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  • 40Arpent

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    As per a discussion I am having with a particular custom leather holster maker, here are a couple of attributes of a certain model I am inquiring about:

    (1) The holster gets its retention from the belt.

    (2) The holster is designed to be soft and carry the gun, and when the gun is drawn, it is suppose to flatten so you don't have to remove the holster when the gun is out.

    Now for my opinion... It is my personal preference to have a leather holster that offers good retention (the handgun "snaps" into place) whether or not the holster is on the belt or off. Also, for the purposes of fast and easy holstering, I like for the mouth of the holster to be rigid such that it does not close when the gun is drawn. On this last matter, I guess (?) a holster that flattens might come in handy if you were shedding a top layer of clothing, thereby precluding concealment of the gun (you'd just remove and stow the gun, but leave the holster in place).

    So, it is easy to see that my preferences are the exact opposite of this particular holster's qualities.

    I'm curious to know what y'all think...what side of these two issues do you fall on? I am just tyring to find out if I am missing some information that might be useful and practical for me.
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    ZX9RCAM

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    I am guessing this must be an IWB model, one problem I can see is that you would need to tighten your belt if you removed the weapon.

    I tend to agree with your opinion.
     

    ZX9RCAM

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    Shorts

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    As per a discussion I am having with a particular custom leather holster maker, here are a couple of attributes of a certain model I am inquiring about:

    (1) The holster gets its retention from the belt.

    (2) The holster is designed to be soft and carry the gun, and when the gun is drawn, it is suppose to flatten so you don't have to remove the holster when the gun is out.

    Now for my opinion... It is my personal preference to have a leather holster that offers good retention (the handgun "snaps" into place) whether or not the holster is on the belt or off. Also, for the purposes of fast and easy holstering, I like for the mouth of the holster to be rigid such that it does not close when the gun is drawn. On this last matter, I guess (?) a holster that flattens might come in handy if you were shedding a top layer of clothing, thereby precluding concealment of the gun (you'd just remove and stow the gun, but leave the holster in place).

    So, it is easy to see that my preferences are the exact opposite of this particular holster's qualities.

    I'm curious to know what y'all think...what side of these two issues do you fall on? I am just tyring to find out if I am missing some information that might be useful and practical for me.



    I had a long post that went all over the place, but then I had an epiphany:


    If you're wanting a holster with particular attributes why do you insist on bothering with a holster that is specific to collapsing. If you don't like it, don't buy it.

    I'm not trying to be a jerk here. Simply stating there are tons of holsters out there that there is no need to pick a fight with a maker over an idea.
     

    40Arpent

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    I had a long post that went all over the place, but then I had an epiphany:


    If you're wanting a holster with particular attributes why do you insist on bothering with a holster that is specific to collapsing. If you don't like it, don't buy it.

    I'm not trying to be a jerk here. Simply stating there are tons of holsters out there that there is no need to pick a fight with a maker over an idea.

    No fight picking at all; I asked simple, polite questions, and they gave me polite and respectful responses. By posting about it, I was merely soliciting opinions from other members, to see if I was missing something that I might not have thought of. It's that simple.
     

    Shorts

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    No fight picking at all; I asked simple, polite questions, and they gave me polite and respectful responses. By posting about it, I was merely soliciting opinions from other members, to see if I was missing something that I might not have thought of. It's that simple.


    Pete, my phrase 'pick a fight' may be too strong. But it isn't that simple. The circumstances need to be considered.

    I was likening this to a guy walking into a pizza place and being mad at the clerk because they don't have burgers.

    Thanks for the PM. That cleared up my understanding of where you're coming from. I couldn't understand why you purchased/were purchasing a holster that was marketed by the maker as performing a certain way and then not being happy that it performed exactly as described. But alas, that was not how it happened at all.


    (1) The holster gets its retention from the belt.

    (2) The holster is designed to be soft and carry the gun, and when the gun is drawn, it is suppose to flatten so you don't have to remove the holster when the gun is out.

    I build my holsters so that retention comes from the molding of the leather. Hold it upside down and shake it, the gun will stay put until you draw it. All my holsters go out the door needing to be fit via the plastic bag or wax paper method. Tight is good, loose is not.

    As for soft, I find it annoying and comfortable. I have one hand and its a big no no to sweep one's body with the muzzle trying to reholster. Some support is good. There's only so strong leather can be however. There's an inverse relationship between leather strength/form and thickness. The balance is difficult, especially using leather only. As for comfortable, it is just that. The thinner the holster, the easier to conceal and more comfortable to wear all day (mounting points stable). The majority of time wearing a holster is during concealment. The active time a leather sees is not a lot. Unfortunately folks want the leather to perform for the smaller active time.

    Personal preference it comes down to.




    BTW, what weight leather was that holster you're talking about?
     

    JKTex

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    I guess I'm siding with Shorts a little on this as far as, if it's not what you're looking for, look at something else. There are a multitude of holsters out there and a lot of designs, most that started by 1 design and has been copied or morphed into others.

    When I hear things about a design that are a little out there, I look elswhere for what's been working for years.

    I'm not sure I get the whole OWB that collapses without the gun at all unless they mean is just isn't reinforced, but for an OWB that just sounds odd. But odd holsters sometimes have uses, even if it's very specific.

    Duty vs. civilian. Open vs. concealed. Both can make a big difference in what works best, sometimes.

    If you're interested, I'd ask the maker about how the holster get retention from the belt and how it collapses. It would be interesting, but I'm betting it's just words to make it sound different. A way a holster rides on a belt can make a difference in how it lays for example, which would also effect retention simply by how the belt holds the holster. It almost sounds like it's designed to really pull tension on the holster so that when it's empty, it's pulled a little flatter which would explain why retention comes from the belt. It's just pulled tight. Not sure that's for me, but who knows.

    Did I miss you saying who the holster maker is and what holster?

    Are you looking for a specific holster type or one that has specific attributes?
     

    40Arpent

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    When I hear things about a design that are a little out there, I look elswhere for what's been working for years.

    I guess I have more of an open mind than you. I ask for opinions, in the event I am missing something. And that is solely why I started this thread...which you obviously missed due to paying more attention to Shorts' misunderstanding of my intent than to my original post.
     
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