Archive for the 'Our Raving Fans' Category

Rob,

I wanted to add my two cents to your other letters praising your products/service.  In fifteen years of carrying a firearm (and more holsters – and money – than I care to think of) “The Answer” is bar none the most comfortable IWB holster I have EVER used! 

In over twelve years of law enforcement, there is very seldom a time that I go unarmed (on or off-duty) and have tried a number of concealment holsters from a lot of the popular manufacturers.  “The Answer” has been in my hands for about three weeks now and I am indescribably impressed with the workmanship, design, and comfort of this holster. 

The fit was exceptional, and once I figured out the “sweet” spot on my hip for the holster it went on for 8 hours the first day without even knowing it was there!  There was not a “break in” period that I have experienced with other holsters (either on the drawing aspect or the wearing aspect). 

My family and I just got back from vacation and I wore “The Answer” every day for 12-14 hours a day (walking around most of the time) without having to adjust the holster or think “when can I take this thing off” – IT IS COMFORTABLE! 

“The Answer” allows me to carry my full-size Glock with a shirt tucked in or out and minimizes printing to the point that my wife has commented a couple of times to me lately “I can’t believe you’re going out without a gun” or “did you forget your gun” – I hadn’t!  “The Answer” held the gun in such a way with a tucked in and lightly bloused shirt, that even when my wife was looking for it, my gun all but disappeared.

Your response to my original e-mail about some ordering questions seemed like it came as soon as I hit the “send” button, it didn’t take the usual “days” we have sadly come to expect in our great nation.  That, coupled with the fact that you kept me updated about the order progress truly shows that you gentlemen care about your product and the customers, and I do appreciate your dedication.

I was dubious about spending the money (“The Answer” and two belts), but after only a short time with the product(s) I am so impressed that it doesn’t seem appropriate to just call it a holster!  If anyone out there is thinking about ordering this holster – do it!  If you have the need for a concealed carry holster, I don’t think you can find a better product out there or nicer people to order it from.

Now I just have to decide which belt rig to buy……….

(Not that I need it, but they look so good – I want it!!!!!)

Take care, God bless, and PLEASE keep up the good work guys

J.S.R. 04/12/2007

I’ve been concerned that our backlog has been growing and I’ve wondered if we might lose customers over it. Thank goodness Tucker’s work is still worth waiting for.

“I received my “Answer” for my 3″ 1911 last week, and had to comment. The 3 month wait for it and my bullhide belt/mag pouch was worth every minute. The craftsmanship and quality are top notch. But even more importantly, it WORKS!

I have tried several different IWB holster’s over the years, but never have I found one that was comfortable enough to wear for any length of time.

It only took 3 days or so of wearing the Answer for it to start to conform to my body and almost feel as if it is not even there. In fact, I fell asleep on the couch last night, and woke this morning to find I was still wearing it. Great stuff!!

It is now obvious to me why you are so backlogged on orders. People will support a company that supports them. The only negative I can come up with is I am now “chomping at the bit” to get my HF1 and Tucker belt even more than before. Can’t wait to see the craftsmanship involved in those.

Thanks for the great customer service, and thanks for the great quality.. As I am sure you are aware of, your prices are substantially higher than your competition’s. But that is only true if you look at initial purchase price only. I never do. I look at the biggest picture I can, and buy what I am going to be happiest with in the long run. In other words, you have a customer for life now.

Please thank Tucker for a job well done. And Rob, thank you for the service.”

Dean Hutton
Wheat Ridge, CO
04/08/2007

Thank you, Dean.  I appreciate your taking the time to let us know.

So, you’ve bought a new IWB holster and you’re excited. It’s new. It has that “new holster smell.” It even feels great in your hands and, most importantly, on your hip. Your gun fits just fine and the holster is actually comfortable. You even brag about it to your friends.

Now, it’s 7 months later. Are you still lovin’ your leather? Still have the pride of ownership? Are you still telling your buddies how much you like it, or have you become disappointed now that you’ve discovered all it’s plusses and minuses? 

If you have the Tucker Answer IWB, you may express it the same way this customer did in my email today:

“I hate like the dickens to eat my words, but for months, I’ve been saying that the Answer is “half as fast as kydex and twice as fast as leather.”

Well, nearly 7 mos on… not-so, the Answer.  The leather finally figured out the shape of the gun I carry mostly; any one of a few Les Baer 5″er’s, and has literally become as fast to draw as my full kydex Blade-Tech.  I would never have believed this!  Presentation from this thing now is effortless.

While the vegi-tanned leather backing plate has worn in, the chrome-tanned suede backing has not.  It is still as soft, comfortable and grippy as the day I unboxed it.  The nap is still tall and fluffy.  I have it on now and it, honestly, feels softer than the waistband of my well-washed jeans.

While the Hermann Oak leather has “learned” to love my Baers, it has not sacrificed its necessary rigidity.  It is still firm amd stable. 

I don’t know if I’ve yet tipped my hand, but I LOVE this holster!
Veteran of many.  Devotee of ONE.

