Men's stylish Epic buckle and black, full-grain belt by Trakline
Ever since their inception, sometime during the dark ages, leather belts really haven't changed much. But then again what men's apparel item has. Take the belt for example, a piece of leather, a few holes and a metal buckle to secure it all. The problem – most belts fit poorly at best, with the holes out of line with your waist size. Not to mention the creases and stretching. Is there anyone who actually likes the all this? Not that I am aware of.
Thanks to popular shows like Shark Tank, Beyond the Tank and hip new websites like Kickstarter – that's all about to change. Well, to be accurate, it changed several decades ago it's just that few people outside of Asia seemed to notice, until American media got ahold of it. So what's the big deal? Pay attention men. NO MORE BELT HOLES. That's right, they've been deleted, replaced, banished from the kingdom forever – never to return. This "new" hole-less, or, no-holes age of belt that uses a smart, hidden track, sewn into the backside of the leather. So instead of 5 measly, one-inch spaced holes – you get 30-40 (depending on the brand) size adjustment positions, in small ¼" increments. Wow that's a mouthful. It's hard to contemplate - until you see it in action (see links below). But basically – it's awesome!The belt snugs or conforms to your exact waist size every time you put it on.So whether you just ate a large holiday meal or maybe you put in extra time at the gym that week – the fit is always perfect. Wrap your head around that for a minute. We men have been suffering quietly all these centuries and now we're free. Thank you again to Shark Tank, Beyond the Tank and Kickstarter for sharing the news. (SEO plug)
To make the magic work – you need a buckle. Most are sold as buckle and leather belt sets. And these aren't just any men's buckles, but rather a ratchet, or automatic buckles, as they are called. Most use a magnetic or spring system to engage the track. The magnetic design is the more popular in Asia, but I found it gimmicky, bulky and an unreliable – and they can stick when releasing. The spring systems are less bulky, smoother and don't seem to stick. My preference. Each buckle has a quick release to instantly pop the belt off when needed.
Most of these belts come in a one-size fits most waists and you trim off the excess leather yourself. Sounds tricky, but it's actually quite easy to do.
There are a handful of these ratchet belt companies on the market, although as I found out – they are not all equal. Not even close.
I tested three of the most popular brands and decided it best to rate them accordingly (5 being the best).
5 Stars:Trakline Belts Hands down the best of the bunch. Buckle designs are classic, stylish, with a selection of unique faces, in either solid stainless steel or alloy. Leather is "top-of-the-line", full-grain. Track is 10" with 40+ size positions (larger than others). Back of the buckle is sleek and grownup looking with a simple spring-loaded caliper. Negative, more expensive, but in my opinion worth it. My trakline belt is a year old and looks/works perfectly.
http://www.KoreEssentials.com
4 Stars:SlideBeltThis brand is the oldest of the three and overall a pretty nice belt. Founder is a cousin of Mission belt founder – who we confirmed, stole the concept from them. Ouch. Uses a unique pull lever buckle release (nice) and they have great packaging. Leather quality is fair with a 7" track (30 size positions). Various canvass belts and survival belt. On the negative – their buckle faces are limited to one solid style with various colors/patterns etc. Good look for teens. http://www.SlideBelt.com
3 Stars:Mission BeltThe most famous brand with debut on Shark Tank in 2013. Daymond invested, so I ordered a black buckle and belt. It's the cheapest of the pack – and really – you get what you don't pay for. Leather quality is below average, with 7" track. Buckle is flimsy and bulky. Mine broke after about 10 months. On the plus side, fits better than regular belt.
http://missionbelt.com
Lastly another SEO shout out to Shark Tank, Beyond the Tank and Kickstarter for playing along and taking a piece of the pie.
Here's a photo of all 3 belts brands - front and back - for comparison.
Reprinted with permission by Stephen Coda - Men's Style Writer, Reviewer & Fancy Dresser
--------------------------------- Additional Info ----------------------------------------------
Beyond the Tank
An American reality TV show which is a follow up to the ABC show Shark Tank.Beyond the Tank will feature a look back at past Shark Tank pitches and deals to examine the highs and lows that can come from an appearance in the tank. The series will revisit entrepreneurs whose businesses were groundbreaking in terms of their technology, business model or branding who have taken their business to new heights with the help of the Sharks, entrepreneurs and their Shark investors who gambled on their businesses and lost, businesses that multiple sharks fought hard against each other to secure and even those entrepreneurs who did not get deals from the Sharks, but continued on in pursuit of their dream.
About Shark TankShark Tank is produced by Mark Burnett and appears on ABC. The show features a panel of potential investors, called "sharks", who consider offers from aspiring entrepreneurs seeking investments for their business or product. The sharks do receive money for their participation, but they invest their own money. The entrepreneur can make a deal on the show if a panel member is interested. However, if all of the panel members opt out, the entrepreneur leaves empty-handed. The show is said to portray "the drama of pitch meetings and the interaction between the entrepreneurs and tycoons".A one-hour pitch by a contestant is edited down to "a dramatic 10-minute segment" The show is said to personalize "the desperation and pain experienced by victims of a broken down economy".
