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Last October I bought my first black plastic handgun. SA XD45.
All the old hands around here know that I name all my shooters but have not come up w/ a name for this one yet.
Every gun needs a holster. I ran a WTB ad & our own RiverRat responded wanting to make one & get a little design help starting a holster business. A really good friendship has developed & I like what he has built.



The Proto Types of holster & several mag pouches are excellent. His gear is all completely hand made. That is hand cut, hand boned, hand sewn. Stitch lines are streight & uniform. I have seen a lot of home hand made, first holsters. He is first class. Holster fit the gun w/ excellent retention. Draw is smooth & w/o drag coming out. I am almost 100% OWB. I require a holster to stay open for easy reholster. Hand cut belt loops are an exact fit for a 1.5" belt. The holster does not rock & is tight to my body.


Holster & mag pouches have a subtle arc that conforms to the body shape very easily.


Clint Smith reminds us all that conceal carry is supposed to be comforting not comfortable. The XD is comforting. The Holster is comfortable. You can have both.
Starting up he is able to make holsters for the guns he owns.
Gun Types: 1911 all except EMP (3",3.5",4",4.25",5"), Springfield XD all: (sub,compact,service,tactical), Colt SAA, LCP
He will do IWB designs also.
If you need gear for any of the above guns, dont want a 7-12 month or more wait, give him a try. I am very pleased & think you will be too.
Contact him at: Robert (Cotton) Inks, 1706 Channel Road, Austin, TX 78746, 512-327-5858. cottoni@gmail.com

Great review LT. Thanks for sharing.

Awesome job there RiverRat. Very nice quality work!

Wow! Thanks for the kind review, Longtooth. Nice photos, too. I need to copy for my website that doesn't exist. Keith, this has been as much fun as it has been a challenge. Longtooth is well versed in understanding his requirements for a holster.

Good job fellows.

OK guys, I fixed the email.

That is one good looking holster & mag carrier! Good job RiverRat! You can see the quality that's built in.



I think that a pent up demand in quality holsters exists, and if you decide to delve into this venture, you will be rewarded!

River Rat, that is some really fine first class work.

I'm now jealous of LT and find myself hankering for one of these fine rigs.

My wife says I don't need another holster.

I think she may be wrong.

And now for the all important question.(I hope this isn't rude)

How much would a basic OWB holster cost for a Springfield XD subcompact (for example) ?

Hey RiverRat, be sure to let us know when you start makin 'em for other gun types (CZ75D Compact for example! ).

Cheers!!

Excaliber wrote:River Rat, that is some really fine first class work.

I'm now jealous of LT and find myself hankering for one of these fine rigs.

My wife says I don't need another holster.

I think she may be wrong.

It's ok, my wife said YOU need one. Suspect your wife trumps mine at your house. Personally, I always wanted an Tucker HF1 with the full tooling ......so I made one for a little S&W wheel gun yesterday to see if could.



The problem is now MY wife wants me to make her a couple of them for her guns....I guess she's worth it...debating the profit for ME..

I'll get a price list together on a web site somewhere soon. Still discussing with the wife the business options/liabilities. Looks like designing and making holsters is only going to amount to 8 hours a day and 10% of the work.....

USA - I'm starting them at $60 for pancakes, $80 for the flatback moldeds like LT's above, since they are all custom, hand made, hand stained, no problem with cant angle changes, belt sizes/widths, colors, that kind of thing. Tooling and stitching are the most time consuming parts of the process and add costs. I like the ability to make every holster a little unique and personal. I bought a quart of black dye and haven't opened it yet....colors are too much fun.

RiverRat wrote: I bought a quart of black dye and haven't opened it yet....colors are too much fun.

Now you're talking my language. Most people here don't know this , but I own my business that specializes in
Leather repair and Leather dying. Been doing that for 23 years now , mostly in the automotive industry.

very impressive work, RiverRat.

When I'm looking for a new holster, I'll let you know. You're in Austin, correct?

USA1 wrote:

RiverRat wrote: I bought a quart of black dye and haven't opened it yet....colors are too much fun.

Now you're talking my language. Most people here don't know this , but I own my business that specializes in
Leather repair and Leather dying. Been doing that for 23 years now , mostly in the automotive industry.

That's good info to know. I know where to go for advice. I used to build street rods and show cars as a hobby before kids absorbed (still in process after six years and counting) all my toy money by going to college.

I've been experimenting with colors, trying to get away from the black/brown thing. I realize black is always there if you want to cover your mistakes .

Here are some color experiments. I hope they show up some for you in these pics. I'm not the world's gift to photography. They look a lot different in the sunlight. I'll try again if the sun ever comes back out.

An XDsub holster I made for my stepdaughter with an oxblood dye. It is a #4 grade tool leather with grain and scars. Gives it character. The inside color is a wash of sealant and dye. Almost looks like its lined. She likes it because it's almost pinkish.


The inside shot.


My 4"XD45 compact holster using shades of dark brown for a wood grain effect with a #4 tool grade leather for grain and character. (#1 is the best for slick finish)


A funky back loop/belt loop holster idea that I can wear on either side that I built for my Ruger SP101 (my snake gun holster on the ranch) in oxblood...tried to make darker gradiants of the same color down in the stitching and stampings.



What do you think? Too racy? Over the top? Looks pretty conservative and unique to me for variant single color.

ghostrider wrote:very impressive work, RiverRat.

When I'm looking for a new holster, I'll let you know. You're in Austin, correct?

Sorry, i missed your question. I'm in Austin.

Ever consider or try a pink dye? No not for me I am NOT a pink lover, but there is a good market for pink in the firearm industry. A matching pink holster for all of those pink guns should do well.