59Belts Review

[TheMackDaddy]

Hello WRX'ers, I wanted to share my thoughts on the company 59 belts! Hope you enjoy!

 

Looking nice on the golf course attracts attention from other players and augments a player’s confidence. Belts, a great way to enhance an outfit, have become much more popular in recent years. 59 Belts, founded in 2006 by Trevor Derrheim, proves to be one of the most popular options on the market. I stumbled across the company approximately two years ago, but neglected to purchase any products. Flash forward to last month when I followed 59 on Instagram (59Guy). Trevor, who also handles the company’s social media accounts, posted a video of a kid skipping a ball across a pool, into a cup. The caption, “Send us your trick shots”, brought me great pleasure. As many of you know, I enjoy making trick shots for Vine as well as Instagram, and at this point I was fairly new to Instagram. I emailed Trevor the most difficult trick shot that I had completed. Because I figured the video would generate some Instagram followers for me, I was thrilled. The response from Trevor surprised me; he asked for my address and told me he would send me a hat-just for sending in a video. Upon receiving the hat, I realized that this company is a unique one. Rather than just a simple hat with a logo, it is very detailed with the logo on the front and “#OnTheGrind” on the back; furthermore, the underside of the bill is detailed with dozens of positive words and phrases. Staying positive during a round proves critical to scoring well; therefore, I would venture to say this hat can actually help golfers score better! Immediately after my excitement simmered down, I knew this was a company that intrigued me, and I wanted to write a review on it. Despite being a small company, 59Belts provides consumers with unique, quality, custom products at affordable prices while having the BEST customer service I have ever encountered. Enough of me blabbering, let’s get to the review!

 

Belt/Buckle Information

 

Before receiving the belt I questioned whether the buckle would be obnoxiously large, and/or extremely heavy. The answer is no to both questions. 59Belts mills buckles using two main metals: The “Players Series Aluminum”, and the “Grinder Series Stainless”. I got the Players Series, which is the size of my drivers permit (Still don’t have my license, don’t judge!) and weighs a surprisingly light 80 grams, less than the weight of 16 nickels. The “Grinder Series Stainless” weigh a bit more, about 140 grams. I may acquire one of these in the future, only then will I be able to comment on the weight of those.

 

The belt strap is high quality 100% cowhide. (Made in Canada so it has to be good!) There are 20 different standard colors, ranging from $40-$50, which is an outstanding value; furthermore, 59Belts offers exotic skin straps, starting at $125. I have yet to see the exotic straps in person; however, they look fantastic on the website.

 

Another unique characteristic that these belts offer is the system that links the belt to the buckle. Unlike traditional belts, 59 belts have holes punched on both sides of the strap, allowing the pegs on the buckle to poke through and securely stay in place. In addition to this, a small flexible metal piece is provided (it looks a lot like the expander my orthodontist crammed in my mouth four years ago) that further secures the belt, preventing it from coming undone. It is a clever, simple way to attach the belt to the strap. The belts arrive cut to a perfect length (more on this later), so there is no more excess belt showing, creating a polished look.

 

Unfortunately, these buckles only work with the belts 59 makes, but it is not a huge inconvenience since the majority of 59’s straps are so inexpensive. In a recent Instagram post, Trevor hinted that 59 will be unveiling a buckle that work with straps from other manufacturers, and that is something for which I can hardly wait.

 

Appearance:

 

The belts can be customized to pretty much every single level of boldness. Many will like their buckles to capture the attention of others, but some will prefer to have the buckles be understated. Fortunately, 59Belts offers a vast array of buckles, which means there is a buckle to fit the taste of every player. I decided on the I.J.P. Phantom, because it looked clean, and when not in use I planned to house it in my trophy case since it reflects an exorbitant amount of light. In person it is very shiny, and the mill marks that appear to possess a wavy texture on the website are smooth to the touch in person, something that amused me. Overall, the buckle is the perfect size, and a style is offered to fit any player’s desires.

 

The belt straps are elegant as well. I opted for the standard green, my favorite color. The leather is medium softness in my opinion. It has only been a couple weeks, but it does not appear to show any signs of wear. Obviously, only time will tell if this remains true, but no complaints so far. Branded into the belt is a shiny silver 59 logo, which is classy and not overdone. Something that I noticed is that this company enjoys applying its logo in a variety of places, which makes me feel like a tour player. Overall, I felt very classy wearing this belt.

 

Fitting:

 

The night before I finalized my order, Trevor asked me to put a string around my waist and report the measurement. Somehow, it came out to 35 inches, but the waist on all my pants is 32 inches, and I made the mistake of telling Trevor I required a 32.5 inch belt strap. It came out to be a tight fight, obviously my fault. I implore others to provide Trevor with whatever the string measures, even slightly more if you are unsure! You must provide the correct measurement for the belt to function best, since the excess belt has no comfortable place to go.

