Vintage Kydex

[ECVMatt]

I was talking to an old friend about some time we spent together working in a gun store during our college years. He asked me if I still had my original Glock 17 that I carried way back when I told him I still do and still shoot it often. I pulled the gun out of the safe, made sure it was empty, and then handed him the gun. We then stated talking about holsters and what we carried in back then. I was an early Glock Sport/Combat holster guy and everyone used to give me a hard time for using that "Cheap piece of crap". Bringing that back up, I went into my holster bin and found my original S/C holster which I still use as well. Then he asked if I still had my Blade-Tech holster. I dug around a bit and found out that I did.

I am not sure of the exact date I the holster was given to me, but I got it from a customer who worked for US Customs. He was tactical long before tactical was cool. I am not sure how he found all his cool stuff but was dialed into the best gear often long before it was available or even known to the general public. One day he came in with a sack full of Blade-Tech holsters. No one had ever seen a real kydex holster before so it was pretty unreal. Most of the customers were hesitant however he sold everyone of the holsters he had. Being a lefty, I was intrigued, but was resigned to the fact that I would be odd man out again. As he got to the bottom of the bag, he pulled out one of the last few holsters and threw it over to me. We had shot a bunch together and he knew I was a lefty. When he was picking up the holsters, he managed to have a lefty made or at least remembered to get one for me. I was in awe and very thankful. I will admit that it was much faster than my S/C although most of the older guys could not get used to the "plastic holster". So here is a few pictures of my Glock and the Blade-Tech holster from back when kydex was considered science fiction.

 

[AK103K]

I got my first Blade-Tech back in the 90's. Best thing I ever did, for me and the gun, and especially the gun. I have corrosive sweat and I was constantly rusting guns in wet leather holsters until they (and hard chrome) came along.

I carried this Colt Commander daily in the holster on the right for about 10 years back around the turn of the century. Still have the gun and that original holster, and the holster is as functional today as it was when I first bought it. Broke a piece of the sweat shield off at some point, and went through a number of the rubber loops over the years too. When you consider I paid around $50 for the Blade-Tech, and its still a very viable holster some 25 odd years later, the cost per year is quickly zeroing out. Especially when you consider I was buying a new Galco Royal Guard a $75 a pop each year when I switched.

The holster on the left was a spare/back up that Id bought and never used. You can see where the sweat guard should be on the one on the right, where it broke off. Not sure how that happened, but it happened sometime during the day at work and was gone when I took it off at bedtime that night.

Ended up selling that spare off on eBay with a bunch of other holsters and accessories I wasnt using it the old holster box. eBay is a great place to sell and buy holsters. I recently picked up a new in the wrap Blade-Tech "Nano" for a Glock 17 for $15.

 

[JTQ]

I do wish Blade-Tech still offered the one piece OWB models, but I can see the value to the newer Sting Ray belt loops.

I do like those Blade-Tech IWB's. The are basically a kydex Summer Special II.

The biggest thin I miss about Blade-Tech, though, is they used to offer holsters for nearly every gun under the sun. If somebody was looking for a holster for some oddball gun, you could usually count on Blade-Tech to offer a holster for it. They have really cut back on their options. I understand it, but I miss having them available.