I have had another model of Bison belt with a non-metal buckle for many years and it is starting to show its age. Bought as a spare/replacement. Very happy with the build quality. Absolutely no discounts or compromises over my 20 year old bison belt. I love the look and feel of the carbon fiber buckle, it's an evolution of my original Bison buckle. Hope for many years of service from this one.