Jones Tactical Cobra 1.5" EDB

Ive had my Jones Tactical Cobra 1.5" Every Day Belt for a couple of months now and I honestly don't believe that there's a better everyday belt system on the market.

The EDB is constructed from a single strip of 1.5" SCUBA webbing which has been folded at its midpoint and stitched to itself. An AustriAlpin black FC24B quick release buckle is used to attach one end to the other, so no worries about the buckle ever failing. The fold point of the SCUBA webbing is shown on the top in the picture below. The two ends of the webbing which, when stitched together, constitute the complete other end of the belt are melted into each other and pictured below the fold point. I need to have my girlfriend vacuum:

This SCUBA webbing will never rot, crack or wear out in any of the ways common to traditional, leather belts. It won't exactly be easy on your holster's attachment system either, so if you're using some fuddy Galco with leather snap loops, don't. Select from the myriad of pancake Kydex holsters on the market and benefit from the durability of polymer snap loops among many other features. I can't speak as to rubber snap loops' durability, haven't used em.

A single 1" wide strip of 17337 webbing is sewn around the SCUBA webbing and is used to facilitate adjustment and buckle attachment.

 Loop Velcro is sewn on top of this webbing on the belt's right side. It extends halfway around the belt, to the middle of the back. It is stitched straight through the SCUBA webbing on all of its sides. This Velcro is used to secure the tail of the adjustment strap coming out of the male Cobra buckle and is a nice feature that is not found on competing and similarly-designed belts such as Ares Gear's Ranger Belt. 3 inches of hook Velcro is provided on the inside of the tail of the adjustment strap for securing it to the belt and this is more than enough to keep it retained even under extreme stress.

When the belt showed up, I initially thought that the 17337 webbing was too flimsy and that it would fall apart on me after mild abrasion and loading. It's hung in there and proven itself a valuable asset. Despite its apparent delicacy, the 17337 can be fed through the male Cobra buckle very easily and thus it makes the belt extremely easy to adjust, another nice feature for adapting the belt's size for IWB or OWB carry, or the use of various IWB accessories, or simply leaving the gun in the car if you're going some place where carry is not legally permitted.

The SCUBA webbing is incredibly stiff. According to Jones Tactical's website, EDBs are now offered with some type of Tan 1.5" webbing, however it is not as stiff as the black SCUBA webbing. For those who carry IWB, I imagine that this won't matter. The stiff platform has been great when used with my OWB Blade-Tech holster. The weapon stays put and doesn't roll outward, flop around or rotate around the belt as much as with any other belt I have tried.

On the other end of the belt, the female Cobra buckle is secured with the same strip of 17337 which is then box stitched to itself. The box stitch is a little over 2" long and features double stitching on the buckle side. It is stitched straight through the SCUBA webbing on all of its sides and the double stitching does continue through the SCUBA webbing. I noticed one slightly loose thread on mine and a somewhat less than perfect "X" in the box stitch, but I honestly don't think it's anything to worry about. Just want to report accurately. The box stitch is clearly longer than the Ares Gear Ranger's, as well, which looks to be about 1" long.

I've been playing around with FC24B buckles in a couple different slings for a while but I didn't try to open a beer with one until I got this belt for some reason. Unfortunately, while a beer bottle's cap will fit well into the female buckle, you just dont have the leverage necessary to pry it off. Clearly, some redesigning on AustriAlpin's part is necessary.

When worn, the ends of the SCUBA webbing are not directly connected to each other, and so they often end up a bit diagonally opposed to each other, like so:

The above picture is a slight exaggeration. I do not believe that the lack of any direct connection between the ends of the SCUBA webbing matters and in fact it probably just makes the belt more comfortable, as it can bend and conform to the beer belly when seated.

If you plan on appendix carrying anything, you'll have to experiment with your particular holster's belt attachment system, (loops, J/C hooks, etc.), and see if they fit and work better when worn over the 17337 webbing or under it.

All in all a god damned awesome everyday belt. I probably wouldn't want it when on mission, I'd prefer some type of rigger's belt. But for all the other days... A great and, as far as I can tell, indestructible belt.

UPDATE (3/31/11): Subtle enough to not be noticed when worn with formal attire, especially considering as the buckle was concealed by my vest/tie most of the time. After extended periods, the belts stiffness can cause a bit of pain on my right hip when carrying IWB, but that may just be due to my body size/shape, holster choice, etc. And the pain wasn't exactly unbearable, just a slight annoyance, (as could be expected when tucking a handgun in your belt). Still no issues to report with respect to durability and quality of build. An excellent daily belt that's easy to transfer between different pants/shorts, unlike many other Cobra belts.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this or other equipment, feel free to ask away. I'll respond to the best of my ability. Cheers.