A few years ago, I was disappointed to learn Blade-Tech was no longer being run by its founder, Tim Wegner. Upon reflection though, I realized that Mr. Wegner had been at making holsters and other support gear from plastics (very tough Kydex) for over thirty years and had earned a well-deserved retirement. The custom made holster company (they would make you a holster for whatever pistol design you desired) he started in his garage near Ft. Lewis, Washington now exists in name only. Just a few of Wegner’s classic designs are available today at mostly big box sporting goods stores and online mega retailers for only about a half-dozen handgun designs. (Blade-Tech still maintains their famous lifetime product guarantee, though.)
I’ve carried sidearms on and off-duty in a variety of holsters made from Kydex for the past thirty-five years. The following are a few observations, and current Kydex holster maker recommendations.
For duty or field use, it’s hard to beat Safariland. Old FBI agent and shooting school owner Bill Rogers (he invented the first Kydex holster in 1972) has been instrumental in the design of many of Safariland’s hard use duty holsters. Our favorite is their 6000 Series Automatic Locking System (ALS) Holsters. For their thigh rig, remove the top leg strap and adjust the holster’s height so that your wrist just touches the pistol’s grip as your hands hang naturally at your side. Nothing shouts amateur like a thigh rig bouncing around at the top of the knee.
As is often the case in life, the disappointing news of Blade-Tech’s devolving into just another mass produced commodity has been softened by the appearance of two up and coming custom Kydex holster makers. Red River Tactical’s production line is set up just outside the gates of Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. When I had attempted to order from Blade-Tech a light bearing duty holster for the then newly US Army adopted Sig M17 (“Sorry, sir. We no longer do custom items.”), I was told as a consolation that Mr. Wegner’s personal recommendation for custom Kydex gear was now Red River Tactical. Those young men at Red River made for me a custom holster which reminded us very much of the quality of those unique holsters first made in a young Tim Wegner’s shop. Their prices were very 1990s reminiscent, too.
The last custom maker I’ll detail is NSR Tactical. NSR was closely linked to a late mutual firearms instructor friend James Yeager who was the founder/owner of Tactical Response in Camden, Tennessee. The first NSR product I purchased and have with me daily was their KA-BAR TDI Knife Belt Sheath (superb). Imagine my surprise when a few years ago I learned NSR Tactical had moved its manufacturing facility from Arizona to Lexington, Kentucky. (NSR is now located even closer in Madison County, just east of Richmond off Route 52.)
A few other personal Kydex maker recommendations are Bravo Concealment (not custom but very good holsters at outstanding prices); Vedder; Phlster; GunfightersINC; and JM Custom Kydex. Things are looking back up in my Kydex holster world.
Next Week: History
Shane Morris is a retired soldier and teacher. Contact at sigm11@yahoo.com (Subject: NtC)
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