How Many Holsters Do You Guys, And Gals Make A Year?

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Let me preface this by saying, I don't make holsters, and own very few for my handguns.

With that being said, I am amazed at the number of holsters being made on this site for retail, and not just for personal use. I say this because there are so many commercial makers like Galco, Hunter, uncle Mikes, etc, and I always saw tons of NOS, and used holsters for sale at the gun shows. I also see a number of folks going with the Kydex, or nylon holsters for duty rigs for the low maintenance. So what gives?

Are the commercial holsters just not up to snuff in some way?

Who are you selling to, if you don't mind me asking?

I could see someone wanting a custom holster with their initials, logo, etc, but I see a lot of plain basic holsters being sold by you folks.

Again I never would have thought that so many of you could make a living making holsters with the commercial competition out there. Good for you. It is nice to see that small businesses can still get it done.

[woolfe]

I've been doing this part time for almost 2 years now. I'm a full time student studying Orthotics and Prosthetics, graduating in May! Its hard to say how many I make a year since my business has done nothing but grow since I started out selling holsters on Ebay. Now I rarely use Ebay all of my orders go through my Website. I don't advertise for fear that I would not be able to keep up with the demand. The amount of orders I get now can sometimes be overwhelming while taking 16 credit hours or more, 17 credit hours this semester. In my opinion the commercial holsters are great, but you cannot beat a custom made rig. Another thing to point out is the level of customer service that goes along with dealing with a small business versus a big company. People tell me all the time they would rather deal with a small maker. This way they get to talk to the person that's going to be making the product from start to finish. There is no passing the buck and they know you are going to take care of them if there is a problem. But, yes there definably is a market out there!

Edited October 18, 2010 by woolfe

[Big O]

I'm only just starting out at this. Most of the holsters I've made have been for my own use.

I've filled exactly three orders.

My main selling point is this: ANYBODY can sell you a holster that fits your gun. But they can't sell you a holster that fits YOU. I can.

Bottom line: if you want a holster that's NOT either straight up, or at a 15-degree cant, you have to go custom. Maybe your ideal angle is 10 degrees. Maybe you need it to ride on your belt just a little higher. Maybe you have a pistol none of the big boys are making holsters for.

[billymac814]

I'm still pretty new to this also, so I don't have a number to give you for the year, but I will be shipping 12 out this week. Everyone that carries guns usually has multiple guns and multiple holsters for each, most of which they probably don't use because they don't fit right or don't like the way they wear, which is why they probably seek out a custom maker.

I've been selling to a lot of new gun owners suprisingly. I think the reason that is is because of my 380 holsters, it's a small gun that first time gun owners aren't intimidated by and can be carried very easily.

I'm actually suprised by how many I've been selling, selling holsters really came as an afterthought for me, I started out making MC seats and then made a few holsters for myself and friends and it spread very quickly. I don't advertise as well other than my free blog site.

Of course these are all my assumptions so take that for what it's worth, I could be way wrong on all of this.

[Lobo]

To put a little perspective on the marketplace, consider that 40 of the 50 US states now have "shall issue" concealed weapon permit laws, 3 states now permit concealed carry with no permit requirement, and only a couple of states do not permit concealed carry at all. Approximately 30,000,000 citizens are now regularly carrying sidearms. Many handgun users own multiple weapons. Many customers will purchase two or three holsters before they find one that suits them better than others.

In short, the market is quite large and continues to grow as an additional 2 to 3 million handguns are sold each year. Quality handguns, properly maintained, will last for decades (I have several that are over 100 years old and still fully functional). While holsters used occasionally may last for many years, those in use daily may wear to a point calling for replacement in a few years' time.

The major manufacturers, no matter how big they are, have limits to their production capabilities and tend to concentrate on the most popular designs and most common handguns. This leaves a lot of room for smaller makers offering unique designs, more options, custom touches, and holsters for less frequently seen handguns. I have quite a few vintage handguns that, since they were discontinued in production, represent millions of pieces still in common use for which the big companies are no longer offering holsters.

In addition to the concealed carry customers there has been incredible growth in shooting sports. IDPA, Cowboy Action Shooting, and other sports offer many opportunities for small manufacturers making a wide variety of products.

Add in the incredible market exposure available with internet marketing and you can start to grasp the potential. When I started 38 years ago my customer base was limited to people I knew and worked with, and advertising in specialty magazines was quite expensive. Now I am regularly shipping orders to all 50 states and several foreign countries. Expenses are minimal for website hosting services, no catalogs to print and mail out, easy customer contact via e-mail, electronic fund transfers and credit card services.

I average 30-plus pieces per week, so 1500-plus per year. I offer 8 basic models with 4 commonly requested options, in 4 finish colors, multiple lining options, a couple of tooling options, for about 90 different handgun models (thousands of possible variations). While not technically a "custom" shop, I offer the customer the ability to order a holster with the features they want to have. I also offer two completely unique holster designs not available from any other source.

I think there is plenty of room in the marketplace for anyone who produces a quality product and gets it done when promised.

[katsass]

Let me preface this by saying, I don't make holsters, and own very few for my handguns.

With that being said, I am amazed at the number of holsters being made on this site for retail, and not just for personal use. I say this because there are so many commercial makers like Galco, Hunter, uncle Mikes, etc, and I always saw tons of NOS, and used holsters for sale at the gun shows. I also see a number of folks going with the Kydex, or nylon holsters for duty rigs for the low maintenance. So what gives?

Are the commercial holsters just not up to snuff in some way?

Who are you selling to, if you don't mind me asking?

I could see someone wanting a custom holster with their initials, logo, etc, but I see a lot of plain basic holsters being sold by you folks.

Again I never would have thought that so many of you could make a living making holsters with the commercial competition out there. Good for you. It is nice to see that small businesses can still get it done.

I am somewhat different than most in that I'm very 'small-time'...... and I like it that way. I've been doing this for over 40 years, and now, retired from law enforcement, I just plain enjoy doing 'something different' for my customers. Each item is a custom order and each item is different from any other I make, similar maybe, but unique for each individual. I don't have to rely on my work as a total income, it's more like 'beer money'.....plus. I like to fish and I like to shoot trap.......if that sort of thing gets in the way of an order for a day or two, so be it. That said, I have customers waiting. Over the years I have had only one customer cancel an order because he wanted his holster "pretty damned quick". He ultimately bought a commercially made holster........and ended up not too happy. Now, after three years or so, he still wants to order form me..........and it ain't gonna happen. I hear that I'm considered by some to be a grumpy old man, but my customers seem proud to have a 'Katsass' holster in their possession. I don't do much embellishment on my stuff any more (I did, years ago).........just solid working leather items. All that said, I only put out about 100 leather items a year.......those, plus a few hand done, scrimshaw pistol grips (example pic) and some work on S&W handguns. I'm not cheap, but I feel my prices are reasonable and a lot of my leather is still in use after quite a few years. Mike

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Cool, thanks for the responses. I know about the shooting sports, and how women are increasingly getting interested, especially in SASS, and women do like to accessorize I just figured that the Big Guys would have had all of the bases covered already.

A friend of mine just finished making a (LEGAL) suppressed Ruger MKII , not a standard item needing a holster, so another leather working friend is making a holster for him . So, I can see the custom side.

I also didn't realize the relatively short lifespan of a carry holster.

I have some old military pistols ,1912 Steyr for one, that I would like to make replica holsters for, if I can find a suitable pattern / original. Sarco sells replicas, but I haven't seen one to judge quality yet. Just one of those things though, I'd rather make it myself even if it ends up costing more.

Nice to know that there are some folks who can make a living doing what they love to do.