A well-built item sold for a fair price.
The company has a range of styles and colors of belt/buckle combinations to choose from (They actually sell a bunch of men’s and women’s accessories and gifts, but I’m only reviewing the belt I bought). For the money, it seemed like a reasonable purchase, but I was unsure about the ratchet mechanism for the belt. This item arrived quickly after I ordered it and I had no issues at all with the shipping or delivery. The packaging of this item promised high quality. The company could easily have just wrapped the belt up in a rubber band or a cheap twisty tie, thrown the buckle in a plastic bag then dumped the whole thing in a nondescript box filled with packing peanuts and sent it on its way. Instead, the packaging was, well, kind of elegant. The cardboard box was decorated inside and out with a tasteful nautical theme. The belt, buckle, and even the bonus key chain were all secured in hard, smooth styrofoam organizer fittings inside the box that kept them secure in transit but also gave a presentation that was simple but also made me feel like I had been given a to-go box from the haberdashery in the Kingsman movie. I’m kind of old-fashioned and I like a company that goes the extra mile for things like this. To me, it speaks to the company’s commitment to excellence, not just for the product, but for every aspect of the consumer experience. So, from ordering to opening, high marks all around. Delving inside the box I was impressed with the quality of the items. The buckle was made from sturdy metal and the pattern on the face of it demonstrated quality craftsmanship. The belt itself was real leather too with subdued but hearty stitching around the edges and also anchoring the belt’s half of the LiNXX™ ratcheting mechanism. Both looked just as good as the pictures online. The buckle and belt need to be assembled before being worn, so it could be adjusted to the waist size of the wearer. The company tries to make this process as painless as possible by putting size reference markers on the inside of the belt, clearly showing where someone should cut (The belt I bought had markers from 30 inches up to 44 inches). I had to get a heavy duty set of cutting shears for this job because, as I said, this material is tough. That being said, I appreciated that the belt did not flake or crumble during the cutting process, which would indicate a poor material. Some other belts I’ve purchased in the past that also said they were made with “genuine leather” were poorly made leather/plastic hybrids that just cracked and peel from normal use after as little as a few weeks. This material stood up to being cut directly into it and either side of the cut looked just as out of the box perfect as before I cut it. All that being said, it made the next step a little tricky. Once the belt had been cut to the appropriate length, it had to be inserted into the buckle and attached via a spiked pedal that had to be pressed firmly to push the spikes into the leather of the belt. The pedal has to become flush with the rear side of the buckle in order for the spikes to completely penetrate the leather, for the belt to be worn comfortably, and so the belt will be completely secured to the buckle. Like most men, I fall squarely between the extremes of “manly man” and “wimp”, and pushing the pedal’s spikes through the leather belt is hard to do, especially without scratching up the front part of the buckle. I found it helpful to wear some workman’s gloves to add some extra purchasing leverage for my hands. Once I got the spikes fully seated, I was convinced the belt wouldn’t fall apart while holding up my pants. The LiNXX™ mechanism for the buckle that ratchets the desired tightness of the belt onto the wearer seems to work as promised. Inside the belt, there is a plastic strip sewn into the leather that’s approximately 6 inches long and 1/3 of an inch wide. The strip has a series of wedges on it that friction lock against a clip on the buckle which creates the ratcheting mechanism that enables the belt to not need holes in it. Upon first trying it, I was a little apprehensive. I have a concealed weapon permit and sometimes I carry a firearm with me. I was concerned that LiNXX™ wouldn’t be robust enough to support the weight of a firearm, but it locks in very securely and I have no issues carrying the extra weight on my hip. My only concern so far is that the buckler can be a little sensitive to unlocking. So far, I have had two occasions where I was adjusting the waistband of my pants and the mechanism unlocked, loosening my waistband for a moment. It locked into place on the next notch and my pants were never at risk of falling down, it was just surprising. This has only happened when I was adjusting my waistband near the buckle, and never when just casually moving around or bumping into things. So, it seems that as long as I only put my hand on the buckle when I intend to loosen my pants, there isn’t an issue. This isn’t necessarily a knock against the belt, it just makes me concerned about long term wear on this mechanism. I’ve got an old school belt, the kind with holes notched into it, that I’ve had for almost 20 years now and it still works great. The only reason why I needed to replace it was that the buckle has become (out)dated, or so it has been explained to me. I just wonder if the mechanism on the Mio Marino belt will endure as well as my former belt. After I’ve worn the belt for a while, I’ll provide an updated review in regard to its endurance. The belt also came with a leather key chain set that appears to be made with the same high-quality materials and workmanship as the belt and buckle. It’s essentially a 2-inch leather strap with 3 small snap clip hooks on one end for keys and a larger snap clip hook on the other to attach to a belt loop. While I didn’t need this item, it was a nice bonus and I can include reviews of this item later if anything noteworthy is observed. I can’t speak directly to the company’s customer service yet. They reached out to me by email to see if I had any questions, problems, suggestions, or concerns with my purchase and encouraged me to write a review for the product. It seemed like a form letter but it’s still encouraging to see a business actively seeking feedback. Overall, the product seems to be a well-built item sold for a fair price by a company that takes itself and its prospective customers seriously. Before, I was skeptical but curious. But since I had such a positive buying experience, now I think I’ll be going back for another belt in a different color. Read more
