Continuous Improvement -- New Screws!
In keeping with continuous improvement to the process and the product, Vanguard Belts will be transitioning away from the old silver colored Chicago screws that have been used to assemble the buckle end of the belts up to this point, and changing over to these new, better quality black Chicago screws of the kind that are often used to assemble kydex gun holsters.
This screw hardware is of much better quality and can be procured from a reliable domestic supplier more consistently than the cheaper silver hardware that was inconsistently available from Amazon. These cost a little more, but I'd always been unimpressed with the quality of the original screws and posts, and I'm pleased to pay a little extra for this better hardware.
The new black screws can be cinched down much tighter due to the small serrations on the inside of the post flange that bite into the belt material when tightened and keep the post from spinning. This should maintain solid fastening with little chance of the screws ever backing out.
I've always been concerned that the original silver screws might eventually work themselves loose and back themselves out over time, possibly getting lost unbeknownst to the wearer until later. I've only had one customer ever lose a screw, which was replaced, but I've been wanting to make this improvement.
The original screws are challenging to tighten sufficiently because they lack those serrations on the posts. They can only tighten to a certain point and then they just start spinning around in place. I've been hesitant to utilize a thread locker because I wanted the user to have the ability to easily remove the screws to swap out the buckle if they ever wished to do so.
These new screws provide a very good strong fastening grip, do not spin in place, and consequently allow the maker to really crank them down tight without the need for thread locker to keep them there.
If you own a Vanguard Belt and have the original silver screws, you are welcome to request a free upgrade to these newer screws if you wish. Just contact me or visit me at one of the northwest Indiana gun shows, and I'll happily swap them out free of charge.
This is my continued commitment to my customers to ensure their satisfaction and provide them a quality belt made with quality components.
Stay tuned here for a potentially exciting announcement in the coming weeks regarding a possible addition to the product lineup!