Gear Review: Bull Belt by Hank's Belts

One of the most overlooked items in a professional’s or even an LTC/CCW holder’s “EDC” set up is often a quality belt. Thousands of dollars are spent on the best holsters, guns, and gear of all kinds, but for some reason, one of the most important pieces of gear is often forgotten. Someone who has tried to carry with a Walmart “leather” belt or a cheap belt of another type, knows that a full size gun will tend to pull your pants down. With this in mind, we have begun to test and review dedicated gun belts from quality manufacturers.

The first belt we are taking a look at is the “Bull Belt” from Hank’s Belts. This belt is Amish made and on initial inspection, it is a beast. It is wide, heavy, and feels virtually indestructible.

The first thing we look at with a dedicated gun belt is can it pass the “crush test”. By this we mean, take your thumb and forefinger, grasp the top and bottom edge of your belt at the end, and attempt to crush your belt. A normal belt will crush easily. The Bull Belt passed this test with ease. This rigidity helps to support the weight of your firearm, extra mags, etc around the belt instead of allowing the gun to pull down in one spot which pulls your pants down.

Pictured left to right "Hank's Bull Belt" and "Hank's Steel Core Belt (not released yet)"

The second thing we look at is comfortability. The first time I put this belt on I was carrying a full size M&P with a TLR1HL (weapon mounted light) in an In Waist Band (IWB) holster from The Armed Advantage (review on this holster coming soon). It felt like I wasn’t even carrying a gun. It held my weapon in place with no shifting and it held it there all day long. During the first day I had to drive 10+ hours with minimal stopping, and the belt held up great. I didn’t find myself shifting my gun or the belt to get more comfortable at all.

Pictured "Hank's Bull Belt", IWB hybrid holster by The Armed Advantage, and an M&P9 w/TLR1HL

After testing the belt out with an IWB holster, I tried it with my Safariland 6360 Outside Waistband (OWB) holster. It worked flawlessly with OWB carry as well! There is no shifting, no pulling the belt to one side, and the belt worked great even when adding more weight to it such as extra magazines, cuffs, and less lethal weapons.

The Bull Belt with a Safariland 6360

After wearing the belt in everyday life and working with it on plain clothes assignments, I was impressed with it. This past week I had the chance to run it through the Second Amendment Foundation Training Division’s Defensive Handgun Instructor Course. Again, during the 40 hour course it held up great. Through an entire day of shooting both standing and kneeling, I never felt the weight of the gun and the belt preformed as promised.

The last thing, although in my opinion it is minor, to look at is cost. While we all know the saying “buy once, cry once” and that spending money on quality gear is worth it, that really doesn’t apply in this case. The Bull Belt retails for $54.99. Considering many of the top manufacturers sell their belts for $100+ this is a steal for a belt of this quality.

The absolute only negative about this belt is that it is a little hard to fit through belt loops on dress pants. Hank’s does make thinner belts for formal use though, so this isn’t really a deal breaker.

So, what do we think about the Bull Belt? It’s a great addition to any concealed or open carriers wardrobe and it is excellent for professional use in plain clothes and you would be well served with this quality product. 

If you're interested in more details on the construction of the belt or what makes Hank's different we asked them a few questions. 

How is the Bull Belt constructed?

Hank's: The Bull Belt is made from a solid 1 piece Full Grain leather. This belt is rated at 16-17oz leather. The stitching is decorative and this is a single ply belt. Many manufactures avoid single ply belts because they are actually harder to produce than double layer. You have to really grade the hides well and keep ahead to make sure you have enough for production. They are made right here in the USA by Amish craftsman. 

What kind of leather is the Bull Belt made of? 

Hank's: This is made from US Steer Hide. The Bull Belt uses a hide that undergoes a special process that results in a firmer denser hide that is thicker and really holds up. They are vegetable tanned which is much more environmentally friendly than chromium tanned leather. Difference is Vegetable tanned takes about 6 weeks to produce where Chromium tanned uses chemicals to speed it up and takes about 1 day.

Is the Bull belt constructed with a double layer?

Hank's: This is a single ply belt. We do make double layer belts also and both have their benefits. As I stated above most manufactures prefer to work in double layer because it is easier to produce them and the leather is more readily available in the lighter weights. Much easier to find 8oz leather, level it (leveling is running it through a machine much like a planer that makes it a consistent weight) and sew the pieces together and you get a 16oz belt. Nothing wrong with these but the solid full grain leather in our Bull Belt is harder to find!

What do you do differently from other manufacturers?

Hank's:
Probably a few things:

Always USA Made.

No compromises on quaility for price.

Always looking for unique leathers and hardware

Most important though is our customer service. You can just Google it or read down through our Facebook page. No worries of ever having a belt that doesn't fit you correctly or you do not like!

Visit our Facebook for information on how you can win a Bull Belt of your own!