Get one, or you’re missing out on the most agreeable IWB carry solution there is.”

Don, 02/03/2007.

Note: The “chrome-tanned suede backing is the layer of leather on the side of the holster toward your body. You can read about it here.

Don’s lady was very intentional and got Don his Tucker Gunleather HF1 rig in time for Christmas. If his review weren’t enough evidence of his happy state, his lady emailed me to thank Tucker for providing Don with the best Christmas present ever! I sure appreciate that – Tucker will, too.

Here’s Don’s final chapter of his review:

THE BELT:

As I am 6’4”, a 1-3/4” belt doesn’t bother me.  I ordered it with the “thinner”, 3/16” option.  The standard Tucker belt is stated as being ¼” thick.  Having received mine and measured it, I now know why they say, “Everything’s bigger in Texas.”  Evidently, this also applies to their rulers. 

My “thinner” belt came in at a skosh over ¼” inch.  I can only imagine that the full tilt, standard version is gonna be a hefty 9/16+.  You cannot accuse Tucker of scrimping!

I opted to have the belt tapered down from 1 ¾” to 1 ¼” at the buckle (a top notch, solid-brass boat anchor), which keeps it from goring my tummy, when seated.

The weird part about this belt is just how supple it is.  I’m telling you, this thing is like a piece of medieval leather armor, yet it flexes and conforms easily.  I’m beginning to think there is some sort of Voodoo connection here…

The bottom line is that this William Tucker dude has got this stuff FIGURED OUT!  This is a guy who has carried 1911’s for most of his life and has been building holsters to suit them for nearly as long.  He knows ALL the tricks.  He has paid his dues. 

We are just lucky enough to reap the benefits.

As I have stated in the past, doing business with Rob Longenecker is a pleasing and informative interaction.  He is no salesman, but rather a Gunleather consultant.  He is as invested in getting you exactly what you want and need as you are.  That said, he’s about as nice a guy as you’ll ever find; a true gentleman, par excellence.

I strongly recommend jumping on one of these magnificent holster rigs ASAP.  Before Tucker and Longenecker figure out what they’ve got here and start charging what they’re really worth!  Shhhhhh! ”

We last left Don waxing eloquent about Tucker’s Double Angled Mag Pouch. He continues with his detailed review of Tucker’s HF1 Holster. He should be a published reviewer because of the details he notices. 

“THE HOLSTER:

This holster is a PHENOM! I could easily do two pages on the virtues of this thing. In short, it brings the idea of “CONSTUCTED” into a whole, new light. The, out-of-box fit is tight, yet NOT immature. It draws like leather you’ve owned for years. The way Tucker makes these holsters is as though they KNOW the gun. It draws and reholsters, with the same friction. It is NOT overly tight. It just feels like an old friend is handing you your gun; only a slight resistance, making sure you really want it.

The two most important issues in a new leather holster are gun fit and draw. Most, if not all (Horseshoe, being the only exception of which I’m aware), premier manufacturers, remove the form from the leather prematurely, so it will “suck up”, in order to insure solid retention. You, nearly always, end up with a holster that it takes two guys and a come-along to draw the gun from. It’s this attitude that necessitated the invention of the wax paper trick. This is a ridiculous notion to Tucker, evidenced by the fact that this holster, while tight, draws like something months old. I held the thing upside down, with a loaded Les Baer in it, shook it, and the gun didn’t move a millimeter. Yet, I can draw the gun relatively easily.

The cocobolo tools Tucker uses to do his boning do a great job of fitting the leather to the form of the 1911. The detail is there, but not over-done. I would swear that he boned the cowhide lining, before boning the outer layer. That’s how good the fit/retention is! The end product looks like a HOLSTER! Not a traced outline of a gun.

How Tucker gets this level of retention AND present-ability is the one thing that makes me want to go to Houston and see how he really does it! Another Tucker trademark is the way the HF-1 snugs into your body. How he knew the exact width of my right thumb is uncanny, but he must have because that is the precise distance between my side and the upper grip on my 1911’s. Tres strange! The butt of the grip rests gently against my side, making for tremendous concealability. How anything this BEEFY can be concealed at all is miraculous, but the reality is that it completely disappears under a thin jacket.

I specified a 15 degree FBI cant and that’s spot-on. Tucker’s standard cant is 13-14 degrees, which for most, is ample. When putting the holster on, I adjusted it to my familiar 4 o’clock spot and presto, comfort and no wrist break.

As mentioned above, the HF-1 is a rock. While the hand of the leather is luxurious, the rigidity resultant of the design is total. The cowhide lining (optional) makes for a cozy and smooth resting place for my prized pistols.

I also opted for the body shield (Tucker calls it a Sweat Shield) as my Baers have extended thumb safeties (read, diving board), which can get rather aggressive over a day of carry. The shield is a minimalist arrangement; just enough to protect my tender love handles.

In a world of look-a-like knock-offs, the Tucker HF-1 is pleasantly visually unique; a real eye catcher.”

One more post in the series – “THE BELT” – will follow soon.