I've had bison belts for years and this one could be a good alternative. buckle problem. 1) The buckle appears to be stamped aluminum alloy and has sharp edges that could wear down the nylon. To avoid this problem, the bison buckles are ground and contoured. 2) The buckle is about 1/8 inch smaller than the width of the nylon webbing. This will also wear out the belt. Thomas Bates should try a little harder here.