Look, if you are wearing your gun out where God and everybody can see it, then your pistol and holster are as much a part of your wardrobe as your belt and shoes.
Anybody who'd open carry in a Fobus holster would wear Crocs in public, that's all I'm saying.
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43 comments:
Hey, I'm wearing my fuzzy crocs now. At the office.
-SayUncle
Tam, that's completely unfair.
Crocs don't randomly fall apart and dump your feet out.
I'm more concerned that his open carry holster only relies on tension for retention.
The stitching on that ..... just.... the black(sharpie?)marks along the top edge .... the only thing that comes to mind is "Clover Kid 4-H project".
He paid MONEY for that?
..... and no holster at any price would ever make that plastic Glock Wannabe into eye candy.
Okay, what horror stories should I know about Fobus? I have one and, thus far, it's worked really well for me.
Funny thing about Fobus holsters is that you can:
Get them wet and they dry almost instantly.
They don't get stiff when cold.
They don't smell funny when you get sweat on them.
You can clean them with some warm water and if you really want you can toss them in a dishwasher.
They don't degrade.
And the tension is easily adjusted with the turn of a screw.
I've owned and still own 1 fobus holster. I've owned several leather holsters for the same gun and they stretch and wear and start to smell. I have to replace them at 50-100+ dollars a holster every 1-2 years.
My fobus cost me 30$.
Give plastic a chance.
Tam,
So, let's just say one were to OC with your hypothetical Fobus (I'm trying to contain my laughter), would the fashion police arrest him on general principle?
Hey. I wear Crocs in public. If you had my busted-up old feet, you would too. :)
Is it evil and wrong to consider an IWB kydex from someplace like Blade-Tech for old (pre-model number) K-frames? Would they be unhappy there, or would they be pleased that plastic doesn't hold rust-fostering moisture the way that leather can?
If I remember old discussions from TFL and THR correctly, neither will damage bluing if they're not dirty. I gently scrub out the insides of my holsters (all leather, at present) with a clean, dry toothbrush and wipe 'em out with a soft cloth.
I'd never wear Crocs. My Okabashis are much more stylish.
Word verification: sculed
What's unfair is what happened at the restaurant last night. Enjoying my dinner and a party of about six finishes behind me and walk out. To a man and a woman, each was carrying a nice pistol on the hip. Assume they're plainclothes LE types as this is Illinois and the .gov doesn't trust me with anything more than a bread knife.
Oh, yeah: for OC in public, my choice would be a carved Tom Threepersons with a strap, worn only around trustworthy people (e.g., at a BBQ, not in front of the general public at Walrus-Mart). I don't currently OC except here on the farm, and the leather is mostly old stuff from S.D. Myres, Bucheimer, H.H. Heiser and the like.
Tremaine: Not all plastic is created equal. You'll notice that she didn't say "a plastic holster" but specified "Fobus". That's because Fobus holsters are not exactly "wicked awesome" and they're certainly not the cream of the plastic crop. You want a good plastic holster, check out Blade-Tech or Comp-Tac for a well made piece of plastic. I have a closet full of holsters, but whenever I'm not carrying a pocket gun, I'm carrying in Blade-Tech.
That's mostly because I've never had a Blade Tech holster shear off the paddle at the rivets during a match, which is something I've had a Fobus holster do.
I'm sorry, but while the point was well-made, the example is a poor one.
And you know what? when you're in a hurry to put a gun on, and the other option is not carrying, there's a lot to be said for a kydex paddle holster that you can leave your gun holstered in when you take it off, without worry about it having absorbed water that it will use to grunge up your gun, and which will cover the trigger guard while the gun is unholstered. Are there good leather paddle holsters out there? Sure. But there are drawbacks, not the least of which is price.
i agree tam if you wear crocs then you don't have any sence of fashion at all!
Whether it holds the gun or not, that is simply ugly! "Sting ray accent"? It's a blob of stuff sewn on that serves no purpose and certainly doesn't look classy. Let us now turn to our litany,
St. Mitch Rosen preserve us...
St. Milt Sparks carry us well...
St. Kramer protect us...
St. Galco be our bearer...
But fashion is what one makes of it.
Matt - I agree with the sentiment regarding kydex holsters, but try a Comp Tac or a Blade Tech or even a Blackhawk. Once you've gone to a superior plastic holster, you'll not go back to the Fobus.
Tam,
You'd look nice wearing this Bikini made of ostrich leg.
http://www.bhlstore.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=966
Tam,
Are you trying to tell me you don't have a matching set of Crocs, Fobus holster and handbag in the closet?
:-)
Ed Rasimus:
St. Galco holds heterodox dogma, just thi sside of heresy, in that Galco will not make a holster for a 1911 with a Condition One retaining strap. If you aren't looking for a 1911 holster with a retaining strap, however. . .
Matt G -- You're spot on. My preferred rig is Commander IWB. My "travel" rig for overnights is usually a S&W M65 in a shoulder rig.
