BJJ Belts Reviewed (Eosin Panther vs. Kataaro)

StoicDude

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This is the belt review, which will focus mainly on the Kataaro and Eosin Panther belts. The other belts are nothing special, but they will be used to contrast what sets apart Kataaro and Eosin from such belts.

As with any other gear, you make your own judgment if spending more than $50 on a belt is worth it. My goal is to provide information and point out the differences between the belts so that others can make somewhat of an informed decision.

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I can tell you, from experience, that any of these belts will do their job, which is holding your lapels in place for a period of time.

Size, color, thickness, width, rows of stitching, weight and craftsmanship (mainly for Kataaro and Eosin Panther) will be discussed and these attributes are done objectively.

The feel of the belt and the looks are subjective, so they might not carry as much weight.



Padilla & Sons

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Free belt with my gi.

Color: White

Size and length: 5 104.5”

Width: 3.9cm

Thickness:

Rows of stitching: 8

Weight: 176g



Fuji

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My Judo belt. Given to me by instructor

Color: Yellow

Size and length: 5 104.5

Width: 4.5cm

Thickness:

Rows of stitching: 9

Weight: 216g



Academy belt

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Blue belt (light). Given to me by my instructor. My dog got to it and tore it up, so those are the white spots you see.

Color: Blue

Size and length: A2 101.5”

Width: 3.8cm

Thickness:

Rows of stitching: 8

Weight: 285g
 
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Academy belt

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Blue belt (dark). Given to me by my instructor. I don’t know what bran it is. It didn’t have a sleeve on it, so my mom ended up sewing one on.

Color: Blue (dark)

Size and length: 5 107”

Width: 3.9cm

Thickness:

Rows of stitching: 8

Weight: 142g



Eosin Panther

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Purple belt.. This is the deluxe jiujitsu belt, soft version. Custom hand embroidery

Color: Purple

Size and length: A2, 110”

Width: 4.5cm

Thickness:

Rows of stitching: 13

Weight: 324g



Kataaro

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Bought it on Ebay. It is the Deluxe version.

Color: Brown

Size and length: A3 115”

Width: 4.5cm

Thickness:

Rows of stitching: 11

Weight: 382g





As said before, I won’t go into detail about the other belts, because there is nothing really special about them. You can see from the pictures provided that the craftsmanship is nothing special, so most of the review will be focused on Kataaro and Eosin Panther.



The Eosin Panther belt is a belt for the perfectionist. The stitching is as close to even as possible, the folds on the belt are done extremely evenly and everything just lines up. If you are a detail oriented person, this belt will certainly deliver.

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This belt is very close in construction and feel to the Mizuno Judo Black Belt that is selling for $50 on some sites. One of the guys at the gym has the Mizuno and another a Sfjam Noris, and both of them are very close to the Eosin, but the Eosin seems just a bit better. The folds are done more evenly on the Eosin and the ends of the threads on Eosin are more neatly done as well.

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The judo belts have been worn more than my Eosin, so that, of course, probably affected some of the things I talk about. I looked at areas that have been not affected much by wear and compared, so that is what I based my opinion on.



The Kataaro feels better to me than the Eosin. It feels a bit
 
Here is a close up of the hand embroidery from Eosin.
I designed the logo and sent it. It was done in Paint on my computer, but I think it same out very good.

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My only complaint, because I am OCD, is that I wish that the letters were just a bit better lined up with the logo and maybe about 1/4" lower. That is it.

I hope you guys enjoyed the read.
Any input or questions are welcome.
 
how is the stiffness of the belts? My judo brown belt (can't remember the brand) was soft and comfy but I've seen black belts that are super stiff. I think I'd prefer a med soft belt. However, it is, as you said, to keep the lapels closed lol
 
The Eosin would be perfect for you. It is a bit stiff right now, but it is brand new. After wearing it for a month or two, I 'm sure it will loosen up and the more you wear it, the softer it gets.

The Sfjam black belt that the Judo guy has is awesome now. he s had it for 7 years and it is super soft and ties really well.

he examined the Eosin and said that it is very close to what the sfjam is.
 
Meerkatsu's Kataaro seems to have better finish than yours from the photos I've seen, but that Eosin is close to flawless...

Great review man, I enjoyed it a lot.
 
If your tear drop was a perfect circle, the design would be centered. I think they got it right.

Ohh, I am not complaining about the design of the emblem. I think that came out phenomenal.
My complaint was with the writing, lining up compared to the emblem. If you look at it in the last picture, you can see that the I, in IOSVAA, starts right at the thread. The emblem starts about 1mm to the right. That is my only complaint. I know, I am a stickler.:icon_chee
 
Meerkatsu's Kataaro seems to have better finish than yours from the photos I've seen, but that Eosin is close to flawless...

Great review man, I enjoyed it a lot.

Like I said in the review, I bought my Kataaro off EBay. It looks like it has been worn or washed a couple of times, so that might be the reason why it looks like it does.
Still a great belt.

I am adding the weights as we speak and will add the thickness as soon as I find the damn caliper measuring tool.
 
Awesome review! I was looking at Kataaro for my next belt as i'm due to be promoted soon and its very reassuring that your comments justify their pricing.
 
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Like I said in the review, I bought my Kataaro off EBay. It looks like it has been worn or washed a couple of times, so that might be the reason why it looks like it does.
Still a great belt.

I am adding the weights as we speak and will add the thickness as soon as I find the damn caliper measuring tool.
That's also what I thought since it isn't really straight. The attempted murder of a very nice belt... :icon_chee
 
Very nice review! The eosin belt looks sweet!
 
Btw StoicDude, how much did you pay for the Eosin in the end? And did you ask for it not to come with their patch?
 
I didnt ask for their patch not to be on it. I guess the embroidery was right where the patch would be so it was never put on.
 
hey stoicdude, i just bought a fuji bjj belt, what are your thoughts on the fuji belt? i noticed that your yellow belt was fuji
 
hey stoicdude, i just bought a fuji bjj belt, what are your thoughts on the fuji belt? i noticed that your yellow belt was fuji

The Fuji belt is nice. It is probably the better belt from the other ones that I own, except for Kataaro and Eosin.

Kataaro and Eosin are in a whole different league, but also in a whole different price range. :icon_lol:

Like I said in the beginning, any of the belts listed here will do the job of holding your gi closed.

My Fuji is a Judo belt, so no rank sleeve on that. When you get yours, if you would like, just post your pictures in this thread so people can see it. The more info we have, the better we are off, I think.
 
For you guys that are considering a new belt from Eosin, I just got an e-mail from them that has a $20 coupon for orders over $50. It is valid from 1/1/11 - 3/15/11 and the code is "Cheers".

That means that you can get one of their deluxe belts for about $38 + shipping which is a really good price.
 
For you guys that are considering a new belt from Eosin, I just got an e-mail from them that has a $20 coupon for orders over $50. It is valid from 1/1/11 - 3/15/11 and the code is "Cheers".

That means that you can get one of their deluxe belts for about $38 + shipping which is a really good price.

Sweet, thanks for sharing. I might just take advantage of that as I was looking at their products as well as Kataaro's.
 
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