of leather instead of one thick layer?

Using two layers solve two problems.

A. No matter what kind of leather it is, a single layer belt will stretch! Leather is composed of collagen fibers (just like your skin) that have a grain-like quality. It's not quite like the grain in wood, but it is similar. When you put two layers of leather together, with the grains opposing one another, you get a "plywood" effect that virtually eliminates stretching.

B. Using two layers allows us to leave the inner layer undyed, or "natural." This prevents leather dye from "bleeding" on your clothes if you get wet or perspire heavily. If you lead an active life or are outdoors a lot, don't tell me this hasn't happened to you.

Can I use a different buckle on a Beltman belt?

Our buckles are held on with "Chicago screws" so you can remove the buckle and install your own custom buckle.  However, these belts are thicker than normal, so just any buckle won't work, and we aren't intimately familiar with every buckle design on the planet, so we can't guarantee that your buckle will fit our belt.  And keep in mind, that if you install a buckle that is longer OR shorter than the buckle we provide, you are effectively changing the length of the belt! Call us at 1-205-415-5000 if you have any more questions about using a different buckle on your Beltman belt.

What is the "Velcro® brand strip" option?

Beltman offers a loop Velcro® brand liner on the inside of the entire usable length of the belt. This is for use with Concealed Carry IWB holsters that utilize a V-clip mounting system. It cannot be added to a finished belt. It is sewed to the inside layer during its construction. It does not add much "thickness" to the belt, and it prevents the holster from shifting on the belt.

Can I change my order?

Yes, you can change order if it hasn't shipped yet.  Please send us an email, or call us at 205-415-5000 to give us your order changes (and payment information if the change involves an upgrade).