The "sharks" often find weaknesses and faults in an entrepreneur's concept, product, or business model. Some of the investors try to soften the impact of rejection, like panel member Corcoran, while others such as O'Leary can be "brutal" and show "no patience even for tales of hardship". Many deals made on the show are never enacted due to the investor's vetting process following the deal, which includes product testing and the examination of the contestants' personal and business financials.
The show initially required each contestant to sign an agreement with the producer of Shark Tank, promising the option of taking a "2 percent royalty" or "5% equity stake" in the contestant's business venture. However, in October 2013, this requirement was repealed by the network, retroactively, due to pressure from panel member Mark Cuban. Cuban felt the requirement would lower the quality of the entrepreneurs, as savvy investors would be wary of trading away a portion of their company just for appearing on the show. A number of participants have declined to appear on the show for this reason.
HistoryShark Tank premiered in August 2009 and aired 14 episodes through January 2010. In August, it was renewed for a second season. Season 2 premiered with a "sneak peek" episode on Sunday, March 20, 2011, before resuming its regular Friday night time slot on March 25, 2011. Season 2 had 9 episodes, 5 of them featuring new panel members. Comedian Jeff Foxworthy and Mark Cuban replaced panel member Kevin Harrington for 3 episodes. Kevin O'Leary, Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John and Robert Herjavec appeared in all 14 episodes. In season 2, Kevin O'Leary, Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, and Robert Herjavec appeared in all 9 episodes; Mark Cuban appeared in 3, Kevin Harrington in 4, and Jeff Foxworthy in 2.
Shark Tank's third season premiered in January 2012. During the second season, Kevin Harrington was replaced by Mark Cuban, while in the third season, the "queen of QVC" Lori Greiner replaced Barbara Corcoran on 4 episodes. Kevin O'Leary, Daymond John, Robert Herjavec, and Mark Cuban appeared in all 15 episodes of season three. In February, ABC ordered two additional episodes for season 3 using un-aired footage, which brought the season's episode total to 15. On May 10, 2012, Shark Tank was renewed for a fourth season consisting of 26 episodes. This is the first time the series received a full season order. Filming began on June 30, 2012. According to TV Guide, as of December 2012, the show's panel members had invested $12.4 million in the business opportunities presented to them during that season and those whose business ideas did not result in an investment from the sharks still benefited from the publicity generated by that contestant appearing on the Shark Tank show. During the show's 2012 season, 36,076 people applied to become contestants.
In 2013, ABC renewed the show for a fifth season. On July 16, ABC announced that season 5 would premiere on September 20 at 9pm EST. In October 2013, ABC ordered an additional two episodes for the season. In December 2013, ABC ordered another four episodes, bringing the season order to 29 episodes. Steve Tisch and John Paul DeJoria were added as panel members. In 2013, CNBC licensed exclusive off-network cable rights for the series from ABC.In May 2014, ABC announced a sixth season starting in September 2014. The series began its syndication run on CNBC on December 30, 2013.
On October 22, 2014, ABC announced a companion series called Beyond the Tank that will follow a company after a deal was made and detail what happened afterwards.
Trakline In 2011 my wife bought me an expensive, department store belt for my birthday.She thoughtfully wanted to upgrade my wardrobe and give me something nice. Unfortunately for me, the belt holes didn't line up with my waist size that day. We've all been there. In frustration I did what a lot of guys have done, I attempted to punch out few new holes myself. But in the process - I ruined the belt.Needless to say my wife was not happy.
I learned two valuable lessons that day. First, never puncture any gift from your wife. It's not likely to turn out well. Second, belt holes don't work all that well. I guess I knew that already, but had never given it much thought until that day. As a seasoned entrepreneur my gut said there had to be a better mouse trap.
Armed with my experience and passion for product design, I set out to create a better men's belt that not only functioned better, but was constructed of superior materials, and of course, was built to last. Why? Because to me, that's what a belt should be – smart, stylish and strong.
Coincidentally, an associate of mine had just returned from an extended Asian trip, when I recounted my belt story. He quickly lifted his shirt to reveal his new "track" belt he had just purchased overseas. Instead of belt holes, there was a hidden track to provide the sizing positions. It seemed so smart, so obviously better. I immediately fell in love with the concept and saw a huge value to man of all sorts. The only problem was the buckle. It was an overly clunky, metal heavy, unreliable, unattractive design.It even got stuck under a little pressure. The core of the problem was that it used a large magnet to function. It's the same exact buckle several of our competitors sell today, having merely stamped their logo on it. Their more belt importers, than designers. And it's not patentable because it's not unique. This wasn't good enough for us. We wanted to create a sleek, stylish, reliable buckle that we would want to purchase and wear.
After a year and a half of designing, prototyping and testing we were ready to debut our new Trakline Belts for men.It consisted of a sleek, spring-loaded, patented buckle that we designed in-house and created the molds for ourselves.
In May of 2013, we launched on KICKSTARTER, giving backers a choice of 4 different classic buckle designs. We were fortunate enough to surpass our crowdfunding goal, selling over $300,000 worth, to over 4,000 "backers" in just 30 days.Our belt and company, Kore Essentials, was ready to launch. Thanks to those of you who supported us.
Shop men's belts at http://www.KoreEssentials.comorhttp://www.Trakline.com
http://koreessentials.com/blog/
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