Have you worn other maker's holsters?

[Shorts]

Just like the title says, have you worn another maker's holster? Before you started building yours? After you started building yours?

Ever compare the fit? Features? Have they influenced you in your builds?

Not looking for names, generalities are fine. I'm just asking questions I think some are interested in knowing the answers to, but were too afraid to ask

[Don101]

I have worn rigs built from my father, thats how i got started in to leatherwork, and i have a couple from other makers and one i have was the first one i traded from a guy called Rowdy about 28 years a go which is a clasic on its own and saddly the guy has passed away now so it has sentimental atatchment too, Don

[TwinOaks]

Do Fobus holsters count?

[Mike Craw]

Hey Shorts!

In my own case, that's how I got started in leather work. I started as a street cop with Metro-Dade in Miami and then became a Special Agent with the U.S. Treasury Department. As I have said in other posts, there are few things more personal than your preferences for how you carry a concealed weapon for a living. I had spent years trying to find a holster that I really liked everything about. In 1981, I walked onto a Tandy Leather store in Cherry Hill, NJ and asked the man how many lessons I'd have to take to learn how to build a holster. He said, "There's a book over there by a guy named Al Stohlman for $5 that has just about everything you need to know." In the last 27 years I've wasted some cowhide during the learning process, but some of my holsters have been worn on the street by officers and Agents from many different agencies. It's a real honor when somebody thinks enough of something you've made to be willing to use it when the stakes are so high. It has also opened up other areas of leatherwork and allowed me to meet some fantastic people.

Mike

[Tac]

Shorts...

I have carried a gun "professionally" for 19 years and as an "amature" for several years before that.

I usually carried in what I was issued or what I could afford. I tried ALOT of other maker holsters over the years, most of them mass produced type holsters. I only had one "custom" holster from Mitch Rosen before I started making my own. I revisited my leather interest (first played with it in an "industrial arts class" in Jr. High School) when I had a holster that I loved that was wore out and needed repair. I found the Tandy store and picked up what I needed to fix the holster I had, and while I was there I started looking around, asking questions and picking people's brains... I came home and started reading on the subject, surfing the web and digging throught my closet full of old holsters to figure out what I liked, what I didn't and how they were put together.... Then I decided to try my hand on a couple of knife sheaths for knifes that I owned that didn't have a good sheath... eventually I decided to make a holster for a gun that I couldn't find factory leather for.... It's been down hill ever since!

Once I got the hang of it, it became a hobby and I started making all kinds of holsters for my guns. I am a full time Police supervisor, Range master, Armorer and firearms instructor... so I have quite a few pistols.... After a couple of years, folks started seeing my handywork and asking me to build them holsters too.... Now I build on average 6-10 holsters, 5-6 magazine pouches and 4-5 handcuff cases a month for people at work or those that have contacted me by word of mouth. I keep my prices reasonable and try and make my turn-around time decent and that has caused me to end up with a steady stream of work.... Who knows? maybe in a couple of years when I retire, I can call it my "second job"?

As a result of my experience and trial and error, I have a pretty good idea of what works and what doesn't in the "real world".... Since I can make my own rigs for which ever gun I want to carry, I can't bring myself to pay for someone else's holsters. The exception being uniformed duty holsters, which are mandated by my department by make and model. Plain clothes and concealed carry is un-regulated by the department and as a result, I have outfitted a large section of my department's detectives and officers with holsters.

I do compare my work to other holsters I see on the market, and I have learned a great deal about what to do and even more about what NOT-to do. I love seeing other peoples custom holsters, as it gives me good ideas and gets me to thinking. Most of the things we see in the hoslter world have been done before by others and re-inventing the wheel is unlikely, but putting your own spin on things or custom touches can help improve an already good design. I have "combined" styles from different brand holsters to create a holster that works for me on a couple of occasions. I am still learning this craft and do not take credit for anything other than my craftsmanship. I am always looking to improve in one area or another and the easiest way I have found is to try different things I see in other's work and to practice.

Anyway.... I hope I answered your questions.

[Rhome]

Hi Shorts, The short answer to your question is " No ", I have not worn another makers holster. I started making western holsters and converted over to Concealed Carry holsters after a while. I have had the privledge of being tutored by some of the best holster makers in this country IMHO, names such as Gary Brommeland, Kevin at K&D leather, Mark Garrity, and of course Lou Alessi. Their knowledge in holster making is beyond belief IMHO.

Best,

Rhome

[Randy Cornelius]

Like Tac, I have been carrying a gun professionally for 27 years and to tell you the truth I have carried some really bad holsters that my department made me carry. Don Hume, Gould & Goodrich, Bianchi and Safariland make a good holster but some of the ones sold under the Galls name are _ _ _ _ (fill in the blank). The main problem with the Police duty gear is that it is not built to last. The major manufactures started introducing man made materials like Kydex, Safari-Laminate, Synthetic Duraskin Simulated Leather and other Synthetic materials in the police line several years ago and it will not hold up to day to day use and look good. They count on that as that makes for repeat sales. I started making my own duty belt and the belt that goes under it (under belt) and the belt keepers several years ago and the Sheriff seen it and now I make them for all the deputies in my department and some of the other area police departments. It used to be that I had to order a new duty belt every other year and the under belt only lasted several months. The one I am currantly wearing I made 5 years ago and it's still going strong. Sure it cuts down on repeat business but they keep coming back for more. I do not mess with the duty holster for the duty issued firearms because of the legal aspect and the fact we have went to the tacktical lights on the handguns which takes takes holster making to a whole nother level.

I may have gotten off topic but the point I am tying to make is that I have carried a lot of other peoples holsters over the years and I know what works and what doesn't. That helps in the design of a new holster when someone comes through your door asking for something off the wall. You don't want to make something that will get someone hurt or not function when they really need the weapon...

I have rambled on too long for a Sunday morning.

Randy

[ArtS]

I've worn and still have one that my Dad had. It's made by Ross. I started making my snap closures like theirs.

Art

[Shorts]

Great replies gentlemen. I love hearing what is behind the motivation

[Randyc]

Like Randy and Tac I've carried as an LEO for the past 32 years. I've witnessed the evolution of handgun leather first hand. Being a southpaw, I sometimes had a hard time even finding duty leather. My first couple of weeks on the job, I carried in a right handed holster until the proper holster was shipped. At one time or another, I've had products from most of the big holster makers. Some were good, some were not so good.

Like Randy said, the big production companies have got away from quality gun leather and now manufacture the man made stuff that they can turnover very quickly with repeat sales.

I belong to several firearms forums and it never ceases to amaze me, why someone would park their $800.00 or more pistol in a $15.00 piece of garbage, then brag about the the great deal it was and how happy they are with their purchase. Different strokes I quess.

I've been assigned to investigations for the past several years and can carry my weapons in my own holsters. No more of the mass produced junk for me.

Randy

[MADMAX22]

Ive bought my holsters before I got into leather work so I pretty much got what I could afford and that looked like it could do the job well. All were bought at local stores in the variouse states Ive lived in.

For my M&P40 I have a Desantes OWB, its ok but has to be worn in the lower position or it gets floppy.

For the taurus pt145 pro Ive got to bianchi holsters one owb and one iwb. The IWB is the only one that seems to be of any decent leather working and does its job well. The OWB is ok but is made onpar pretty much as that Desantes.

Just wanted to add some links to what Ive got

Bianchi IWB http://www.bianchi-intl.com/product/Prod.php?TxtModelID=100

OWB http://www.bianchi-intl.com/product/Prod.php?TxtModelID=7

Desantes http://desantisholster.com/001.html

Edited November 24, 2008 by MADMAX22