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Although many people may be able to find a holster design which works well, some may need something a bit different. This is where we started, and where we feel the most useful - helping someone find something made specifically for them, to their own specifications.

This page lists the features commonly available on KCL holsters, and may be mixed and matched to your heart's content. Some features work very well together, and some just don't work on some types of holsters - for instance, you can't get tuckable loops on a holster worn outside the waistband! If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

Ride height

How high the holster sits on your belt. Mid-rise means the belt will cover the trigger guard. A low-rider may conceal better but make for a difficult draw, as the belt interferes with getting a grip on the gun. A high-riding holster may be easier from which to draw, but may be more prone to printing or more likely to poke you in the ribs. It's a tradeoff, up to you to decide. Most choose mid-rise except for holsters which are worn in the front such as the Megan Magnum.

Cant

How tilted the holster is on your belt. In general, 15 degrees (aka the "FBI cant") works best for most people. A holster worn in the front near the appendix (1 or 2 o'clock) may work better with less cant, and a holster worn farther around on the back (around 5 to 5:30) may work better with a more extreme cant of 25 or 30 degrees.

Color

Natural leather is a pale tan or pink color, but we have dyes for several colors including black (the most popular), cordovan (a classy maroon), chocolate, light brown, saddle tan, british tan (tan with a more reddish tint), and even pink. Other colors available on request, but it may take longer to make your holster, as we may have to wait to have the dye delivered.

Tuckable belt loops

Allows you to tuck in a shirt over the holster. Reinforced with spring steel inserts for rigidity. Available only on IWB holsters. Shown is a 1911 officer Karl holster with a belt passing through the snap tuckable loops.

Snap closure belt loops

Belt loops which allow you to put on and remove the holster without the bother of removing your belt first. Very convenient, and almost always requested. To the right is a GLOCK 19 Folder holster with the snap belt loops unsnapped.

Reinforced mouth

Prevents the holster from closing after you draw the gun. A must-have for easy one-handed reholstering - you don't want the police to misidentify you as the bad guy because they see a gun in your hand when they show up.

Available as simple leather or with spring steel inserts. Not usually necessary for OWB holsters as the belt does not squeeze the holster. Here you see the reinforced mouth of a GLOCK 19 Folder holster.

Sweat flap

Protects you from the gun and the gun from you. Reinforced with spring steel inserts, but available without reinforcement for those who prefer an ultra-thin holster. Not usually necessary for comfort on striker-fired guns with smooth slides, such as a GLOCK, but they still keep the sweat off the gun. Shown on the right is the steel reinforced sweat flap on a 1911 Karl holster.

Front sight channel

A generous track is molded into the holster through which the front sight may travel without wearing the finish. Especially important on guns with tall front sights, like N-frame revolvers. On the left you can see the front sight channel molded into an OWB crossdraw/strongside S&W N-frame holster.

Closed muzzle end

The leather at the end of the holster is stitched together end-to-end. This seals off the muzzle end of the holster, preventing dust and lint from building up on the muzzle - without increasing the length of the holster. This is especially desirable for full-size pistols like the government-sized (5") 1911 pistols. You may want a longer holster for shorter guns for better stability, so this feature may be better left off of holsters for subcompacts. On the right you can see the closed muzzle end of a government-sized 1911 Karl holster.

Thumb break

A strap which holds the gun in the holster, but can be disengaged by undoing a snap with your thumb during the normal draw stroke. Not generally necessary for KCL concealment holsters, due to the tight grip of the molded leather on the gun (especially on the ejection port and trigger guard) but some like the extra security. A must-have for open carry, and preferable for hunting holsters.

Exotic skin trim

We generally have both sharkskin and stingray on hand for that extra touch of class. We can get other exotic skins, but please allow extra time for special exotics. Contact us for availability and price. Shown to the right is stingray skin trim on an N-frame OWB holster, and above you can see the sharkskin trim on a similar holster in brown.