of my new kilt belt.

One of the gripes I have about a lot of the modern "kilt gear" is that it stands the adage "it's clothing, not a costume" on its head. Sporrans that don't hold gear well with easy access, you guys know what I'm talking about.

I have got me the kilt belt to end all kilt belts.

I promise that tomorrow I will make an effort to acquaint myself with the procedures for posting pictures, and then post a picture of the belt, but for now all I can do is describe it.

First off, it was made for me by a holster maker in Alaska named Rob Leahy. Rob is an Army vet, a sincere Christian, a gun nut and a good guy. (Even with the Army part, yeah, a good guy!) He has recently relocated to Alaska and does leatherwork one piece at a time. I know the rules here, and I am not talking about veterans, Christians, or gun nuts, but about a good guy and a skilled leathersmith.

His company is called Simply Rugged, and that's what his gear is. Here's his website. http://www.simplyrugged.com/

Let me tell you about the belt. It's oxblood in color, and three inches wide, with a tooled border. The dye job is smooth and even and deep and natural looking. The buckle is a flattened brass disk. It says, "Darn right I'm a kilt belt buckle." The retaining strap for the buckle is secured with two heavy duty snaps. Rob's company logo---Simply Rugged: Maker----is stamped on the inside of the belt near the buckle.

I have bought two commercial "kilt belts" in the past, and I have used both a 3" black nylon web belt fitted with a kilt buckle, and a 2 1/2" leather workbelt from Lowe's (or maybe Home Depot), dyed and stained, as kilt belts. They have all, after a fashion, worked. My improvised belts, I'll add, have served somewhat better than the two commercial iterations.

This one blows them all away. It leaves them in the dust. This kilt belt, me laddies, is A KILT BELT. It is simple, and it is rugged, and it is classy, and it looks great when worn with a kilt, and it was handmade to my specifications. I like it just bunches. Whether with a SWK or a USAK or (gasp!) my new SportKilt leatherneck tartan, it looks good, it feels good, darn it, it IS good.

The leather is stiff. Remember, Rob makes belts to carry holsters full of guns, and that calls for a stiff belt. This belt provides good support even without being cinched down. Despite its stiffness, it's easy to get the tongue through the buckle.

It's handmade, and that means something. I like SWKs just fine, but there's no comparing the feeling of stepping into a hand tailored, custom spec USAK or PK (or, of course, tank or FK or etc. etc. etc.). A fine kilt calls for fine accessories. (Like a Freelander sporran.) I can vouch for this one.

Rob Leahy is affiliated with Clan McLaren, and unsurprisingly he calls this belt the McLaren belt, and it's not a part of his regular lineup. He made one for me, though, and I'll bet he'd make one for you.

It's a really nice belt.