Blade-Tech - Ultimate Concealment Holster
Comfort
To begin this review I'll start by covering the what
I consider the three most important features of any holster.
This is well thought out concept for a holster. Its is quite comfortable
and very simple in design. I was always able to wear this holster with
a service size XD-40 while driving, sitting, and typing this review, I
wasn't able to find and uncomfortable think to do while wearing the holster.
However, while sitting in a vehicle for an extended period it would become
uncomfortable.
Body style will be a major factor for many readers.
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Durability
The kydex bodies integrity was excellent I couldn't
find and mars cracks or otherwise visible defects. The exterior of the
holsters body is a very well formed piece of Kydex, there are no jutting
edges to get bump and become deformed everything is smooth and well contoured.
The inside of the holster is smooth. The holster has molded in sight channel
that's 1/8th inch or more above the sights so you if you have tall sights
your wont be catching them in there.
Are you looking for a holster that is tuckable? This is a great candidate. The holster is easy to wear and comfortable. The holster conceals very well with many types of clothing. Keep in mind though if you cant wear a belt, you cant wear a holster. The holsters greatest advantage point is that it can be tucked in and that its a very stable and reliable platform. I found that it was most concealable when worn in the 3:30-5:00 positions and concealed best in straight drop configuration vs the FBI cant. Keep in mind what cant option you prefer is up to you and also depends on your body style.
Street Clothes
As you can see the holster tucks away very well. The only thing you can see is the top of the belt loop. There is a small amount of printing when looking from behind. I found even the casual look went very well with this holster, however a larger shirt would have been preferable.
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My preferred attire was a very good choice. The gun was concealed well but as a habit I prefer a untucked button up shirts for the 1/2 dressed up, 1/2 casual look, which hides almost any perceivable bulge, but that mode of carry does not facilitate the holster best feature tucking I was found that the results were just as good tucked, as you can see from behind there is still some bulge, however this is a very touchy fabric shirt and the pictures reflect more than what can be seen in person.
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As of right now I cannot post a review of how well the Tuxedo concealed this holster because my Tuxedo is at the dry cleaners again as I am having an after wedding reception in two weeks so once I get done with that I'll have my tux back and I'll take a few pictures of how well it conceals.
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Retention
When I first tried on this holster the one thing that really surprised me was that when holstering the gun the last little bit felt like the gun was actually being pulled into the holster, which is very nice. The level of retention is adjustable on the back side of the holster using two phillips head screws. The other retention mechanism would be your shirt, when being work tucked the shirt would help keep the pistol in place.
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Draw speed
The UCH is different than most IWB holsters, because its a tuckable holster it does make it a tad slower to draw. But what little you sacrifice in draw speed you make up with concealability. So draw speed was a little slower, but if you practice (with an unloaded gun) pulling up your shirt with your weak hand then drawing with your shooting hand. In being able to do this it greatly cuts back on the slowdown. After some practice this can be accomplished fairly quickly and efficiently.
Tactical Reholstering
The UCH performed extremely well in the tactical reholstering department. Because of the excellent form holding attributes of Kydex tactical one-handed reholstering was extremely quick and easy. The holster does not squeeze in as much and the holsters cavity is still wide open so reholstering is just a matter of sweeping the shirt out of the way and dropping the gun back in.
Ease of Removal
The holster has a "tongue" for lack of a better term, this tongue is fastened to the bottom holster using three holes. Only two of these holes can be used at a time, this tongue is what allows the shirt to be tucked and provides more enhanced concealability. At the top of the tongue there is a loop, this whole setup is formed out of a single piece of Kydex. The loop is shaped like an "S", one end clips around the waistband of the pants which helps support some of the guns weight and the other side of the loop is where the belt is looped through.
While the top of the clip is open, forcing it open from the top would result in its breakage over time I would expect, the gap is there mostly to allow different thickness of belts. So unfortunately this holster does require that you unbuckle and partially remove the belt to take it off.
Cant Adjustability
The UCH has two options for cant, the change is facilitated by the three holes at the bottom of the holster. Straight Drop which I found works best with the tucking feature. This allows the firearms to stay closest to the body. It also has the option of 15 degree or otherwise known as FBI cant, this option works best if your concealing but not tucking. Cant adjustment can be changed quite easily by taking out a screw and readjusting it to the other hole.
The great thing about Kydex and other polymers is their extremely durable finish. The Interior of the holster is smooth, while the outer holster is a textured with a flesh-like pattern raised and lower spots that provide excellent friction to help prevent the holster from being drawn with the gun, the belt loop attachment also helps prevent this as well.
Sharp Edges
The holster is once of the best made Kydex holsters that I have seen, there are absolutely NO sharp edges. The edges are smoothed down so there is no chance of getting clothing caught on it.
Product Care.
If the holster becomes dirty or in need of cleaning,just rinse with soap and water and let them dry. Keep in mind if you wash any holster with water you do not want to store your gun in it for at least 24 hours to make sure all moisture has evaporated and will not cause any rusting on the gun.
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This holster is specific to a gun model, but not specific to a particular gun caliber many different guns could be carried in the same holster. Make sure that if you plan on carrying any variants that are longer than a 4" service barrel length that you get a holster for the tactical in the largest round that you carry. For example I carry a 4" .40S&W and I can also carry my 9mm sub-compact in the same holster.
You can get this holster to fit the following models.
XD Series Pistol |
Compatible Standard Holster |
| XD 9mm Sub-Compact |  |
| XD 9mm Service 4" | |
| XD 9mm V-10 Ported 4" | |
| XD 9mm Tactical | |
| XD .357 SIG Service 4" | |
| XD .357 SIG V-10 Ported 4" | |
| XD .357 SIG Tactical | |
| XD .40S&W Sub-Compact | |
| XD .40S&W Service 4" | |
| XD .40S&W V-10 Ported 4" | |
| XD .40S&W Tactical | |
All of the following calibers can be carried in the same holster if it was designed for a larger caliber, i.e. 357SIG & .40S&W as both are built on the same larger frame. If you get your holster based on the 9mm frame, the frame is a little smaller and the larger guns may not fit.
XD Series Pistol |
Slide Holster Available |
9mm |
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.357 SIG |
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.40 S&W |
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Turnaround Time
My order was placed on 4/1/04. Ordering time was somewhat delayed because of Middle-East military demands but I had received my package by 4/27/04. So turnaround time was a little slow but not to long. I would recommend e-mailing their customer service before placing your order so you can get an idea on the turnaround time.
Customer Service
Orders are placed online from their website. Their system is quick simple and very uncomplicated. Ordering just takes a couple steps and your ready to go. I spoke to T. Crawford a couple times over e-mail and was very pleased. He was extremely professional and took the time to e-mail me and let me know about the delay in shipping because of high demand military orders.
Warranty
The warranty is similar to most, except, that it has a 30 satisfaction guarantee, keep in mind the product has be be in original condition but they offer a full refund if your not satisfied. The holster itself is covered with a standard one year warranty.
Repairs (If Necessary)
Only one minor repair was necessary, after a couple days of wearing the holster once of the cant adjustment screws fell out, this was probably my fault. I had tightened the other but hadn't tightened this one. I contacted Blade-Tech and they sent me a new set of replacement screws immediately and I was back up and going in a few days.
Value vs. Cost
This is a very good holster and its price is very good as well. It's not as expensive as some of top-line leathers or some other Kydex holsters, but its quality is on the same level if not higher. This would be a great holster to use for carrying with for high concealment.
Blade-Tech