The Silentist

Review: The Knottery double-ring “Smith” brown suede belt – For a long time I’ve been searching for a moderately priced chocolate suede belt to wear with a pair of loafers and brogues in that color and could never find one that fit my budget. There are options available, but going north of the $100 pricepoint (or even approaching it) didn’t sit right with me for a belt I’d only wear some of the time, versus a belt in walnut tan leather, which matches most of my shoes.

Then The Knottery announced their (then) forthcoming line of belts and I was excited to see a chocolate brown suede one. So, the first day they became available, I bought one and have had the chance to wear it a few times now.

In short, it gets my thumbs up and approval. Their sizing recommendation to go 2" more than your waist size is dead on and the color matches quite well to my shoes.

My one point of caution is that when you initially receive it, the belt’s suede will rub off a bit and could potentially get on lighter-colored clothing (i.e.: white denim, light-colored chinos), so you may want to stick to using it with dark denim for the first few times. I had several pairs of shoes that did the same thing to me, so it’s not what I’d consider a huge concern.

Overall, it’s a great belt that looks nifty when worn casually. I’ve never actually owned a double-ring belt before, but I do really enjoy the ability to size to my waist exactly versus traditional belts that force you to be a more exacting size because of their punched holes.

A nice touch is The Knottery’s embossed logo on the inside of the belt, which was a detail I wasn’t expecting. The brass hardware feels substantial to me as well. The rings don’t seem cheap.

I’ve put in a suggestion for a sand suede number in the future and am crossing my fingers. For $55, this is a good buy. Get ‘em while you can, as The Knottery’s stock isn’t infinite.