New Holster on its Way - Update: Pictures!

[barres]

I ordered a new leather OWB holster for my 4" GP100 at the end of last week from a guy I "met" on another forum who is starting his own custom holster/leather shop. The pictures I have seen of his other work is impressive and the testimonials of those that have already received their holsters from him are glowing, to say the least. The best part is the turn around time right now is roughly 2 - 3 weeks!

His lineup currently consists of a basic opentop pancake-type OWB holster, a tuckable IWB holster, and single- and double- mag holsters. He can make holsters for several handguns, and the list is expanding all the time (he had to order the blue gun for my GP holster). He just created a website, which is still under construction. It can be found here: Holsters by RGrizzle. The proprietor's name is Ryan Grizzle.

I will post pictures and a review of my new holster once it has come in and I have a chance to wear it for a bit. Hopefully that will be in a couple of weeks!

[barres]

I received the holster last night. That means that there was less than two weeks between the time we settled the final details for my holster via e-mail and the time I had the holster in my hands. Or, to put it another way, I had my holster in my hand exactly one week after Ryan had his money order in his hand. I know as his business grows, he won't be able to maintain this speedy turn-around time, but I am impressed, to say the least!

And fast doesn't equal shoddy workmanship. This holster is not a BBQ rig meant to be shown off with fancy border stamping. It is a no-nonsense OWB concealment holster. But that is not to say it is ugly. The stitching is even and consistent. The black dye is evenly applied and buffed to what I would describe as a matte gloss (a little shine, but not too much). The cuts were all exact and perfectly rounded/smoothed. It is sturdy and very well made. The specs were for 1.5" belt slots, and the belt slots are 1.5", so there is no slop or play in the holster when drawing. It is anchored securely to the belt. The leather is thick, but well-formed to my GP100, and retention is excellent. The trigger is properly covered, but not the entire trigger guard, so the holster is not in the way at all of getting a good grip when drawing.

Like any good pancake holster, this one was tight when I first got it. My first draw felt like it was going to rip my pants off of me. After wearing the holster for a couple of hours, though, the holster has already broken in to the point of providing a secure fit while allowing a smooth, quick draw. No plastic bags, wax paper, or leather lotions required. At this point, reholstering still takes a little effort because of the "shelf" formed by the cylinder protruding from the frame. Given a few more draws and reholsterings, I seriously doubt that will continue to be an issue.

The inside of the holster is not lined, but is slicked down by a process/material that Ryan could describe, but I cannot. I will simply say it provides for a smooth interior of the holster without a soft lining which can catch dirt and debris that can scratch and mar the finish of a gun.

In looking at the pictures of Ryan's other work, I had some concerns about the cant of his revolver holsters. His pistol holsters were all pretty aggressively canted, but his revolver holsters looked less so. I had discussed this with him in my e-mails, since I wanted a fairly aggressive cant, so the butt of my GP didn't print when I carried it concealed in this new holster. Ryan assured me that he would put a more aggressive cant into my holster, and he did. I could not be happier with the cant. The end of the butt of my GP is right in against my side, instead of poking out, which is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you Ryan for listening to my needs and modifying your design to fit it. And still beating my expectation for turn-around time!

Am I pleased with my new holster? No. Pleased doesn't come anywhere near close enough. Ecstatic would be a better description. If you're in the market for a new OWB or tuckable IWB holster, magazine holster, or now rifle sling, you simply cannot go wrong with RGrizzle Leather. I will follow up with pictures as soon as I can find the USB cable for my digital camera.

[thankGod]

Congrats on the new holster! Now, where's the pics?

[barres]

Haven't found that blasted USB cable.

[jiannichan]

Thats cool man! Post some pictures when you get a chance. I just ordered another Supertuck. I might order a holster from RGrizzle as well. They look pretty nice on the site.

[barres]

First the holster by itself. I apologize for my lack of photography skills.


Looking into the holster with my GP100 for which the holster was made:


The GP100 in the holster:


The holster mounted on my Beltman belt:


The holster mounted on my Beltman belt with my GP100 in it:



This holster has broken in beautifully! I love this holster! I absolutely could not be happier with Ryan of RGrizzle Leather.