Dragon Leatherworks

I have to give a plug to Dennis over at Dragon Leatherworks. I mentioned him and his Fugly holster back in March after he sent me a review copy. I never put up a followup post here. Short form: the holster is VERY comfortable, but is not suitable for the PM9.

Dennis and I spent fifteen or twenty minutes chatting about the quibbles I had with the holster at the NRA Convention in Pittsburgh, and I think we both reach the same conclusion - the Fugly and the Kahr just weren't meant to be. The biggest problem was one of size - the Fugly does most of its retention on the forward end of the gun, and there just ain't that much of a "forward" on a subcompact-9. This is not to say that the gun isn't retained - it is - but in order to keep the grip above the belt line for a draw, the trigger guard is exposed more than I'm comfortable with. I found that without much effort (but it did take conscious effort), I could get a finger into the trigger guard while the gun was holstered and manipulate the trigger.

In terms of comfort, however, the Fugly is absolutely unmatched in my experience. The wide backing and large body shield made carry a pleasure, with none of the odd kidney jabs I've come to expect from the current holster I'm using. I will probably be ordering a Fugly for one of my mid-size autos like the 4053 (Dennis, can you mold for that?).

Also on the topic of Dragon Leatherworks - the Talon holster. This is what a holster is meant to be. Dennis provided me (and a few others) with a Talon for the Gunnie Prom, and it is gorgeous. Burgundy sunburst with a python accent/inlay, and it just looked amazing with the park'd 1911 and Ahrends cocobolo grips.



On prom night, from left to right:
JayG, with a Dragon Flatjack holding a S&W 360.
ZerCool, with a Dragon Talon holding a Springfield 1911A1.
LinkP, with a Dragon Talon holding a 1911A1 (not sure on make - RIA or Springfield?).
WeerdBeard with a Dragon Flatjack holding a S&W 1911Sc.
Dragon himself, with a crossdraw Talon and Magnum Research 1911G.

For comparison sake, go find another holster maker that does a custom leather holster - with exotic inlay - and price it out.

Done that? Probably pushing on towards $200, isn't it?

Dennis will have a Talon with python inlay in your hands for $140 (+s/h).

Can't beat that. Or the warranty:

Dragon Leatherworks warrants its products:

• Fugly: Five Year Limited to Original Purchaser;
• Pistol Pouch: Ten Year Limited to Original Purchaser;
• All other products: Limited Lifetime to Original Purchaser;

to be free from manufacturing defects or material workmanship. Should the riveting, stitching, or hardware of a Dragon Leatherworks holster fail during normal use to the original owner as limited above, the holster can be returned to Dragon Leatherworks to be repaired free of charge. Shipping charges for warranty repairs are the responsibility of Dragon Leatherworks. This warranty does not cover naturally occurring marks, brands, or scars which may be present on its surface; said marks, brands, and scars being part of a natural product such as genuine leather, the type of which is the main component of Dragon Leatherworks holsters.

Lifetime warranty. Custom holster worthy of court or BBQ. Handmade one at a time to your specs.

What's not to like? Why haven't you ordered yet?


Disclaimer: Dennis/Dragon Leatherworks provided both the original Fugly and the above-pictured Talon in exchange for a review. Dennis specifically told me, "If it sucks, say so."

They don't suck. Thanks again, Dennis!

Dragon Leatherworks

Dennis from Dragon Leatherworks got in touch with me last fall about a review model of his "Fugly" holster. He got slowed down on my model by actual paying customers (woohoo!) and it arrived a few weeks ago.

I haven't worn it for any significant length of time just yet, and I'm still writing back and forth with Dennis about things I've noticed/experienced/wondered about.

Construction is unquestionably top-notch and the holster seems to be very comfortable when I've worn it around the house. I haven't had it to the range for practice yet, but hope to in the next week or two.

So - full review pending, but I did want to get this up here - especially since Dragon has a beautiful new site up!

Holster muse

I expect I'll be ordering a better IWB holster for the PM9 in the next week or so... the only question is, which one?

I had an IWB model from Lobo Gun Leather with the 242. Quality is top notch but I didn't really carry the gun often so can't comment on long-term comfort.

I have an inexpensive IWB from JMG Holsters for the 642. While functional, it leaves a bit to be desired. The High Noon that came with the PM9 is in the same boat - it holds the gun securely, but isn't ideal.

I've narrowed down my choice to either another IWB from Lobo (about $60) or a CrossBreed Minituck, which is ugly as sin, a little more expensive, and I have ZERO experience with - but it gets excellent reviews.

So - is there anyone out there who has experience with BOTH the Lobo and the Crossbreed? I'd also welcome input on just the Crossbreed.

Lobo Gun Leather

Alright, I sang the praises of the holster, the holster maker, and his customer service, and today I finally got out to take a few pictures. (Forgive the slight washout; it was brighter out than I realized!) S&W 242Ti in a Lobo Gun Leather IWB holster, with 7-shot dump pouch.



















The last picture is the 642 in the JMG Holster I got. It's not a bad holster. It holds the gun securely and wears well. It is, however, not as comfortable as the Lobo Gun Leather in the first several pictures.

And the price of that Lobo work? Almost impossible to beat. $80 for the holster, dump pouch, and an extra set of belt loops.

Holster, revisited

Until ... well, today ... I'd been carrying my 642 in a $35 IWB from JMG Holsters. It's not a bad holster, but was lacking something.

When I got the 242, I looked around for holsters and found... nothing. The problem with a low-production gun is that there aren't many holsters for it. I emailed Ray over at Lobo Gun Leather and asked what he could do.

He got right back to me with a price, and I sent out payment. He emailed me Wednesday morning to say my holster and accessories were done and going out in the mail, and included a couple quick snapshots of them. He also apologized for the delay (five weeks instead of the normal 3-4), as he'd goofed the dump pouch (made it six shots instead of seven) and wanted to make sure he sent the proper equipment.

Well, it arrived Friday, and looks fantastic. Nicely formed leather, both sets of belt loops are nicely formed and edged, dump pouch holds the expected seven shots beautifully ... just a wonderful product overall.

I'll definitely be ordering from him again, and for anyone looking for a semi-custom holster, I can't recommend him enough. Look for pics later today or tomorrow!

Straw poll

Alright, I'm curious ... I know I'm not the only guy (or gal) out there who has an other-half not so into guns. I consider myself luckier than some, though; MrsZ enjoys shooting (it's a zen thing for her) but doesn't choose to carry.

We went out last week for an "open house" with a company whose name starts with "Direct" and ends with "Buy". That's a whole story by itself but the short form is: they suck, it's a scam, and it's all high-pressure sales schtick. Avoid.

In any case, the store is in a city about 90 minutes from home, and this city is known for having some less-than-desirable areas. It's not shocking to hear their name on the news following the words "shooting in" or "murder in".

I almost always have a pistol within easy reach, but don't carry 100% of the time. I chose to carry for this trip. I tucked my Bersa .380 into it's IWB holster around 5-5:30 and slipped an extra mag into a front pocket of my jeans. Tucked my shirt over the butt and threw on a flannel shirt. Off to pick up the wife and then on to the store. We went through the tour, listened to the sales schlock, then did one more bit of tour.

As we were walking out of the room from the sales pitch, MrsZ put her hand on my back, presumably to knead some knots out ... and instead put her hand directly on the butt of the pistol. She jerked her hand back like she'd been burned, and kinda gave me a funny look, but didn't say anything about it.

So ... the question/request: anecdotes about spouses not realizing you're carrying, and reacting one way or another?