For as long as I have been carrying a concealed firearm, I have always been a “Leather Guy”. That all changed when a Z.E.R.T. brother introduced me to the crew from Strongside Concealment.
I have never before experienced a kydex holster that was as durable, comfortable and elegant as the ones I got from them. My Glock 19 holsters that I received from Strongside Concealment have pretty much replaced my leather holsters for my E.D.C. (Every Day Carry).
The problem I have experienced with most kydex manufacturers, is that the holsters are cumbersome and clunky. This isn’t even remotely an issue with my Strongside holsters. I love these holsters so much that I have several friends that have made a switch from their normal holsters, to Strongside Concealment. The secret is in their New and Innovative process of kydex molding and manufacturing. I have yet to find anyone else, making kydex; the way these guys do it! So, I reached out to the owner and bagged an interview.
TS- What got you into making holsters?
SSC- Well, I wanted a holster from a competing company, I thought their price was higher than I wanted to pay. As a result I purchased some equipment and began to experiment. Of course it cost significantly more (about 500x higher) to make the product I do today that it would have been to simply buy their holster. Kydex can be made very cheap, but it’s a case of getting what you pay for.
TS- Why Kydex?
SSC- I chose kydex because I love how the gun details mold in. Of course that has to be moderated otherwise the holster will cause wear and not allow a smooth draw. That said, I think there is just something awesome about a well made kydex holster from both an aesthetics standpoint and pure functionality. Our holsters are in use by elite LEO and military units and the feedback has been very, very good. Not perfect, we do make mistakes at times. But when we do, we make it right. If a customer comes back and says something isn’t right or they see room for improvement, we take that very seriously.
TS- How does your new process of holster making differ from others and why is it revolutionizing the industry?
SSC- Our new process is very unique. Rather than starting with a blue gun, or a poured form of some sort, or even a real gun in the press, we start with the real gun. It is digitized with a 3D scanner and then we take manual measurements. We design a solid model in CAD software and machine our own forms on CNC machines. We block our models the way we find best based on experience and feedback. We can make adjustments to the design very easily and simply create a new form if we find a problem. It’s a very versatile process, albeit somewhat time consuming. Recently we have started machining holster forms out of aluminum for other holster companies as well. So you will see companies whose products are going to be elevated and have better fit as a result of the R&D Work we have done. The reality is there are all different holsters and different styles, some companies focus on specific kinds. That’s a good thing. It allows for them to be REALLY good at what they do. But for us to have a hand in that by being their toolmaker is awesome and we are excited to help them in that way.
TS- Do you make any other products aside from sidearm holsters?
SSC- Well, as mentioned above we make the CNC machined forms. We are working with a few other companies on other CNC machining work and vacuum forming non holster parts as well. If it requires CNC work and vacuum forming we are interested in doing it. We may or may not be the right fit, but if you have a job you need done it’s worth having us quote it. We are able to be a lot more versatile than larger companies due to our size
TS- How long have you been making holsters?
SSC- I started with a foam press and a few sheets of plastic off ebay about 4 years ago. From there I have gone from a small room in my apartment to a large shop with industrial grade equipment. We are constantly updating, innovating and looking for better ways to do things. And we always will. NEVER STOP IMPROVING!!!
TS- Any projects that you would love to tackle?
SSC- Someday I hope to design and manufacture my own handgun. I am a huge fan of Glocks, but I really like Sigs and M&P series guns as well. There are features from all of those guns I feel could mesh well together and someday I hope to try to make that a reality.
TS- What is your favorite holster to make and why?
SSC- Hands down our new RAPID series holster. The reason why is simple. It’s simple. I can make them very fast and the result is very nice. For an awesome IWB holster at a mere $34.99 it’s hard to beat our RAPID series holster at www.strongsideconcealment.com
TS- What are some challenges when it comes to making kydex holsters?
SSC- Challenges with kydex are many. I’ve worked out most. But I’d say lead times. Customers want products now. And who doesn’t? We generally run a 4 week lead time, that said our roll out of the new line was a bit rocky and currently we are slightly past that. I’m working hard to bring it back down and hope to be back to 3-4 weeks very soon.
I fully standby these holsters, and will be hard press to use anything else. If you want comfort, reliability, practicality and efficiency, look no further than Strongside Concealment
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