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I've been wearing this one for about 2 months now, whenever I have the need for IWB carry, and feel like I have enough time invested in using this holster to share my honest opinion of it.
In case the name isn't familiar, Caldwell Gunleather sells handmade holsters through an E-bay store. I'll spare everyone the full story behind the maker (it's easily found online if you're interested- I did my research before buying), except to say he has years of professional experience at a big name, high end holster company. From what I can see from his work, he is indeed a talented craftsman.
My holster is the "Missouri Slick" leather IWB holster, built for the full size 1911. Price at time of purchase was $50, a steal for a well made leather holster. The one I received has the rough side out on both pieces of leather, unlike the pic shown on the website (unless it's been updated)- not a suprise to me, as it was mentioned in the listing. It may not be as cosmetically attractive as the one in the E-bay pic, but it is practical- and it spends most of the time hidden in your pants anyway.
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Delivery time was approximately 2 weeks from the date of ordering. On first viewing, it's instantly apparent that the holster is built for heavy use. The backing is a piece of 8-9 oz. leather, and the front appears to be 6-7 oz. leather. The most impressive thing to me was the molding-the gun fits like a glove, and the holster is rigid enough to stay open for one hand reholstering. It's almost like it was molded from kydex!
Stitching is neatly done, with straight lines and neatly finished ends. The leather also appears to have been cemented before stitching as well, and it was done very cleanly. The black finish is nicely done, with no sign of the "fuzziness" that rough-side-out leather tends to have. All the edges are also nicely finished and smooth. I did enhance the lines of the gun some with a boning tool, so keep that in mind if you order one and the lines aren't as visible on your holster (I was bored one night).
Belt loops are finished leather strips with heavy duty snaps at the top. The straps are secured using tee nuts sewn between the two layers, to which the straps are attached via a screw passing through the male snap. I like this setup, as I can make my own straps or hooks to replace the ones I have if needed. The straps are made of thinner leather than I prefer (same thickness as the front of the holster), but seem to work just fine.
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The holster rides high, and sits on a slight forward cant. I normally prefer a lower riding holster with more cant, but once I got used to it it does make for a comfortable carry. It conceals very well, and the design allows a full grip while the gun is still in the holster. There is a shield between the safety and your body as well. I assume it's mostly for comfort, but it also works great with my draw style- my thumb sits on it when I get my grip, and when I draw I push down on it and my thumb automatically hits the safety (but doesn't fully disengage it until the muzzle is pointed forward, at least with my draw stroke).
It does appear that the holster is molded around a dummy gun made in condition 2, with the traditional small tab safety (it's fairly common, most don't seek out a "cocked-and-locked" training gun for holster forming), but this wasn't an issue as my safety wan't disengaged and the shield quickly took a new set around my larger, engaged safety. I detent all my 1911 thumb safeties anyway, but those with easily moved safeties may want to take note.
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So to wrap things up: If you find yourself looking at one of these in the future, don't be afraid to pull the trigger on it! The quality is easily on par with some of the more expensive holsters, and at around half the price. I know other holster styles and gun models are also available, but I am not familiar enough to give a complete list. However, I do recall seeing holsters listed for the Glock, Springfield XD, Hi Power, and other 1911 models as well.
Thanks for reading!
In case the name isn't familiar, Caldwell Gunleather sells handmade holsters through an E-bay store. I'll spare everyone the full story behind the maker (it's easily found online if you're interested- I did my research before buying), except to say he has years of professional experience at a big name, high end holster company. From what I can see from his work, he is indeed a talented craftsman.
My holster is the "Missouri Slick" leather IWB holster, built for the full size 1911. Price at time of purchase was $50, a steal for a well made leather holster. The one I received has the rough side out on both pieces of leather, unlike the pic shown on the website (unless it's been updated)- not a suprise to me, as it was mentioned in the listing. It may not be as cosmetically attractive as the one in the E-bay pic, but it is practical- and it spends most of the time hidden in your pants anyway.
Delivery time was approximately 2 weeks from the date of ordering. On first viewing, it's instantly apparent that the holster is built for heavy use. The backing is a piece of 8-9 oz. leather, and the front appears to be 6-7 oz. leather. The most impressive thing to me was the molding-the gun fits like a glove, and the holster is rigid enough to stay open for one hand reholstering. It's almost like it was molded from kydex!
Stitching is neatly done, with straight lines and neatly finished ends. The leather also appears to have been cemented before stitching as well, and it was done very cleanly. The black finish is nicely done, with no sign of the "fuzziness" that rough-side-out leather tends to have. All the edges are also nicely finished and smooth. I did enhance the lines of the gun some with a boning tool, so keep that in mind if you order one and the lines aren't as visible on your holster (I was bored one night).
Belt loops are finished leather strips with heavy duty snaps at the top. The straps are secured using tee nuts sewn between the two layers, to which the straps are attached via a screw passing through the male snap. I like this setup, as I can make my own straps or hooks to replace the ones I have if needed. The straps are made of thinner leather than I prefer (same thickness as the front of the holster), but seem to work just fine.
The holster rides high, and sits on a slight forward cant. I normally prefer a lower riding holster with more cant, but once I got used to it it does make for a comfortable carry. It conceals very well, and the design allows a full grip while the gun is still in the holster. There is a shield between the safety and your body as well. I assume it's mostly for comfort, but it also works great with my draw style- my thumb sits on it when I get my grip, and when I draw I push down on it and my thumb automatically hits the safety (but doesn't fully disengage it until the muzzle is pointed forward, at least with my draw stroke).
It does appear that the holster is molded around a dummy gun made in condition 2, with the traditional small tab safety (it's fairly common, most don't seek out a "cocked-and-locked" training gun for holster forming), but this wasn't an issue as my safety wan't disengaged and the shield quickly took a new set around my larger, engaged safety. I detent all my 1911 thumb safeties anyway, but those with easily moved safeties may want to take note.
So to wrap things up: If you find yourself looking at one of these in the future, don't be afraid to pull the trigger on it! The quality is easily on par with some of the more expensive holsters, and at around half the price. I know other holster styles and gun models are also available, but I am not familiar enough to give a complete list. However, I do recall seeing holsters listed for the Glock, Springfield XD, Hi Power, and other 1911 models as well.
Thanks for reading!
