I was a bit nervous about the plastic buckle but it holds up well after the first month. Cutting the strap to length is easy - just make sure you have sharp scissors to make a reasonably clean cut and the flame will clean the edge well without damaging the thicker fabric. I've never done this before, but it was very easy. I have another nylon belt that is good for hiking, but it's thinner, narrower and doesn't look as good - I really like the color (black) and size of this belt, which goes better with my typical business attire.