What are your thoughts on Blade-tech?

DaHaMac · February 25, 2000, 11:36 PM

I am thinking of buying a blade-tech IWB holster for my Colt Officer's Model. I hope that the holster being polymer will help keep sweat off of my gun. I have met only one other person who used Blade-tech so I wanted to get your thoughts on what type of product Blade-tech makes. Good or Bad?

Thanks,
DaHaMac

[This message has been edited by DaHaMac (edited February 25, 2000).]

SB · February 26, 2000, 03:05 AM

In my opinion, they are the Cadillacs of Concealex holsters.

Allen_Raiford · February 26, 2000, 09:25 AM

I have had 4 holsters from B-T. 2 were good, 2 sucked. I think they are inconsistant in their quality. I had one of their IWB holsters for an Officers ACP (not model, which is an old revolver)that I thought was poorly designed. You pays your money, and you takes your chances.

jfrancis · February 26, 2000, 10:51 AM

In general, Blade-Tech make excellent holsters. I have several of their holsters as well as mag pouches. The only problem I ever had was with a belt holster for the new SW model 945. It was a very poor fit and I sent it back. The folks there were very apologetic and fixed the problem in short order. Good products.

John Francis

jeffelkins · February 26, 2000, 12:23 PM

I have a BT for my Glock 23. While I prefer leather, it's a nice holster and the customer service is excellent. I ordered mine with J-hooks and didn't care for them. They sent a free beltloop replacement unit at their cost.

Rosco Benson · February 26, 2000, 12:59 PM

I've been very happy with the holsters I've gotten from Blade-Tech.

If you would like to have a leather holster, but are concerned about sweating through it, Milt Sparks holsters offers IWB's that are made of two thin layers of leather with a sweatproof membrane sandwiched between. CHeck out www.miltsparks.com

Rosco

Cyric13 · February 26, 2000, 04:00 PM

I have a BT for my full sized 1911 and it works good. It is sweat proof. I had to make a couple of adjustments so it would fit me better. But overall their really good.

Cyric13

Kingcreek · February 28, 2000, 01:18 AM

question?
does the kydex/concealex stuff increase the scratches and wear on the guns finish?
seems to me like it would accelerate it, and I know it does on knives.

skdtac · March 1, 2000, 12:43 PM

hi dahamac,

in my experience, bt holsters have worked for the most part, but the mag pouches i encountered on 3 different occassions were unacceptable. it's been alleged that some bt gear is not made by bt, but is being made by another holster maker for them. my search for top quality kydex brought me to ky-tac, premium kydex gear, which i stock.

best,
joe

------------------
www.skdtac.com
tactical accessories for self-defense and le

Mark King · March 2, 2000, 10:01 AM

I currently own 3 Blade-Tech holsters, 1 for a 1911, 1 for my Glock 23 and the third for a Browning BDM, They are all IWB type holsters.
While I feel these holsters are of very high quality I've slightly modified each of the holsters to make them more comfortable and to fit the gun a bit better. General impression is that BT makes darned fine products..mark / FL

GLK19 · March 2, 2000, 12:35 PM

GO FOR IT , USING BT FOR 3 YRS NOW AND ITS THE BEST

Keifer · March 2, 2000, 02:02 PM

I bought a BT holster for my Glock 30 in February while at Front Sight. I have no complaints - it is the fastest holster I've ever owned. All of the Front Sight instructor staff carried them (which definitely influenced me) for Glocks. The Glocks I saw showed no wear but Brad Ackman (the lead pistol instructor) carried a colt 1911 in his BT and most of the blueing was worn off the slide. I assumed at the time that the wear was due to a very high quantity of practice so I didn't think to ask him if the lack of finish was due to the holster.

cqb · March 9, 2000, 04:26 PM

BT is ok, I have several holsters by them, mainly iwbs, but one belt scabbard for an hkp7m8. For iwb carry, I like the sidearmor the best-but for now, it is only for glocks, although they are expanding their line soon. www.sidearmor.net
cheers,
Derek

Erik · July 1, 2000, 12:16 AM

My Blade Tech IWB concealex holster and mag pouch just came in. So far, so good. It's my first "plastic" holster, and it is light and thin. The retention is adjustable, from "it won't come out" to "it comes out too easy." I had to play with it some, and I think I've found where I like it- though that may change.