 

Value:

 

The beauty of 59 is that it offers a substantial amount of differing price points. The cheapest belt runs under $100, and additional straps run as low as $40! The accessories that 59 carries, such as towels, hats, shirts, and more, are all priced well. (Side note: the t-shirts are awesome). Additionally, consumers have the option to customize belts, and the possibilities are truly endless. The custom buckles are more expensive, but still a fair price point considering the buckles last forever and the design is up to the consumer.

 

Customer Service:

 

59 distinguishes itself from its competitors in this category. In fact, I have dealt with numerous golf companies, and 59 has the absolute best customer service hands down. Anytime a company interacts positively with its consumers, it makes the customer feel special. This is why so many members on this site adore Callaway, because Callaway has a representative high up on the food chain that interacts with members. Similarly, Trevor, the founder of the company, puts in a tremendous amount of work to satisfy those who purchase items. I have received two packages from Trevor, and both of them included HAND-WRITTEN notes thanking me for my purchase. The notes impressed me as much as the belt. Needless to say, this was a first. With my purchase, I feel like I have been admitted into a family of 59 belt owners… the “59 Crew” as Trevor refers to it.

 

Comments/Criticism from Others

 

This belt generated a tremendous amount of comments from not only golfers at the course, but away from the course as well. I expected this. In fact, I selected one of the flashiest setups to capture the attention of others without having to ask. At the course, I conducted a show and tell with a dozen or so buddies and the belt received a large amount of praise. The buckle usually earned more compliments than the strap. One of the complaints was that the logo looks like a 69. I agree with this, and I do feel a tad awkward walking around high school sporting a belt that reads 69 to others. It isn’t bad enough to the point where I do not enjoy wearing it, and I think that there will be many guys that enjoy the idea of having a 69 on their belts. Not me though, but it is not enough of a turn off to keep me from wearing it.

 

The website puts this point to rest reading:

 

“The 59 Logo, is in no way meant to look like ’69’ or be offensive in any way shape or form. It does though embody what our company stands for; the balance of Mind, body and life, which are integral to shooting the most revered number in golf.”

 

I also wore this belt to an art show that included my Mom and my Grandmother. The people at this show were weird... err unique I mean. My Grandma showed the belt to a couple of her friends and they LOVED it. They exclaimed that it was a work of art.

 

Overall:

 

59Belts offers so much. I am surprised that it does not yet have a large WRX following, as a large majority of its products fit the wants of many on this site. Even while being overly critical, it is difficult to find flaws with the company. I suppose some may not fit into the younger target audience, and others may be turned off by the fact 59’s belts have to be paired with the company’s buckles (for now anyways). The pricing is extremely fair, the quality is impeccable, and the customer service is second to none. The buckles and straps vary in terms of boldness. It comes as no surprise that so many tour players already sport these belts on the course, while being paid absolutely nothing to wear them!

Hope you guys enjoyed reading as much as I did writing. Writing reviews for this site combines two of my favorite passions: golf items and writing and it allows me to practice grammatically sound writing.

Thanks again for reading!

[kevch25]

Nice write up.

One question, with the string measuring 35'' but reporting 32.5'', do you think a 35'' belt is what you needed?

[T.Wedge]

Ahhh yes i see what you mean about the 59 and 69 thing. I got stick for my druh belt at school, cos the 'db' logo does look a bit like a p****....

 

Do you see what i mean - belts are still lovely though!

[TheMackDaddy]

[quote name='kevch25' timestamp='1384191380' post='8131900']
Nice write up.

One question, with the string measuring 35'' but reporting 32.5'', do you think a 35'' belt is what you needed?
[/quote]
Yes, absolutely! I just couldn't bring myself to give a measurement 3 inches longer than my waist size.

[400yards+]

I'm sorry with the db buckle... What are you talking about? P**** ?? what kind of p**** are they looking at that resembles that buckle ?

[400yards+]

Never mind I saw it

[Cherry Ghost]

Yeah, that logo needs to be reworked, IMO. Good looking, otherwise.

[bk4]

[quote name='TheMackDaddy' timestamp='1384200088' post='8132650']
[quote name='kevch25' timestamp='1384191380' post='8131900']
Nice write up.

