Who's your favorite holster maker?

Who's your favorite holster maker?

  • Galco - Making high quality knockoffs since the 1970s

    Votes: 26 7.2%
  • Uncle Mike's - Nylon sausage sacks are plenty good enough.

    Votes: 8 2.2%
  • DeSantis - Mexican cardboard leather for me!

    Votes: 7 1.9%
  • BladeTech - I like plastic holsters for plastic guns.

    Votes: 12 3.3%
  • Don Hume - decent leather at Uncle Mike's prices.

    Votes: 27 7.5%
  • Mitch Rosen - I have plenty of extra paychecks to blow.

    Votes: 9 2.5%
  • Milt Sparks - I don't mind waiting four months for quality.

    Votes: 94 26.2%
  • Bianchi - just like Galco, really.

    Votes: 11 3.1%
  • Fobus - Israeli "combat-proven" riveted plastic.

    Votes: 9 2.5%
  • Safariland - cop gear all the way, baby!

    Votes: 3 0.8%
  • CompTac - like BladeTech, only they don't break as fast.

    Votes: 26 7.2%
  • Sidearmor - the best way to make a Glock even thicker in the waistband.

    Votes: 2 0.6%
  • Alessi - you're not a gun snob until you're also a holster snob.

    Votes: 34 9.5%
  • Other - write in that "Plavitz Custom" garage shop leather.

    Votes: 91 25.3%

  • Total voters
    359
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Marko Kloos

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Messages
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Location
Enfield, NH
Anyone who carries guns for a while usually ends up with the dreaded box-o'-holsters.

On the downside, they were expensive to pile up, and a lot of them just plain don't work as well as you had hoped.

On the upside, you get a lot of experience with different brands and types of holsters.

Sooner or later, you find that you gravitate towards a certain brand...their holsters just seem to work better for you than anything else.

What's your favorite holster brand?

For me, Galco seems to work out the best. Their stuff is universally well made, and their designs are well-thought out (or good copies of other well thought-out designs.)

Disclaimer: the poll tags are just for fun. I own, or have owned, holsters from each of the manufacturers on the list, and they're all well worth the money.

Except that Plavitz Custom.
 
Actually Marko - I consider there are many, tho we all have our faves (and the box full too! LOL). And of course, what suits one guy won't always suit the next. Galco for sure has a great rep, but I recently got a Dillon OWB belt slide for my new SIG and am well pleased with that.

I also bought a rig from Jim Burke (Paris TX) at Dallas gun show, June 2003 before he sadly died ... it was a small J frame belt slide that just suited my SP-101 too - I liked it so much I had a very nice copy made. I won't say by whom because it seems anything I say about other holsters is taken as a criticism of his own work! :rolleyes:

There are also it seems a good number of new holster makers coming along ... many of which I think have great potential. It is a buyer's market because so much choice.

I know too Milt Sparks seems to often be well spoken of - we are lucky to have such a wide choice.
 
HEYYYYYYYYY!!!! how come my name isnt on there?? :neener:

j/k

Chris,
I saw the rig you are talking about...Top notch work...to bad "you know who" is a tad bit touchy about it...Ya still need to send me a tracing of the Burke design...Gotta rip it off ya know? :what:

my favorites??...i have several and they are in no order

RJ Hedley
Ron Graham
Eric Larsen
Gary Broomeland
Lou Alessi
Andy Arrantoonian
K&D Custom
MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!



unpleasant dreams! :evil:
 
Dave .... PM me your email addy - tho I know I should have it somewhere .... just means digging. I can send you a scale scanned sketch of that rig ... plus other pics.... once got together. Gotta find em first! :rolleyes:
 
For autos, Milt Sparks:
VM-2_large.jpg



For C'boy guns, Bob Mernickle:
ca6.jpg

and Rick Bachman (Old West Reproductions):
6012112003355092-6610913585851.jpg


- 0 -
 
For semi-Auto I have found the Milt Sparks Versa Max II the most confortable holster. I have two drawers of holsters and the Versa Max II is the one I use everyday.
 
Milt Sparks - I don't mind waiting four months for quality.

it was like, 9 months this past summer when i attempted to order a summer special.

I got a wilson combat leather and I actually like it better than the milt sparks because it has a stiffer metal band holding the mouth open, and it is moulded to accomodate the safety on a 1911. and the

oh, and of course, it is black, which is evil. and evil is well, good. you know?

on the downside, wilson only makes right-handed holsters, and I'm a lefty, so i wear the sparks about 80% of the time

but they are both quite nice
 
Well, I'm probably one of those guys that has more $$$ in quality gunleather than in guns. I only carry two: either a Commander Series 70 or a 3" Model 66, and own three.

Overt the past decade I've cycled through dozens of guns and even more leather.

I've got casual and dress rigs in black, natural, and brown for both weapons. Rigs are made by Spakrs, Alessi, Del Fatti, and I even keep some Hume on hand for casual jeans and mucky woods stuff.
 
Blade-Tech. I've got an IWB, OWB and OWB with a thumb break. Great holsters, that stand up to a lot of abuse.
 
Favorite Holster Maker

Greeting's All-

Good topic Marko my friend, as I will list my top three in order of preference:

a) Bianchi
b) Safariland
c) Don Hume

as I prefer real leather holsters. I realize that these holsters made
of real leather are expensive, but I feel that you get what you pay for!

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
What? No Kramer or Brommeland?

Well, I'm a NorthWest dude now, so I'm kinda loyal to Kramer for everyday wear ... the horsehide stuff is just so dang durable and his holsters fit my guns while lasting for years ... Galcos will seem darn flimsy to you after using a Kramer.

For purty holsters, though, I'm in the Alessi (best shoulder rig)/Sparks (best IWB, the VM-II)/Brommeland (just plain great quality) camps, too.

Yes, I spend as much on holsters as I do on guns.
 
:D
These 3 are the best of the best as far as I am concerned :D

1. Horseshoe Leather by Andy Arratoonian in England
2. Haugen Handgun Leather by Jerry Lee Evans in Bismark, North Dakota
3. Black Hills Leather by Rudy Lozano in Laredo, Texas


Others that I have found to be very good:

Bianchi
Kramer

Non Leather:
Blade-Tech (Kydex & Concealex)

My thoughts based on personal experience! ;)


:evil:
 
i've only used two makers for my duty gear: hoyt for my wheelguns and safariland for my autos

but like the rest of you, i have a forture tied up in a drawer full of holster by every maker in your poll. i was surprised you didn't include some oldies like horseshoe leather and ken null. i've also seen some nice pieces from del fratti and kramer.

but i do lean toward a certain maker for comfort and workmanship...and that is alessi. having said that, i have to admitt that my most often worn holster is the fobus paddle
 
Color me weird but I still like Galco...

but as far as a small maker, Trailrider products makes great functional Cowboy and hunting leather.
 
Kevin Manley-KDHolsters
Steve and Della-Rafter Gunleather
Galco

Everyone on the above poll list but my favorites are the products I use everyday. :)
 
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