Review of the Volund Gearworks Atlas G-Hook Belt

And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

-- Matthew 7:26

It may seem odd to start a product review by reference to a scripture, but it is actually relevant here. Of course, in the above passage, the Lord was discussing the need for a solid foundation upon which to base one's faith. Similarly, a good shooting system must also rest upon a good foundation. When it comes to handguns, you generally read of that foundation being the holster. But beyond that, is the belt supporting the holster and firearm.

A bad belt will lack the stiffness and strength to support the gun and holster. In doing so, it will stretch and twist or fold during the day, allowing the holster to sag or lean slightly outward. If you are carrying concealed, the result may be that a firearm effectively concealed first thing in the morning is printing rather badly by the end of the day. This sag also increases the strain on the spine, which can lead to greater muscle fatigue, lower back pain and, for those with preexisting lower back issues, increased susceptibility to attacks of sciatic pain. All of this is exaggerated with narrow belts, as commonly used for business attire. Conversely, a good belt for carrying a firearm, whether concealed or in the open, will be stiff, not stretch, and wide enough to provide a good foundation to support the handgun and holster.

Volund Gearworks Atlas G-Hook Belt

Some 7 or 8 months ago, I ordered the Atlas G-hook belt offered by Volund Gearworks. Volund offers different methods for securing the belt (to "buckle" the belt, although none of the systems is a true buckle). (I think some of this has been added since I ordered by belt). However, the system I was looking at was their G-hook system.

The G-Hook

Loops for hooking the G-hook

Hook through Loop

System cinched down

The belt itself appears to be constructed of a base of two layers of thick, heavy cordura (or similar material) stitched together (although I suspect that there may a third layer of another material to add further stiffness) to form the backing. On front of this is another, more narrow material (the trim), which holds the G-hook, is stitched to form the loops for the hook, and holds the velcro to secure the loose end.

To fasten the belt after you have slid it through your belt loops, the end with all the small hoops for the G-hook (on your right hand side), goes through a loop at the other end (i.e., at your left-hand side), and the belt pulled tight. Taking the "tail" with the G-hook (on your left hand), pull the belt to the right until you reach the desired tightness and hook the G-hook into one of the hoops, and then pull the tail back to your left to tighten. Finally, secure the loos end of the tail along the velcro so it is not flapping loose.

To undo the belt, you pull the tail loose from the velcro, hook a finger under the G-hook and pull up to get some slack in the tail, then unhook the G-hook. Then slide the thicker portions (the base) of the belt apart.

The result is a very strong, secure system for your belt. Just don't wear this belt if you think you may need to use the restroom frequently, as it is a bit slow to undo!

One of the great things about Volund are the number of options available. The belt is offered in 6 sizes--from small to 3X. The steel G-hook is available in three colors: coyote, black, and foliage. There are also numerous colors available for the base and trim, with some 44 combinations. As you can see, I went for a conservative black G-hook, black base, and foliage trim.

The belt also comes in two widths: 1-1/2 inch and 1-3/4 inch. The latter is the maximum width of most belt loops on jeans and work pants. It may be too wide for some casual dress pants, and definitely too wide for anything more formal (although this is the wrong belt for that type of dress). I ordered the 1-3/4 inch because most carry gear (holster loops, etc.) are designed for that width, but I've also found that some clothing manufacturers like to cut it close on the size of the loops, so it can be difficult to feed the belt through at times.

However, the real issue is performance. I have had this belt for, as I said, 7 or 8 months now. Obviously I can't wear this daily because I work in an office, but I have used it on weekends and in the evening when possible, so I believe I have given it a pretty good workout. In short, it has been an excellent belt. First, it is comfortable. The only issues I've had is when sitting for long periods of time, and that is probably more an issue of having the widest belt and my "spare tire" around my waist. Second, as I noted above, it is a strong system: I've never had it loosen up, even when carrying heavier weapons such as a service revolver. Third, and perhaps most significant, is that it is very stiff and resistant to stretching. It has only been in the last couple of weeks that I have noticed even a very slight stretch or deformation of the belt reflecting my body contours--so slight that I doubt anyone would notice except me because I've been watching carefully for evidence of any deformation. This is compared to a standard thick leather belt that I have to switch around fairly frequently to stretch back into shape so it hangs straight.

In short, this is an excellent belt, and the fact that it is only $50 (at the time of this writing) is just frosting on the cake.