One question, with the string measuring 35'' but reporting 32.5'', do you think a 35'' belt is what you needed?
[/quote]
Yes, absolutely! I just couldn't bring myself to give a measurement 3 inches longer than my waist size.
[/quote]

The number on your pants is typically 2" smaller than the size of your waist. So, if you wear a 32 waist, typically you have a 34" waist. Most places tell you to order your belt 2 sizes bigger than your pants.

[awil]

Love the green . I'm going to have one made with a sailfish on it for Christmas I hope ! Just have to get logo approval

[MyShortGameSucks]

I had them make me the English St George .Flag cross buckle sans the "Stupples" text on it. I love it and get lots of compliments.

[pga43]

Nice write- up. Trevor has done 5 buckles but I wear the one he did of my GolfWRX.com avatar out on Tour all the time. I have 5 different straps but wear the black strap almost everyday, had it for over two years and it still looks new.

Great job!


Greg

[TheMackDaddy]

[quote name='pga43' timestamp='1384221620' post='8134644']
Nice write- up. Trevor has done 5 buckles but I wear the one he did of my GolfWRX.com avatar out on Tour all the time. I have 5 different straps but wear the black strap almost everyday, had it for over two years and it still looks new.

Great job!


Greg
[/quote]
Thanks Greg! Out of curiosity, how many of these belts do you see on tour? It seems to me there are TONS of high ranking amateurs wearing these belts.

[MorikawaTMAG]

They are great belts, and trevor does a great job! There are many custom options, as macdaddy said running as low as $50 (Buckle only) to $300. These are high quality buckles and have outdone my adidas trophy belts!

[pga43]

[quote name='TheMackDaddy' timestamp='1384222973' post='8134798']
[quote name='pga43' timestamp='1384221620' post='8134644']
Nice write- up. Trevor has done 5 buckles but I wear the one he did of my GolfWRX.com avatar out on Tour all the time. I have 5 different straps but wear the black strap almost everyday, had it for over two years and it still looks new.

Great job!


Greg
[/quote]
Thanks Greg! Out of curiosity, how many of these belts do you see on tour? It seems to me there are TONS of high ranking amateurs wearing these belts.
[/quote]

There's about 5 - 6 guys who wear them on a regular basis. There are a lot of others who used to wear the belts & buckles but now they have an apparel deal that requires they wear their sponsors buckle.

Greg

[T.Wedge]

[quote name='400yards+' timestamp='1384204526' post='8133012']
Never mind I saw it
[/quote]
do you see it now?

[TheMackDaddy]

Re-reading the review when I realized neglected to post the best picture of them all. The fact that each time you purchase from 59, you get a hand-written note amazes me. Sure it is a few words, but when was the last time Titleist or Taylormade or even a company the size of 59 sent you a hand-written letter?

[Pure745]

Nice review! I have always thought it is funny how the "59" looks like a "69"..

[Geo]

Nice review. Hat looks, bling--love the fit and feel of Pukka hats. And the fact that the belts are made in Canada is cool too--I learned on Boston Legal that Canada is more rigorous in their testing of cows, so you'll have less chance of catching Mad Cow disease from these straps, I'm sure.

I've heard nothing but good things about 59Belts so far, and will probably try one in the future, once I can settle on a design. I've gotten a few straps and buckles from jcigars/Bettinardi, but variety is the spice of life.

Anyway, good read--just one question: can writing actually be grammatically sound if you don't make noise or move your lips when you read?

[ExoticsGuy13]

Trevor is a great guy to work with. For a limited time( Nov.20) you can check out his new website www.59belts.com and get 15% off ALL ORDERS and FREE SHIPPING for the month of November. Enter Promo code "59Life" at checkout. #LiveitLoveitEarnit

[Shadowman2189]

thanks for the review

[thatboygaule]

Great review Aubrey but you can't beat a JL slater IMO. I have 14 and they can't be beaten

[TheMackDaddy]

[quote name='thatboygaule' timestamp='1385056024' post='8184170']
Great review Aubrey but you can't beat a JL slater IMO. I have 14 and they can't be beaten
[/quote]
I agree the JL belts are awesome and one of my favorite logos. Comparing the two brands is apples to oranges because 59 excels in the custom buckle area and has a variety of price point.

[thatboygaule]

[quote name='TheMackDaddy' timestamp='1385057767' post='8184344']
[quote name='thatboygaule' timestamp='1385056024' post='8184170']
Great review Aubrey but you can't beat a JL slater IMO. I have 14 and they can't be beaten
[/quote]
I agree the JL belts are awesome and one of my favorite logos. Comparing the two brands is apples to oranges because 59 excels in the custom buckle area and has a variety of price point.
[/quote]

I suppose the customization factor is a great addition , because that's the one thing I would have to complain about JL for, is that you can't customize the strap , buckle or belt loop.