My first impressions were that they appeared to be made of good quality and that they certainly looked the part, very sturdy construction and strong stitching and studs. I gave it the first run the other night and was impressed. The belt offers excellent stability and has many hole placements which allows for small, tight increments without the lifter been stuck between not tight enough and way too tight. The buckle can be a little troublesome to use the first time around as it works in a reverse fashion which can take a moment to get used to, however it does a fine job once it is locked in. The leather is extremely solid but of good quality. How could I tell? Whilst it had incredible stiffness to begin with, after wearing it for a couple of heavy sets I could really start to feel this belt already moulding to my shape whilst still been able to retain it's stability. I worked in this session specifically squats and deadlifts and the belt handled things extremely well.
A cautionary note for those who have never used a real powerlifting belt vs some "golds gym" type belt. At first it will feel incredibly stiff an when you squat or deadlift for the first time it probably will feel like you have a tractor tyre strapped to your waist. You may have this feeling at first but I would recommend you persevere. the belts will mould and you will find that you become very fond of the stability they can offer in a very short space of time.
In summary the length of time it took me to actually receive the belt was a nuisance but thankfully now that it has finally shown up I am more than pleased with what it offers.