Fenom Hemp Belt Review

I know what you're saying, why is a guy reviewing Fenom Kimono products?  I am lucky enough to know the owner and she offered me one of her hemp belts to try out.

A little background on the owner of Fenom.  I met her back in 2009 when I was just a baby blue belt and I believe she was a high ranked blue at the time.  She helped organize and run a local women's tournament that was a lot of fun.  My fiancee at the time (now wife) competed in the event and we had a great time.  Not long after my fiancee, myself, and a group of girls including the owner of Fenom took a road trip down to Austin, TX for the 2nd annual Girls in Gi's event which was a blast.  Since that time I've been a big supporter of women's involvement in the sport and supporting the Fenom brand has always been a no-brainer.  Fenom offers high quality products designed by women, for women, at a very reasonable cost.  Simply compare the price points of Fenom kimonos to any big brand and it's an incredible value.  Fenom is also one of the first brands to allow mix & match between jacket and pants that some other big brands have copied.

This is the same belt that Fenom offers with the familiar logo tag but mine simply had the tag removed so yes these belts are for guys too!

I have owned my fair share of belts since I started training in 2008:  Gameness, Atama, Shoyoroll, Inverted Panda, and now Fenom.  My preference in a belt is generally one that isn't overly thick.  I find the thicker belts can be difficult to keep tied and I also prefer a belt that is about 110" in length (I have a 30" waist).  This is primarily due to the manner that I tie my belt and usually find that anything shorter than 110" simply isn't long enough.  

First impressions out of the bag is the belt is not overly thick but very firm.  I immediately gave it a trip through the washer and let it hang dry to allow it to break in a bit.  Brand new belts can be very rigid and need a little work to get them more pliable.  After talking to the owner she did confirm the belt is manufactured in China so no fake hemp fiasco here.  

Comparison among other brands

The belt itself is simple by design and has the typical worn look after only a few washes and training sessions.  I love the look of a worn belt and it doesn't take long to achieve that look with a hemp belt. The belt looks great and the length is perfect, and stays tied very well.  The Fenom hemp belt has become my favorite belt for every day training and teaching.  If you are in the market for a new belt or back up belt I would give these a good look.  The price point is in line with any other major brand and is definitely of high quality.

Links:

http://www.fenomkimonos.com/index.html

http://www.fenomkimonos.com/products_belts.html

http://poweredbyshe.com/