What about holsters?

dougie said:

Unfortunately most manufacturers never consider how their products will be carried and subsequently don't take into account how the aesthetics of a light can compromise what sort of holster it can fit in.

Most (but not all) nylon holsters are neither durable or easy to get the light into or out of in a hurry. Rigid plastic holsters are seldom supplied by manufacturers and the third party ones are usually a poor compromise in form or functionality.

Of course I accept the argument that some will be happy carrying a light in a trouser pocket or jacket. I can also see that some may require a protective type cover because they value their purchase and want to minimize unnecessary wear. However, many of the lights aimed at the LEO and military seem to defy logic in how they can be carried and deployed easily.

IMHO,Surefire got reasonably close to a good solution with the V70. However,this has drawbacks too. The V70 allows bezel up or down carry but it can't be incanted. It also isn't easily detached from a duty belt because it has a solid belt loop. If the V70 had incorporated a Tek-Lok style attachment and allowed incanted carry for varying styles of carry it would (IMHO) be nearly perfect.

Blackhawk tried to accommodate the above ideas with their plastic Gladius holster but made the holster too bulky and have had issues with the plastic arms loosing tension over time. They also tried to provide additional security for safely carrying the Gladius by using a rubber strap. This turned into a bit of a joke as the strap quickly broke or became lost. It also failed in ensuring that your Gladius wasn't lost by inadvertent deployment from the holster when involved in physically demanding environments.

Of course plastic does have its limitations and most rigid holsters that I've seen may have problems in extremely cold environments.

I personally think that metal clips are of dubious use. Why? Quite simply because most are a compromise and offer either something that is too short or too long for the belt or pocket they will be used with. Quite often the clip only allows the light to be carried in a bezel up and is impossible to adjust for an alternative carry. Surefire's E1b does have a great pocket clip which allows bezel up or down carry but lacks great grip. *And yes I've adjusted mine with pliers!*

Although I've not seen it for sale the plastic holster which First-Light are bringing to market for their Tomahawk flashlight appears (from the photo's I've seen) to offer a reasonably integrated solution for holstering. Whether it is as effective or easy to use as it appears is a question that still awaits an answer.

Next time you buy a flashlight (particularly if you are a LEO or military type) ask yourself what sort of holster does the manufacturer offer or suggest with their light? Does it allow you the option of how you can carry it securely and yet allow easy deployment and re-holstering easily? My thoughts are that in the majority of cases the carry options are either very limited or non-existent which is a shame isn't it?

Doug

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yaesumofo said:

Concealco makes great leather holsters. Bezel down. 6P is no problem.
They are well priced (around $20.00) and made to order so they sometimes take a few weeks.

They even marked mine with my initials (free)

Yaesumofo

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