I have an itch to try competitive pistol shooting. I think I'm a pretty good shot and sometimes I get bored punching holes in paper at the range. I need to get the proper gear before I start, so last month I ordered a holster.
I chose a company called Old Faithful based on a forum recommendation given to me when I posed the question of who makes a good P-07 holster. Old Faithful makes IWB and OWB holsters out of leather and Kydex. Something Old Faithful does that I've not seen from other outfits is allowing you to buy a disassembled holster for almost half the price of a fully assembled model. Maybe 10 minutes of DIY is required to turn the included parts into a functional holster - I did it during lunch while watching a movie.
If you go for the DIY, here's what you get. The two main pieces of the holster are the leather backing and the molded kydex. The kydex attaches to the leather via four holes, which are arranged such that it's easy to figure out how to orient the kydex. The most involved part is attaching the backings for the screws - these are four metal pieces with a threaded hole and 3 spikes, which you embed into the leather via a hammer. After that it's a simple matter of attaching the kydex in the four holes with a spacer, a screw, and a washer. The screws are tightened or loosened in order to control the retention of the gun. You get a bag with tons of hardware - you'll definitely have extras when you're done.
The OWB holster I got doesn't use clips, it has holes for a belt. I believe the IWB holsters come with clips, allowing for an extra level of adjustment. I expected clips but this isn't a huge deal. I've worn it around my house a little bit and it's comfortable, the kydex is molded perfectly to the gun, and retention is solid. I may need to invest in a thick, wide gun belt to use this properly, as even my thickest dress belt leads to twisting and shimmying when I try to pull the gun out.
For about $50 shipped I think this is a good quality holster. Old Faithful seems like a small operation - the president of the company appears in the "how to" videos, and the holster came with a nice (form) letter from the guy, thanking me for giving them my business and nicely asking me to pass on the name and recommend them if I'm happy, so here we are. Shipping is on the long side, especially since I ordered the model where I do the assembling - but to their credit I got a shipping notification after I sent them a "where's my stuff" email a day or so after the shipping window passed. Just like Palmetto this feels like a "good and cheap, but not fast" kind of deal.
In my limited usage so far Old Faithful seems like a solid choice and I recommend it. As time goes on and I use it in different settings I may alter my opinion either way. Not only will I hopefully try this out in competition, but Kansas is set to pass a comprehensive pro-gun bill that, among other things, expands state preemption to open carry - so I'll be able to take my gun with me when I'm walking my dog at night. Hopefully the holster continues to do the job and serve me well in all these endeavors.
