I bought this belt for a trip abroad. I was planning on carrying a decent amount of cash on the trip and wanted a "safer" option than putting it in my pocket or wallet. The belt looks like a regular black nylon belt and I was surprised that the buckle is metal instead of plastic. The zipper area is not very wide but quite long, about 1/2 the total length of the belt. This method has allowed me to stack my larger bills in stacks of 3, first in half and then in increments of 3, and stacked quite a bit of cash the full length of the zippered area with this method. I noticed a small scratch on the buckle at the end of the trip, but I've worn it everywhere, including swimming in the sea. I would definitely buy this again. Great belt!