Standards & Ethics

Ethics

Since 2008, all products offered by Held Gear are made to last, sourced in the USA, and never derived from animals.

American sourcing means stronger labor and environmental controls, the inertia of our dollars going faster and further into communities by supporting an economy of small businesses.

Vegan means that no animal-derived product, such as leather, was used toward the production of Held Gear products.

All products are assembled by hand, packaged with recycled materials, and shipped from Tucson, Arizona.

Sourcing

Components are sourced through American distributors with an emphasis on components manufactured in the USA. Distributors must declare the origin of their catalogue items. Product listings include a breakdown of national sourcing under “Components.” See example below.

This design comes from a belt made on an American strap, with a Taiwanese buckle and snap set, and an Italian belt keeper. All three nations rank among the highest in human rights, economic, labor, and environmental standards. Currently, Taiwan is the worldwide leader in high quality metal products and this includes fashion.

Ready-made apparel items are exclusively sourced from manufacturers who manufacture in The United States.

Berry Compliant materials are sourced when possible.

Some products may be made with recycled and refurbished materials, and those will be noted in the product description.

Assembly Standards

All Held Gear products are assembled by hand with passive mechanical tools. Irregularities are to be expected, given this small-scale build process.

Products are inspected during the build process for misalignments greater than 1/16 of an inch. For example, belt notches should fall exactly in the middle of the strap (+/- 1/16″), and should be one inch apart within this acceptable margin of error.

The same standards are held for the installation of spikes, grommets, buckle grooves, and so on.

Ready-made apparel such as tee shirts are inspected for quality to the best of our ability at any time prior to being sold as augmented Held products.

Irregular products may be purchased at a discount at our DePop Store, partial refunds may be provided if a purchased product failed to hold the standards above.

Product Durability and Warranty

Held Gear belts, and any strap product, provides a three-year guarantee, assuming the most stressful conditions such as a tool belt. They are made with industry proven materials and have been demonstrated to last more than ten years of daily use. Furthermore, Held Vegan Belts that are worn infrequently have proven to maintain their integrity for as long as this brand has existed.

In the case of ready-made apparel products, these are selected based upon reputation for durability, however no specific guarantee can be made by Held Gear beyond that which is provided for by the original manufacturer.

A simple guarantee is provided for as part of the Return Policy.