I ordered the set from Botach for $70 including shipping and handling. I was quite pleased, despite the experiences of ohters. (Three day delivery, reasonable price, and an email to let me know that it was shipped out.)

[This message has been edited by Erik (edited July 01, 2000).]

dvc · July 2, 2000, 04:35 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Keifer:
The Glocks I saw showed no wear but Brad Ackman (the lead pistol instructor) carried a colt 1911 in his BT and most of the blueing was worn off the slide. I assumed at the time that the wear was due to a very high quantity of practice so I didn't think to ask him if the lack of finish was due to the holster.[/quote]

Ackman has been carrying that 1911 for many years. The worn off bluing has nothing to do
with the kydex holsters.

Arnistador · July 4, 2000, 03:01 AM

As with any holster, Kydex will eventually wear on the finish of your gun, especially if it (the gun) is blue. However, Kydex is not especially hard on the gun as it is a thermoplastic and considerably softer than the steel of your gun. Also, Kydex holsters do not make contact on the majority of your firearms surface, so you will have wear points instead wearing the entire surface.

The only real concern is to keep dirt, small rocks, etc., free from your holster; such debris can get trapped between the Kydex and your gun and WILL scratch your gun's finish.

As far as BladeTech quality, I have seen some that work and fit perfectly and some that belong in a trash bin. Personally, I believe tensioning pins belong on a combat holster like adjustable sights on a combat pistol (they don't.)

Sidearmor makes some pretty cool stuff for Glocks. Naturally, my personal favorite for strong side hip is the GunGlove Taylor Thunderbolt.

Tim
http://www.streetpro.com
Your source for GunGlove, Mad Dog, Blackhawk, SureFire and other cool stuff

eje · July 4, 2000, 09:29 AM

My experience has been the same as that of jfrancis. The quality of the Blade-Tech products I purchased is good (I've got both holsters and mag pouches), and if there is a problem, they will fix it. I think there's a 30-day trial period; if you really don't like the holster for whatever reason, they'll take it back. FWIW, I've never had to do that.

All my Blade-Tech holsters are OWB, so I can't offer any insights on their IWB designs (as opposed to quality).

You might also want to check out the "Braveheart" IWB holster from Ky-Tac ( www.kytac.com ). If I were going to buy a Kydex IWB holster, that's the one I would probably get.

[This message has been edited by eje (edited July 04, 2000).]

Marcus · July 4, 2000, 01:18 PM

I haven`t tried anything from Bladetech but I will second the recomendation for Kytac. I have a Braveheart IWB and it is quite simply the best working IWB rig I`ve ever had. It`s comfortable and lets me easily conceal my P-97 .45 under a T shirt. Marcus

Mark King · July 5, 2000, 12:37 PM

I think that Blade-Tech does a nice job on their holsters. I currently have three of them, but in each case I had to make slight modifications to the holsters to make them fit and draw properly. And my 1911 holster has caused some wear on the slide of my Kimber. Mark / FL

Justin Moore · July 9, 2000, 12:36 AM

Ordered BT's IWB Rig last week for my HK USP 40, but I am curious about one thing: how many of you guys have experienced the unusually long wait times that Erick described above? I'll be damned if I am going to wait 5-8 months for them to ship me out a simple holster. Anyway, let me know thanks

JLM

[This message has been edited by Justin Moore (edited July 09, 2000).]

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February 25, 2000, 11:36 PM	#1
DaHaMac Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2000 Location: West Central Georgia Posts: 247	I am thinking of buying a blade-tech IWB holster for my Colt Officer's Model. I hope that the holster being polymer will help keep sweat off of my gun. I have met only one other person who used Blade-tech so I wanted to get your thoughts on what type of product Blade-tech makes. Good or Bad? Thanks, DaHaMac [This message has been edited by DaHaMac (edited February 25, 2000).]

