holsters Archives - Smith and Edwards Blog

Look out, Utah! There is a new brand of gun holsters in the state and they are exclusively at Smith and Edwards. We know you are going to love them.

CarryMeGear is owned and operated by Smith and Edwards’ own Mike Vause, right here in Ogden, UT. Mike is the Sporting Goods manager here and we are super excited to be carrying his handmade gun holsters!

Mike has spent most of his professional career in the shooting sports industry. For years, he has been looking for something new to bring to this growing market.

“I have owned and tried many holster styles and brands,” he explained, “and decided to take some elements that I like and incorporate them into my thoughts and needs. I woke up one morning and said, ‘Let’s do this!'”

After a lot of work, trial and error, collaboration and help from his good friends, the first CarryMeGear Inside-the-Waistband (IWB) holster came to be.

Why Carry with Kydex?

Carry Me Gear holsters are made out of Kydex, which is a thermal plastic designed for heating and shaping for custom fit. Kydex is lightweight and durable, lasting longer than other materials.

Why is Kydex superior? It is thinner and easier to conceal, and it is sweat and weather resistant. You no longer have to wait for your holster to dry out, making these the perfect holsters for backpacking and hiking.

This Springfield XDS doesn’t print with the CarryMeGear holster in kidney position.

What sets CarryMeGear Apart?

When asked what sets CarryMeGear apart from brands we carry, Mike said, “The difference is adjustability of attachment and fit to the body. It spreads the load over a larger area than single attachment designs, and is sleeker than other 2-point, soft-back styles.”

Still, the greatest things that set these holsters apart are: 1) they are handmade right in Ogden, so you’ll be supporting a local business, and 2) they are about $10 less expensive than other great brands!

Additionally, each CarryMeGear holster is hand-fitted to a mold of the exact model of gun, and hand-sanded for snag-free carry.

We asked one of our buyers, Chris Jacobson, why he was so excited about the new CarryMeGear gun holsters. “These holsters are handmade locally in Ogden, UT and are fitted to your exact gun,” he said. “The Inside-the-Waistband holster is surprisingly comfy. I personally own one and really enjoy using it.”

IWB holsters are especially popular because you can adjust to use your choice of strong side, kidney, or appendix carry. CarryMeGear holsters are even more comfortable because they are easily adjustable to fit every body shape and size.

The holster’s forward and backward cant, or angle, can be adjusted. In addition, tension on the firearm itself can be increased or decreased. Screws and bushings also allow the holster to move closer to or away from the body.

A Sig P238 is secure in an Inside-the-Waistband, left, or Outside-the-Waistband, right, CarryMeGear holster.

Outside the Box: OWB & Small-of-Back Carry

CarryMeGear also makes Outside-the-Waistband (OWB) holsters for strong side carry. Smith & Edwards carries these OWB holsters for several models of semiautomatic handguns, as well as a Smith and Wesson J-frame Revolver model.

This Sig P238 disappears completely in the CarryMeGear OWB holster.

Mike is also very aware of the needs of his customers, and is open to additional feedback and insights. Mike began working on Small-Of-Back holsters due to requests from women shooters.

The small of the back design allows ladies to carry while maintaining a natural hip silhouette. “We are designing, thinking, and testing more designs and products,” he told me. “A Small-Of-Back (SOB) holster has been tested and approved by some of our Smith and Edwards concealed carry permit holders.”

This Small of Back CarryMeGear Holster conceals her Glock perfectly!

Look for the small-of-back holsters, magazine pouches, and even more styles of holsters from CarryMeGear at Smith & Edwards soon!

Get Yours at Smith & Edwards and on our Website

We know that you will love the CarryMeGear holsters, whether you are a CCP holder or looking for a good range holster. We love the CarryMeGear holsters and recommend them to everyone. You’ll wonder how you ever lived without one!

Talk to one of our experts and try them today at Smith and Edwards. You can also find our selection of handgun holsters here on SmithandEdwards.com.

K Rounds makes both IWB and OWB holsters from Kydex

K Rounds makes both IWB (Inside the Waistband) and OWB (Outside the Wasitband) holsters out of Kydex.

I wanted to take a minute and tell you about a new holster line that we have added to our inventory here at Smith and Edwards. Kydex holsters by K Rounds LLC.

As the Hunting Department buyer, I see a lot of products in the industry and have developed a lot of opinions about holsters from my many years of carrying a firearm every day in my work.

Historically, I would have to admit that I am very much a “fine leather” kind of guy. Good leather holsters that are hand boned and fitted to a particular handgun has always been my first choice.

What I’ve seen before with Kydex

As Kydex started to come on the market, early versions that came my way did not impress me. In fact, some I have seen are very crude and not very well finished at all. Some were very poorly designed and assembled even worse and all had rough edges that would scratch you at best and always snagged on your clothing. Not good at all. But they simply would not disappear from the market.

A few months ago, Scott Thorsted, one of our product reps, brought in a few samples of Kydex holsters from a manufacturer that I had not heard of. These holsters were from K Rounds of Tukwila, Washington.

OWB (outside the waistband) Kydex holster by K Rounds

An advantage that Kydex has over leather is that it is more resistant to wear and won’t need cleaning or maintenance. Kydex is a hard plastic material that comes in flat sheets. So instead of making holsters that are injection molded, what they do is take the Kydex, heat it up in an oven until it is pliable, then they push it onto a mold as it cools, and cut it to shape.

How K Rounds Holsters are Different

It was apparent from the start that these K Rounds were fine holsters. The detail, engineering, fit and finish are excellent. The design of the OWI (Outside the Waistband) and the IWB (Inside the Waistband) is superbly done. Each has a tension screw that the user can adjust to increase or decrease the amount of tension you want from the holster on the handgun.

The fasteners are deeply blued and correctly chosen for the piece. One of my biggest pet peeves…scratchy rough edges…is non-existent. They also make mag-pouches and lite-pouches.

K Rounds Kydex concealment double magazine for .45 1911

They have a wide range of holsters made for specific handguns, including the Glock 42 and the Springfield XD(S).

Kydex Glock 42 .380 OWB holster with belt loop by K Rounds

Kydex K Rounds Springfield XD(S) Holster

Kydex Springfield XD(S) Holster by K Rounds

Back view: Kydex Springfield XD(S) IWB Holster by K Rounds

A little research on K Rounds reveals that all their holsters are hand made in Washington state by American craftsmen…imagine that! All their products offer a Limited Lifetime Warranty.

For pricing, we sell their products ranging from $29.99 to $59.99.

Stop by the store and let us show you this great new product.

Just announced: now you can win a Kydex holster FREE courtesy of K Rounds! Click here to enter.

Click the image and enter the Kydex Holster giveaway from K Rounds!

About our people

Eric Halter grew up in a family of gunsmiths and just kept the family tradition going. Recently he’s gotten into doing the Cerakote™ firearm coatings.

Eric is the Hunting buyer for Smith and Edwards, and he also wrote a great post about Cleaning Your Rifle.