But I have a paddle rig for every single model of handgun in the house but two (the Baby Browning that never gets carried and the K-frames) to toss on on the way out the door -- and all but one are Fobus paddles. Gonna pick up a K-frame paddle and find a paddle speedloader pouch to complete the set.
Because I like options. Especially options I can exercise at the last minute.
Crocs are worn by the cooking staff.
I think a Fobus holster might be spruced up a bit with the application of Mighty Mend-All and some rhinestones and sequins.
Rick R:
I have a Galco "Fletch" holster. It retains my 1911 in Condition 1 just fine. They don't *recommend* carrying that way because the lawyers say they shouldn't, but the holster works fine to carry in any condition.
Regarding leather vs. plastic, my PPS has been riding around in a leather IWB holster for over a year now, and both the hardware and the holster have gotten more than soaked on more than one occasion... In none of them, however, did the leather cause any damage to the firearm, nor did it cause me any difficulty when removing the firearm. I took it out when I got home, disassembled it, dried it, oiled it, let the holster air dry, popped the firearm back in, and off we went - no deformation, no "gumming up", no nothing. Granted, the leather holster did leave a few interesting holster-prints on my underwear when I first started wearing it, but they washed out. In short, I have not yet had a problem with my leather, nor does it show any indications of failing in the near future... Of course, I also manage to regularly tend to my leather, lotioning and sealing it at least every other month.
Jeff the Baptist: Is there any chance you can provide some data for the second aspect of my RFI I put up a few months back? I certainly would be interested in any specifics.
jimbob86: I know I should not feed the trolls, but I suppose you can do better at an equivalent cost? No, it is not suitable for framing, but neither was it $120 and beyond. It gets the job done, and it looks about as good as I do - I cannot ask much more than that, and I am not willing to pay for any more than that (Lord knows my holster should not make me look bad). Also, I confess to being unaware that "eye candy" was a requirement for openly-carried sidearms - would some stick-on gems satisfy your aesthetic tastes?
Ed Rasimus: "But fashion is what one makes of it." - just so. Funny how people get so hung up about it, though, is it not?
Rick R, there's no heresy involved at Galco. Milt Sparks is from the same new testament, refusing to offer any holsters with retaining straps. I've been very comfortable for years carrying Condition 1 in a Kramer either IWB or outside the waistband.
I just ordered a Mitch Rosen USD-2 and he offers it for 1911's with a backing panel that shields the thumb safety against your skin which makes me feel as secure as I need to be.
I know a lot of LEO are required to have retention straps or some form of retention holster, so you may not get a choice.
Fashion? Where does that leave those of us who have never had any fashion sense whatsoever? Do we still get to have guns?
fast richard,
Yes. but only Taurus, Jennings and AMT.
Word verification: anticali <-- you bet!
Lord, forgive my allies who are wounded in the humor glands...
No Fobus for me.
Watched one break off it's own belt clip during a draw at a training session ... student drew pistol, and got pistol + three quarters of a Fobus.
No thanx ... I'll stick to Ted Blocker's stuff.
Well, in the immortal words of St. Arthur Larsen, 1920's Royal American Shows gun guru, "The less it shows, the greater the surprise."
Carrying in your bedroom is one thing. If you are going to carry in public, make it invisible. The less John Q. or the hoodie boys notice the better.
I'm kinda' large and lumpy, partial to N Frames in "Oh gawd, what a hole in that thing" calibers, and either an original brown horsehide Berns Martin or a Bianchi front break riding high under my coat does just fine. Or a Rem 51 in an IWB. Along with matching wingtips.
From widewideshoes.com in 11 6E no less. OF which I am just a pleased customer.
Stranger
Pink plastic holsters for pink plastic guns!
" ....but I suppose you can do better at an equivalent cost? No, it is not suitable for framing, but neither was it $120 and beyond."
Bianchi has several models for about 60 bucks available from Cabela's. True, they don't have extraneous fish skin stuck on them, but they also lack the sharpie marks and the fourth grader quality stitching. And they all work the first time.
Hint for leather workers out there: An overstitch wheel, aka stitching rowell, would staighten up that stitching ..... 4-H is fun!
I have so much to learn! The last time I carried open, I had the leather flap curled up a bit and the hole in it where it caught on the brass stud was neatsfooted to a level of softness just sufficient to keep it in place.
All I had to do was brush it with the ball of my thumb as I was drawing and the flap fell back out of the way.
There's a seam in the G.I. holster in just the right place to hook the front sight, cocking the slide/hammer with a short downward push and rotation after you lift it an inch or so, and the leather thong around the thigh kept things in place nicely.
Of course, the web belt might not have coordinated with too many civilian color schemes, but it was nicely balanced by the canteen, mag pouch, and FAkit. A certain utilitarian piquancy that might still play well in certain mileaus. Style is in the eye of the beholder.
