True Custom/New Holster Design

Mark Garrity · June 17th, 2007, 11:22 PM

One of the things that keeps me so backlogged on orders is that I strive to give the customer exactly what they want and specify. If a design or style they want is not pictured on my web-site, I will work with the customer to create something to their specifications. I believe that this is the meaning of true custom, and as time consuming and labor intensive as that is, I do not intend to deviate from such offerings, with the customers understanding that such things will take time working them in between other orders.
This is a recent holster that is an example of something specially tailored to the individual client. It was over a year in the making, with numerous prototypes made of scrap leather tried and tested and sent back and forth with little notations before the customer settled on the actual design. The forward angle is very extreme to say the least. This customer is rather thin, and wanted to carry a full-size 5" 1911 concealed. The holsters he had tried and been unhappy with, aside from my own In-Cognito and Changeling (which still could not be adjusted to enough cant to satisfy) read like a who's who of the best-of-the-best holsters out there. Over a dozen designs that did not work for him.
He specified a cant that would place the grip almost vertical when worn on the side. What made this especially difficult design-wise for me was the fact that he is wrong-handed (damn lefties!) so none of the prototypes felt quite right on me anyway. Here is the end result, which he reports he is extremely pleased with.

It is cordovan-dyed leather with black shark-skin accents:

Basically a modified in-Cognito, but it was necessary to move the front loop onto the pistol to allow it to seat as deep as possible. The rear sight is basically on the waistband. The forward wing of leather is still necessary to stabalize it and pull the front in, which is why we went with a two piece construction instead of front-wrap design.

Yes, it works well SOB too, though I know that is not his intent.

That smooth-as-silk kangaroo lining that I rave about:

Thanks for looking!

Bud White · June 17th, 2007, 11:24 PM

Very nice mark how much and what's the wait time.. should have sent the prototypes to me I'm a lefty

not sure i would want that extreme cant but might be interesting to try

DirtDawg · June 17th, 2007, 11:25 PM

Very nice!

Now thats why there's a backlog...

falkon · June 17th, 2007, 11:27 PM

Well worth the wait.

rocky · June 17th, 2007, 11:27 PM

Wow, looks great. Too much cant for my taste, but the holster looks excellent. LH'ed shooter here too.

P95Carry · June 17th, 2007, 11:30 PM

I Love cant - but maybe not quite that degree - I can tho see how that could be useful.

Lovely piece of work (of art!).

AnimalKracker · June 18th, 2007, 12:02 AM

That is one nice looking outfit. I bet you get a lot of inquires on it.

Thumper · June 18th, 2007, 12:13 AM

Mark,

Can we expect to see the In-Cognito Extreem Cant on your products page anytime soon?

floridaguy911 · June 18th, 2007, 12:14 AM

interesting design. I dont think its for me, but I wouldnt mind trying it out to see how it felt. I too, bet you get several requests for it.

retsupt99 · June 18th, 2007, 01:19 AM

That is a nice looking holster...the cant would seem to work better for SOB than strong side...but that's just me...

ret

June 17th, 2007, 11:22 PM	#1
Mark Garrity Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Phoenix,AZ Posts: 313	True Custom/New Holster Design One of the things that keeps me so backlogged on orders is that I strive to give the customer exactly what they want and specify. If a design or style they want is not pictured on my web-site, I will work with the customer to create something to their specifications. I believe that this is the meaning of true custom, and as time consuming and labor intensive as that is, I do not intend to deviate from such offerings, with the customers understanding that such things will take time working them in between other orders. This is a recent holster that is an example of something specially tailored to the individual client. It was over a year in the making, with numerous prototypes made of scrap leather tried and tested and sent back and forth with little notations before the customer settled on the actual design. The forward angle is very extreme to say the least. This customer is rather thin, and wanted to carry a full-size 5" 1911 concealed. The holsters he had tried and been unhappy with, aside from my own In-Cognito and Changeling (which still could not be adjusted to enough cant to satisfy) read like a who's who of the best-of-the-best holsters out there. Over a dozen designs that did not work for him. He specified a cant that would place the grip almost vertical when worn on the side. What made this especially difficult design-wise for me was the fact that he is wrong-handed (damn lefties!) so none of the prototypes felt quite right on me anyway. Here is the end result, which he reports he is extremely pleased with. It is cordovan-dyed leather with black shark-skin accents: Basically a modified in-Cognito, but it was necessary to move the front loop onto the pistol to allow it to seat as deep as possible. The rear sight is basically on the waistband. The forward wing of leather is still necessary to stabalize it and pull the front in, which is why we went with a two piece construction instead of front-wrap design. Yes, it works well SOB too, though I know that is not his intent. That smooth-as-silk kangaroo lining that I rave about: Thanks for looking! __________________ "He who makes things with his hands is a laborer, he who makes things with his hands and his head is a craftsman, he who makes things with his hands, his head, and his heart is an artist." www.garritysgunleather.com

June 17th, 2007, 11:25 PM	#3
DirtDawg Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Sunnyville Posts: 598	Very nice! Now thats why there's a backlog... __________________ Why is it that you always find things at the last place you looked? Because when you find something-you stop looking-Mooch

June 17th, 2007, 11:27 PM	#4
falkon Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: North Carolina Posts: 377	Well worth the wait. __________________ There are 10 types of people in the world: Those who understand binary, and those that don't.

June 17th, 2007, 11:27 PM	#5
rocky Senior Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: MI Posts: 13,079	Wow, looks great. Too much cant for my taste, but the holster looks excellent. LH'ed shooter here too. __________________ "In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." Thomas Jefferson Nemo Me Impune Lacesset Link to my kydex builds:http://rocknloadkydex.blogspot.com/

June 17th, 2007, 11:30 PM	#6
P95Carry Assistant Administrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: South West PA Posts: 25,468	I Love cant - but maybe not quite that degree - I can tho see how that could be useful. Lovely piece of work (of art!). __________________ Chris - P95 NRA Certified Instructor & NRA Life Member. "To own a gun and assume that you are armed is like owning a piano and assuming that you are a musician!." If a BG dies as the result of pointing a gun at me, then he has merely succumbed to an occupational hazard of being a thug

June 17th, 2007, 11:24 PM	#2
Bud White VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Gone from Here Posts: 17,375	Very nice mark how much and what's the wait time.. should have sent the prototypes to me I'm a lefty not sure i would want that extreme cant but might be interesting to try

June 18th, 2007, 12:02 AM	#7
AnimalKracker Distinguished Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Eastern Arkansas Posts: 1,382	That is one nice looking outfit. I bet you get a lot of inquires on it.

June 18th, 2007, 12:13 AM	#8
Thumper VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Nevada Posts: 5,586	Mark, Can we expect to see the In-Cognito Extreem Cant on your products page anytime soon? __________________ USMC 1968-1971 ALWAYS carry! - NEVER tell! *"Don't go to stupid places, with stupid people, and do stupid things!"*

June 18th, 2007, 12:14 AM	#9
floridaguy911 Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: FLORIDA Posts: 487	interesting design. I dont think its for me, but I wouldnt mind trying it out to see how it felt. I too, bet you get several requests for it. __________________ N.R.A. Member G.O.A. Member Unified Sportsmen of Florida Member

June 18th, 2007, 01:19 AM	#10
retsupt99 VIP Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Central Florida Posts: 22,750	That is a nice looking holster...the cant would seem to work better for SOB than strong side...but that's just me... ret __________________ "That I cannot do." "Give this to, uh, Clemenza. I want reliable people, people who aren't going to be carried away. After all we're not murderers in spite of what this undertaker thinks." *********************************** NRA Life Member

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