Occidental Leather 5191 Tool Belt
Belt has an off-center buckle and a fixed hammer-holster and pockets
When I got the chance to try one of Occidental Leather’s 5191 belts, I felt like I was retiring an old baseball glove for a new, stiff, unfamiliar model. I’ve always used Occidental belts, so I was accustomed to the pocket layouts, but the one-piece buscadero style—which is similar to an old Western gunslinger’s belt—has an off-center buckle and a fixed hammer-holster and pockets, features that were new to me. Despite its thick top-grain leather, which is heavily stitched and reinforced with rivets, this 5.4-lb. belt was surprisingly comfortable from day one. The sheepskin lining takes a major strain off the hips, and the off-center buckle turned out to be a plus because it doesn’t interfere with the belt buckle on my pants. The one-piece design did mean some slight changes to a few of the 22 pockets and holder layouts—especially the tape holder and the rear hammer holster, both of which are slightly relocated—but I got used to them quickly. I could buy a new cordless drill or miter saw for the $290 price of this belt, so I’m sure some carpenters would think it a crazy extravagance. For me, it’s money well spent on a tool that I’ll still be using for another decade after that cordless drill or miter saw kicks the bucket.
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