February 26, 2000, 03:05 AM	#2
SB Senior Member Join Date: November 9, 1998 Posts: 415	In my opinion, they are the Cadillacs of Concealex holsters.

February 26, 2000, 09:25 AM	#3
Allen_Raiford Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2000 Posts: 304	I have had 4 holsters from B-T. 2 were good, 2 sucked. I think they are inconsistant in their quality. I had one of their IWB holsters for an Officers ACP (not model, which is an old revolver)that I thought was poorly designed. You pays your money, and you takes your chances.

February 26, 2000, 10:51 AM	#4
jfrancis Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2000 Location: Orlando, FL, USA Posts: 211	In general, Blade-Tech make excellent holsters. I have several of their holsters as well as mag pouches. The only problem I ever had was with a belt holster for the new SW model 945. It was a very poor fit and I sent it back. The folks there were very apologetic and fixed the problem in short order. Good products. John Francis

February 26, 2000, 12:23 PM	#5
jeffelkins Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 1999 Posts: 410	I have a BT for my Glock 23. While I prefer leather, it's a nice holster and the customer service is excellent. I ordered mine with J-hooks and didn't care for them. They sent a free beltloop replacement unit at their cost.

February 26, 2000, 12:59 PM	#6
Rosco Benson Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 1998 Posts: 374	I've been very happy with the holsters I've gotten from Blade-Tech. If you would like to have a leather holster, but are concerned about sweating through it, Milt Sparks holsters offers IWB's that are made of two thin layers of leather with a sweatproof membrane sandwiched between. CHeck out www.miltsparks.com Rosco

February 26, 2000, 04:00 PM	#7
Cyric13 Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 1999 Location: Statsboro Posts: 159	I have a BT for my full sized 1911 and it works good. It is sweat proof. I had to make a couple of adjustments so it would fit me better. But overall their really good. Cyric13

February 28, 2000, 01:18 AM	#8
Kingcreek Senior Member Join Date: October 29, 1999 Location: rural Illinois Posts: 590	question? does the kydex/concealex stuff increase the scratches and wear on the guns finish? seems to me like it would accelerate it, and I know it does on knives.

March 1, 2000, 12:43 PM	#9
skdtac Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 1999 Posts: 113	hi dahamac, in my experience, bt holsters have worked for the most part, but the mag pouches i encountered on 3 different occassions were unacceptable. it's been alleged that some bt gear is not made by bt, but is being made by another holster maker for them. my search for top quality kydex brought me to ky-tac, premium kydex gear, which i stock. best, joe ------------------ www.skdtac.com tactical accessories for self-defense and le

March 2, 2000, 10:01 AM	#10
Mark King Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 1998 Location: FLA USA Posts: 361	I currently own 3 Blade-Tech holsters, 1 for a 1911, 1 for my Glock 23 and the third for a Browning BDM, They are all IWB type holsters. While I feel these holsters are of very high quality I've slightly modified each of the holsters to make them more comfortable and to fit the gun a bit better. General impression is that BT makes darned fine products..mark / FL

March 2, 2000, 12:35 PM	#11
GLK19 Junior Member Join Date: March 2, 2000 Posts: 12	GO FOR IT , USING BT FOR 3 YRS NOW AND ITS THE BEST

March 2, 2000, 02:02 PM	#12
Keifer Member Join Date: January 13, 2000 Location: Illinois Posts: 89	I bought a BT holster for my Glock 30 in February while at Front Sight. I have no complaints - it is the fastest holster I've ever owned. All of the Front Sight instructor staff carried them (which definitely influenced me) for Glocks. The Glocks I saw showed no wear but Brad Ackman (the lead pistol instructor) carried a colt 1911 in his BT and most of the blueing was worn off the slide. I assumed at the time that the wear was due to a very high quantity of practice so I didn't think to ask him if the lack of finish was due to the holster.

