More Carry Options — Options
Diamond D’s “Alaska EDC” holster and Dozier’s hand-made leather belt
team-up here to tote a S&W M&P .380 Shield EZ.
Diamond D Leather
Our old friends from Alaska have come up with a bare minimalist holster fitting medium and large autos. Called the “Alaska EDC,” it’s two die-cut flat pieces of high quality leather, cleverly sewn so when you run your belt through the loops, it turns into a holster.
A couple of other makers do similar rigs but leave off the back leather flap. Diamond D’s design is better, I think, because the back flap shields your tender bits from being prodded and poked, while protecting the gun at the same time. At only $35, get one for your smaller guns and one for your bigger guns and smile because you saved a lot of money while scoring two clever holsters!
Dozier Belts
If you look at the picture of the Diamond D holster, you’ll see a high quality belt through the loops. That’s from another old friend, Bob Dozier, the famous Arkansas knifemaker who lives just south of me. Bob’s also justly famous for his leatherwork and the three belts he sent me to peek at (black, tan and the nice mahogany shown) show his skill off. Made of doubled-over 6-oz. bridle leather sourced from Herman Oak, the belts are hand-tooled and hand-stitched by Bob himself. They’re fitted with solid brass or nickel-plated solid brass non-removeable buckles. First class stuff.
He can make them up to 48″ with a single piece of leather but if you need something bigger (up to 56″) he’ll need to splice ’em. They come in 11/4″ or 11/2″ widths and cost $85. That’s very reasonable for a high quality leather gun belt likely to last the rest of your life!
Nexbelt’s “Professional EDC Series” (leather or nylon) offers a ratchet adjustment system
offering 1/4" adjustments to fit and are exceptionally comfortable.
Nextbelt
Maybe it’s just because I’m getting miles on the frame, but belts tend to bother me lately, which is why I often favor a softer belt and always use suspenders. But the Nextbelt line is very unique. It doesn’t have the classic pre-spaced holes but uses an innovative sort of cam/ratchet and track system (the track is on the back of the belt) to give you 1/4″ adjustments. You can fit your belt to the size you want by trimming, then locking the buckle to it. It’s a simple, rugged and comfortable system using high quality components.
They make a sort of military-looking nylon version and lots and lots of leather versions, including fits and designs for women. Each belt fits up to a 50″ to 67″ waist depending upon the model, and you can trim them to fit precisely. I’ve been using the design in two styles for about six months and they work as advertised. The nylon one is my favorite and is a bit “softer” than the leather. Either are rugged enough for carrying though, and are in the $65 to $75 range.
Barranti Leather’s innovative and just plain cool retro-packaging using hand-made
wooden crates is attention-getting. Combined with his Barranti-Myres holster line, it’s clever —
and smells the way wood and good leather should!
Barranti Myres
Mike “Doc” Barranti is no stranger to our pages. But he’s ramped up the game here. Doc now owns the S.D. Myres name and much of Tio Sam Myres tooling and is resurrecting designs and the spirit of the time. Doc’s “Barranti-Myres” line of gunleather now offers packaging just as Tio Myres would have done over a century ago — small crates! A holster of your choice comes in a draw-string bag, packed in the hand-made crate, along with a color catalog and Certificate of Authenticity, signed by Doc himself. By the way, Doc makes the leather gear personally, with just a tad bit of help now and again in his otherwise one-man shop!
Now’s your chance to enjoy the unparalleled smell of wood and leather combined, while enjoying a piece of living history in the form of a Barranti-Myres handmade holster. Prices are around $275 — including the holster. This is simply great fun at every level. Well done, Doc!
For more info: www.diamonddcustomleather.com, Ph: (907) 631-4212
www.dozierknives.com, Ph: (888) 823-0023
www.nextbelt.com, Ph: (909) 758-0079
www.barrantileather.com, Ph: (412) 860-4804