And jimbob fails again. I did not pick Dave's holsters for its extraneous fish skin, nor solely for the fact that he was affordable. I picked him because he could actually do something Bianchi (and other mass-produced holsters) could not, and still cannot.
You are on your own as to what that is, though, given the fact that you are more interested in flinging childish insults than actually contributing something uesful.
Failed? I just pointed out the faults in workmanship: I dared to call the baby ugly.
As for childish insults, I don't think anything I said was childish. Nothing I said was untrue, either. As for something useful,I did offer a solution to one of the workmanship faults. Carry what you want, how you want. .... you paid for it.
Do blog commenters have to make full disclosure when we mention brand names? Dear FTC:
I got a fur sink from S.D. Myres;
Bucheimer gave me an electric dog polisher;
H.H. Heiser sent me a gasoline-powered turtleneck sweater;
and Tom Threepersons made me an Oklahoma seven-course meal (a serving of beans and six saltine crackers).
I haven't ordered from Blade-Tech yet; I think that I'll ask for a pony.
Rick R: The Fobus holsters have a vertical rake that is less than typical. My guns would stick occasionally during the draw. Took a heat gun and altered the angle to match my leather holsters.
jimbob86: If you read the blog referenced in Tam's, you will understand why it looks that way. That skin is difficult to work with.
Tremaine,
"I've owned and still own 1 fobus holster. I've owned several leather holsters for the same gun and they stretch and wear and start to smell. I have to replace them at 50-100+ dollars a holster every 1-2 years."
Dude, I've owned Fobus before. And yes, I know the virtues. Here are the downsides:
1) Yes, they do degrade. The composition that the Izzies use for their plastic holsters gets weaker over time and causes...
2) Tearing at the rivets; a problem endemic to Fobus holsters.
If you gotta have a synthetic rig, go with kydex. Heck, even a cheap Uncle Mike's kydex holster is better than Fobus.
And if you were needing a new leather holster every 1-2 years, you must be doing some bad things to those holsters. I know of at least one Galco IWB that's been in daily service for at least a dozen years, and that's a Summer Comfort in thin cow, not heavy horse.
There are some pistol/holster combinations that are just plain wrong. Like my brother showing up at hunting camp with a nickel-plated, ivory-stocked Colt's SAA in an Uncle Mike's nylon holster. I'm not putting down Uncle Mike's holsters (I do own a few, they are good utilitarian holsters), but putting an old SAA in one seemed almost like heresy.
Guys,
I didn;t say you MUST have a retaining strap on a 1911 holster. My Commander normally goes to town in a Milt Sparks SSII. In that case, no retaining strap needed -- which is why I said, "If you aren't looking for a 1911 holster with a retaining strap, however. . . "
I'll happily carry a Galco rig for my 1911 -- so long as it doesn't have a retaining strap. Note that their very fine horizontal shoulder rigs kinda NEED retaining straps that disengage positively, so I'd never use a Galco holster componant for one.
But the point is that Galco holsters with retaining straps are sized so they WON'T go between the hammer and frame and still operate positively. "Too Loose" is Bad JuJu for a thumbreak.
Will -- Maybe it's just me, but I've found that I can get a positive break on any of teh plastic holster with a slight "snatch" at the beginning of teh draw stroke -- and it doesn't affect draws with leather to have such a snatch programmed in. As for LEOs, I would just recommend that if they need a secure holster AND they normally carry a 1911, maybe they should look at another manufacturer whose lawyers don't promulgate UNSAFE carry methods out of misplaced liability concerns (it's misplaced if you make yourself ACTUALLy more liable in your supposed mitigation. . . )
Tam & Tremaine -- Could be body chemistry, and his sweat is causing the leather to be damaged at a higher rate than normal.
Tam,
good to know about the degradation problem with Fobus. My two are about 6 years old, I'll have to take a close look at the rivet area. Not much use, just a couple classes where I wanted an OWB option.
As far as leather, I have a Mitch Rosen ARG {IWB} from his first production ('94}. Still in great condition, heavy use.
Got an Aker shoulder rig about 20 yrs old, lots of use, still good. Hmmmm, it's actually a Frankenstein. Aker holster with mods, Galco harness (prints less) with mods, nylon 4 mag belt pouch hung on end {it's no wider than a double leather pouch with Officers mags in it).
I'm a big fan of Fobus and have worn them in competition for almost 10 years without a mishap (match day is the only day I routinely OC), but then I've been ignoring the fashion police since Junior High. I've got several Galcos, including a FED Paddle with retention strap that works great (but I understand it's been discontinued). I don't OC to impress anyone (so it's usually an ugly Glock), but if I would ever become such a social butterfly as to need a Barbecue Gun, I'm sure I could dig up something nice out of the gun safe and holster box.
wordverf: sighter
My holsters are all beautiful, but I might just be considered biased. ;)
Ok, the first holster was not so beautiful, but then, it did help inspire a holster maker that has made me every holster since.
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