March 9, 2000, 04:26 PM	#13
cqb Junior Member Join Date: March 9, 2000 Posts: 2	BT is ok, I have several holsters by them, mainly iwbs, but one belt scabbard for an hkp7m8. For iwb carry, I like the sidearmor the best-but for now, it is only for glocks, although they are expanding their line soon. www.sidearmor.net cheers, Derek

July 1, 2000, 12:16 AM	#14
Erik Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 1999 Location: America Posts: 3,479	My Blade Tech IWB concealex holster and mag pouch just came in. So far, so good. It's my first "plastic" holster, and it is light and thin. The retention is adjustable, from "it won't come out" to "it comes out too easy." I had to play with it some, and I think I've found where I like it- though that may change. I ordered the set from Botach for $70 including shipping and handling. I was quite pleased, despite the experiences of ohters. (Three day delivery, reasonable price, and an email to let me know that it was shipped out.) [This message has been edited by Erik (edited July 01, 2000).]

July 2, 2000, 04:35 PM	#15
dvc Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 1999 Posts: 387	<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Keifer: The Glocks I saw showed no wear but Brad Ackman (the lead pistol instructor) carried a colt 1911 in his BT and most of the blueing was worn off the slide. I assumed at the time that the wear was due to a very high quantity of practice so I didn't think to ask him if the lack of finish was due to the holster.[/quote] Ackman has been carrying that 1911 for many years. The worn off bluing has nothing to do with the kydex holsters.

July 4, 2000, 03:01 AM	#16
Arnistador Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 1999 Posts: 150	As with any holster, Kydex will eventually wear on the finish of your gun, especially if it (the gun) is blue. However, Kydex is not especially hard on the gun as it is a thermoplastic and considerably softer than the steel of your gun. Also, Kydex holsters do not make contact on the majority of your firearms surface, so you will have wear points instead wearing the entire surface. The only real concern is to keep dirt, small rocks, etc., free from your holster; such debris can get trapped between the Kydex and your gun and WILL scratch your gun's finish. As far as BladeTech quality, I have seen some that work and fit perfectly and some that belong in a trash bin. Personally, I believe tensioning pins belong on a combat holster like adjustable sights on a combat pistol (they don't.) Sidearmor makes some pretty cool stuff for Glocks. Naturally, my personal favorite for strong side hip is the GunGlove Taylor Thunderbolt. Tim http://www.streetpro.com Your source for GunGlove, Mad Dog, Blackhawk, SureFire and other cool stuff

July 4, 2000, 09:29 AM	#17
eje Member Join Date: June 9, 2000 Location: South Pasadena, CA Posts: 41	My experience has been the same as that of jfrancis. The quality of the Blade-Tech products I purchased is good (I've got both holsters and mag pouches), and if there is a problem, they will fix it. I think there's a 30-day trial period; if you really don't like the holster for whatever reason, they'll take it back. FWIW, I've never had to do that. All my Blade-Tech holsters are OWB, so I can't offer any insights on their IWB designs (as opposed to quality). You might also want to check out the "Braveheart" IWB holster from Ky-Tac ( www.kytac.com ). If I were going to buy a Kydex IWB holster, that's the one I would probably get. [This message has been edited by eje (edited July 04, 2000).]

July 4, 2000, 01:18 PM	#18
Marcus Senior Member Join Date: October 27, 1998 Posts: 1,156	I haven`t tried anything from Bladetech but I will second the recomendation for Kytac. I have a Braveheart IWB and it is quite simply the best working IWB rig I`ve ever had. It`s comfortable and lets me easily conceal my P-97 .45 under a T shirt. Marcus

July 5, 2000, 12:37 PM	#19
Mark King Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 1998 Location: FLA USA Posts: 361	I think that Blade-Tech does a nice job on their holsters. I currently have three of them, but in each case I had to make slight modifications to the holsters to make them fit and draw properly. And my 1911 holster has caused some wear on the slide of my Kimber. Mark / FL

July 9, 2000, 12:36 AM	#20
Justin Moore Senior Member Join Date: June 7, 2000 Location: Right Here Posts: 854	Ordered BT's IWB Rig last week for my HK USP 40, but I am curious about one thing: how many of you guys have experienced the unusually long wait times that Erick described above? I'll be damned if I am going to wait 5-8 months for them to ship me out a simple holster. Anyway, let me know thanks JLM [This message has been edited by Justin Moore (edited July 09, 2000).]