That's right, first and second. I did a double take!
Mr. Mika is a genial person with time to help customers, and beyond that, to make friends (at least as well as possible, me being in NC and him in WI). We chatted about a variety of topics and he's an interesting guy.
When my holster got here after about a 6 week wait I was already happy, but after opening the package I'm struck by the elegance of the design. I'm not sure of the specific material; it looks leather, but isn't. I opted for the rounded cut bottom pocket holster for my Keltec, and it fits nicely in the right hand pocket of my cargo shorts. With a belt to keep my pants from falling down on the right side it'd be undetectable. There's some black semi-sticky web-like rubber material sewn around the holster midway down on the outside to keep it inside my pocket. This actually adds to the aesthetic quality of the holster. There are pictures floating around, but you have to see it to really understand how well-made these are. The stitching, like the rest of the holster, is functional and looks great. Bob used HEAVY duty thread and plenty of it, and the stitching loops in a slightly unusual way. Let's just say it's like the opposite of "Made in China."
My mom, whom I'm visiting, actually marvelled at the construction of the holster. You don't know her, but she's not a "gun person," and if she likes it...well, it says something. But enough about how it looks. How does it work?
According to the maker, the holsters are designed for only one purpose (ironically he says that aesthetics are the last consideration): to do their job right. You can send Mika any dimensions for any gun you want and he'll make a holster or pocket holster for it. And mine really does feel "custom made." Not only that, the holster will not come out of the pocket by accident "along with the gun". Truthfully, it's almost annoying to get out when you want to get it out!
Finally, the inside of the holster is a slightly porous stiff cloth material that really lets your gun slide out. The holster isn't form-fitting, but it is slightly snug. My P11 has a factory waistband clip on it and still fit fine - it's no problem to get it out of the holster. Another nice feature is that there is a small (not visible) flexible plastic insert sewn inside the top of the holster that keeps it open, making removal and especially reinsertion of your gun a real cinch. As long as nothing else is in your pocket, this holster really turns your pocket into a holster rather than just being a "pocket holster." You can count on your gun coming out of or going into your pocket when you want, period.
To personalize the holster further, Mika signs the inside with his name and "for <your name>" and the date of your holster's creation. My girlfriend's name is inside my holster because we paid using her credit card, and the date on the inside happens to be her birthday. I like that.
The holster was more than worth the 18.95 price tag and the six week wait. There's a reason for the six week wait, and I've just explained it. If you want to support a one-man operation that makes real quality for a reasonable price, with a human face, look no further.
Mr. Mika is a genial person with time to help customers, and beyond that, to make friends (at least as well as possible, me being in NC and him in WI). We chatted about a variety of topics and he's an interesting guy.
When my holster got here after about a 6 week wait I was already happy, but after opening the package I'm struck by the elegance of the design. I'm not sure of the specific material; it looks leather, but isn't. I opted for the rounded cut bottom pocket holster for my Keltec, and it fits nicely in the right hand pocket of my cargo shorts. With a belt to keep my pants from falling down on the right side it'd be undetectable. There's some black semi-sticky web-like rubber material sewn around the holster midway down on the outside to keep it inside my pocket. This actually adds to the aesthetic quality of the holster. There are pictures floating around, but you have to see it to really understand how well-made these are. The stitching, like the rest of the holster, is functional and looks great. Bob used HEAVY duty thread and plenty of it, and the stitching loops in a slightly unusual way. Let's just say it's like the opposite of "Made in China."
My mom, whom I'm visiting, actually marvelled at the construction of the holster. You don't know her, but she's not a "gun person," and if she likes it...well, it says something. But enough about how it looks. How does it work?
According to the maker, the holsters are designed for only one purpose (ironically he says that aesthetics are the last consideration): to do their job right. You can send Mika any dimensions for any gun you want and he'll make a holster or pocket holster for it. And mine really does feel "custom made." Not only that, the holster will not come out of the pocket by accident "along with the gun". Truthfully, it's almost annoying to get out when you want to get it out!
Finally, the inside of the holster is a slightly porous stiff cloth material that really lets your gun slide out. The holster isn't form-fitting, but it is slightly snug. My P11 has a factory waistband clip on it and still fit fine - it's no problem to get it out of the holster. Another nice feature is that there is a small (not visible) flexible plastic insert sewn inside the top of the holster that keeps it open, making removal and especially reinsertion of your gun a real cinch. As long as nothing else is in your pocket, this holster really turns your pocket into a holster rather than just being a "pocket holster." You can count on your gun coming out of or going into your pocket when you want, period.
To personalize the holster further, Mika signs the inside with his name and "for <your name>" and the date of your holster's creation. My girlfriend's name is inside my holster because we paid using her credit card, and the date on the inside happens to be her birthday. I like that.
The holster was more than worth the 18.95 price tag and the six week wait. There's a reason for the six week wait, and I've just explained it. If you want to support a one-man operation that makes real quality for a reasonable price, with a human face, look no further.
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