5 Rules to follow when buying a custom handgun holster
Shopping for a custom holster can be a challenge. You’re stuck looking at pictures online, and there seems to always be a million different custom holster makers that all promise the same thing, a badass custom holster…
The 1st rule of buying a custom holster is to be patient. Nothing great ever happened over night. You aren’t going to find a master Leatherman online that will work through the night to make you a holster. When you begin looking for a holster maker, take your time, think about it overnight, and shop around.
The 2nd Rule of shopping for a custom holster – Know what to look for. The best holsters will last 20-30 years, and your children will fight over who gets it, once you’re gone. When looking at custom holsters, it’s important to look at the following key points.
-Prior work – Look at the holster makers prior work, if you like what he/she has done before, chances are, you will like what he/she can offer.
-Craftsmanship – Does it appear that the holster maker is proud of his/work? Does he/she show it off as art, or as a piece of leather he threw together?
-Edges – One of the easiest ways to tell if a holster maker took his/her time on the holster is by looking at the edges. If the edges are uneven, jagged, or left untreated with dyes, than you’ll know this holster maker is taking a short cut. If the holster maker pours his/her heart into the holster, the edges will be cut smoothly, beveled so that they are slightly curved, and treated with an edge dye that seals the sides of the holster.
The 3rd rule of shopping for a custom holster – You get what you pay for. If you are looking for a “badass custom holster”, you better be ready to pay the price tag. Do not make the mistake of buying a $100-$200 custom holster and hoping that it is going to meet your expectations. Custom holsters take days, not hours to make. Do you want to pay someone to make your holster in an afternoon, or do you want a holster that had 20-50 hours in it? You want to be sure that the person making the holster, is not just chasing orders and making holsters as quickly and cheaply as possible. Cheap leather will also be just that…
The 4th rule of making a custom holster – Have a realistic time frame. As previously noted, you want a holster that the maker poured his heart and soul into. The price you are willing to spend on a holster is going to translate to how many hours and what grade leather your maker chooses to use. When you buy a holster, you want the maker to take his/her time, to assure the finished piece exceeds your expectations.
The 5th Rule of Custom holsters – Be prepared to break your custom holster in. A custom holster is just like a custom pair of cowboy boots or a new baseball glove, it takes time to break it in. When a custom holster is made, it’s made so that the user can break the holster in, to their preferred retention level. When you get the holster, you are going to have to break it in until you find the retention level and smooth draw you are looking for.