I take a great deal of pride in providing my customers with gun leather that fits their specific needs. I am particular about including “custom” in Work-A-Day Custom Gunleather, LLC. I’ve made some unique items for creative carry of some unique firearms. Sometimes, those items get interesting looks from patrons at the various gun shows we attend. I explain, I don’t have to wear them, I just have to make them. If the customer is happy ... I’m happy.
There are, however, some designs I will not make. Almost universally, these fall into the category of “a danger to one’s self or others.” Two designs, in particular come to mind: The SOB and the Belt Slide holster.
The SOB, or small-of-the-back holsters are popular, although that seems to be waning. The design calls for the gun to be positioned horizontally across your lower back, grip pointed upwards. (My rotator cuff hurts just thinking about that arrangement.) I suspect SOBs are less popular now because enough armed individuals have discovered they’re not comfortable, not easily deployed and run the risk of injuring the carrier. The risk of injury comes less from a negligent discharge, and more from falling on 20-40 oz. of steel strategically positioned on your lower lumbar vertebrae. The SOB puts your weapon in an easily accessible position … for the person standing behind you in the checkout lane. It’s nearly impossible to actively retain your weapon should someone try to take it from you. Police officers spend significant time learning and practicing weapon retention. Most of that relies on leverage, hand and wrist actions and properly applied body weight. The SOB eliminates all of those advantages. I have owned an SOB, and I used it with my Beretta 84, double stack .380acp. Driving was almost unbearable and sitting in a chair wasn’t much better. It’s horrible from nearly every design consideration.
The Belt Slide Holster is a design that features a lack of any identifiable purpose. The holster consists of two exactly mirrored pieces of leather or cordura that are stitched together and are attached to the wearer’s belt with either belt slots or spring clips. When not in use, or when hanging on the kiosk hook at the gunshop or sporting goods section, the front and back pieces fold flat … completely flat, against one another. It’s also the only time they fit perfectly, when there is nothing inside. Holsters, and the material that comprise holsters should fit a specific purpose. That specific purpose should be a specific gun make, gun model, gun features and gun generation. When holster pieces are made to fit “Large Revolver” or “Medium Auto”, you create “un-assigned” leather. Leather with no specific assignment, like rebellious children, tends to get into trouble, and by “trouble” I mean the trigger guard. Some fairly well documented incidents have demonstrated this phenomenon. If your holster doesn’t fit a specific gun, it doesn’t fit any gun .. much less your’s. This design concept would include holsters that are “built into the belt”, pocket holsters that “form to the gun” and require you to pull the holster out of your pants prior to pulling the gun out of the holster. The Belt Slide also gives a horrible grip presentation and often depresses the mag release when you least expect. I suspect the design found its genesis as holster-makers looked at all that unused scrap leather, all of which is bought by the square foot. Some leather workers make small items, like money clips or key fobs with that scrap. Others crank out belt slide holsters at a better mark-up. No matter, it’s another all-around bad design.
There are a lot of great holster designs in a lot of great materials. Find one that works best for you. Always choose quality over convenience or a nifty new design. If you can’t decide what you want … ask. Good craftsmen are more than happy to help.
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