Grommet question(s)

Does anyone know the difference between toothed (maybe also known as spur) grommets and the plain (self cutting?) ones? It seems maybe the spur grommets are more heavy duty.

Until we can save up for some new (and more comfortable) hip belts for our (external) hiking frames, I’m just going to replace the torn belt webbing (from the 70s) with fresh webbing I have on hand. I'll just use the existing buckles bc those are still good, but I’ll need to install some grommets for where they attach to the frame. Just not sure which grommets to shop for.

Grommet Setter advice is also welcome and appreciated.

The spur grommets, at least the ones I've seen, are more heavy-duty, and would be the most desirable for the hip belts. They require a different setting tool, though, and they're fairly expensive, in the $50 range. Like this:

https://www.seattlefabrics.com/CS-Osborne-PRO-Spur-Grommet-Setter_p_314.html

okay, good info. That's way out of our price range. Especially considering the rarity with which I would use the tool. I can't justify that cost. Maybe I'll look around for some pre-grommeted webbing instead. There's also a few gear shops/seamstresses in town who *may* have a setter they'd let me borrow. Just brainstorming outloud.

My previous temporary fix was to cut the grommet from the old webbing and sew it as best I could to the replacement webbing, but a measuring error left me with a hip belt that wasn't long enough to attach, so I didn't really get to test out the strength of that sewing job, ha! Technically I did make contact, and we later discovered the sewing had ripped right out. hahaah! I give myself partial credit for trying.

The regular grommets might work OK. I've never used them on a hipbelt, but I've used them on several packbags for external frames and they worked fine.

I recall years ago the Rain Shed would set them for you, or maybe let you use the tool. You might find a boat shop that would do that, as I believe they're used on sails and maybe other things. Someplace that sells canvas maybe also. Or a tack shop maybe.

just happened to stumble onto this thread. rather than investing in a single size setting tool....it might be more economical to go with a plastic "clasp" type of buckle ( simular hardware for the frame attachment points) probably a fraction of cost of the gromit setting route. ........your probably well past this point, but others will follow- I'm pretty sure.