What is it with belts?

I bought a new holster and belt for a pistol I own. The holster was perfect and met every expectation. The belt was worthless. It was supposed to be a size thirty-two waist. In reality, it measured about a twenty-four waist. Otherwise, it was made well.

Yesterday, I went to “Tractor Supply Company” because they typically have high-quality goods at very reasonable prices. I bought a belt to replace the one that came with the holster. I bought a “thirty-two waist” and I could not even buckle the thing, it was that small. So, I return to TSC and exchanged it for another belt, “thirty-four waist”, and it fits– barely, but it will do.

The one common thing with these belts is that they came from Mexico. While they don’t have a factory name on them, just the brands (Hunter on the former and Schmidt on the latter), I have to wonder if they were made in the same factory, AND, do they have any quality control at all?

A good friend of mine tells me that you should always buy belts with sizes larger than your waist-size. So why, then, don’t they put waist sizes on belts that actually reflect their true size rather than play this idiotic game with people? Is this just some twisted mind-game, or do they just want to make people feel fat? Well, I have a thirty-one-inch waist and in a boot-cut pair of Levi’s a thirty-six-inch in-seam. Sorry, ain’t fat, ain’t gonna be (pardon the grammar).

I have never been much of a complainer, but, I am practical and like to find solutions to things of this sort. Since I can count on one hand the number of times I have worn a belt since 1976 (without a holster or belt knife of some sort), I don’t buy many of them and I certainly didn’t anticipate running into this issue, but now I know.

Manufacturers of belts are either as dumb as a brick or don’t know how to accurately measure their wares. I’m happy knowing that they are not building bridges. Perhaps they can call in a consultant. Exit laughing…