Fantastic belt, especially at this price! The flip-top buckle is an improvement on traditional military-style buckles. The buckle's teeth dig into the fabric as it engages and holds the strap taut until you undo it, eliminating the gradual loosening that occurs with traditional buckles. I originally bought this with the intention of attaching my old buckle to the canvas and tossing the included one in a drawer as a backup, but after trying it out for a few days I decided to use the new buckle instead. Cropping was as easy as you would expect. I lit the cut end with a lighter (enough to protect it from wear) and tightened the buckle. Holds tight with no problems. My only advice is to cut it LONG first and then cut it again if needed after you've worn it a few times. Well worth taking the extra time to cut it in half rather than making the mistake of making it too short and therefore useless except as a gift for your 10 year old nephew or someone similar! The pictures are very accurate in color. I received the charcoal and it looks exactly like the picture - a little more bluish than regular charcoal but I love it. So bottom line good design and good quality at a great price! I'm happy enough to buy a second one in brown which is a real sign of product satisfaction!