In the holster world, I’m known for not being in love with appendix carry. Over the last few months, I’ve had some long discussions with certain folks in the gun community on this very topic. After addressing and discussing certain safety concerns that I’ve had, it then came down to comfort.
So, I got an appendix holster from Gerber Holsters so that I could give it another shot. Here’s what they made me:
The owner, Jeff, started the business in late 2018. Since that time, he has shipped over 800 holsters to happy customers, and has taken Instagram by storm with his custom and unique designs.
As for me, I’ve been using the holster for the better part of a month now, and I’m nearly converted to appendix carry. It’s, honestly, the first AIWB holster that hasn’t annoyed me to no end. It sits right, it’s comfortable, it’s flexible, and it looks pretty darn sweet.
The thing that drew me to Gerber Holsters was their seemingly endless ways of customizing the look of a holster. That, coupled with a great design and retention, led me to the direction of appendix carry.
Here’s what they have to say about this Sidekick-Helix AIWB Holster:
The Gerber Holsters “Sidekick-Helix” is an appendix inside-the-waistband (AIWB) carry holster designed to be comfortable for all day carry with compromising sturdiness and reliability. All Gerber Holsters products are built with incredible precision to offer a smooth draw and re-holster every time. The Sidekick-Helix is a two-piece design with a section of high-quality buffalo leather at the hinge point to allow the rig to conform to your body. The Sidekick-Helix comes with a concealment claw that pulls your firearm and rig close to your body for deep concealment while still allowing for a full purchase on your weapon without interfering with your draw. With the standard adjustable belt clips, the Sidekick-Helix offers ride height adjustability to fit your body better than any other holster. The Sidekick-Helix was also built with Gerber Holsters’ specialty spacers that allow for retention adjustability to help you to “Master Your Draw”. Please refer to the kydex color options in the product photos when customizing your holster.
The holster is made from a molded kydex, and the front is semi-transparent. With this particular holster, he did a nice color combination, and also added our logo to the backing. It was a nice touch, which shows how their customization comes into play.
The back is where we see the real difference in the AIWB world. With this dual firearm/mag carrier combination, they’ve incorporated a piece of leather in between, allowing the two pieces to better sit at it’s position. Others I’ve had only incorporate a single piece of kydex, which doesn’t give it any amount of flexibility.
The two belt clips are sturdy, and are positioned in a way that seat the holster directly between my two belt loops.
Retention can also be adjusted for both the firearm and magazine. Simply tighten or loosen a few screws, and you’ll achieve the desired retention that you’re looking for.
See that claw? It’s a relatively new implementation in the holster world, but serves a valuable purpose. The purpose of the claw is to pull the side of the holster towards your body. When it does this, it pulls the grip of the firearm inwards, therefor minimizing the printing of the firearm.
It’s such a simple thing, but really does make a nice difference.
For colors and patterns, they offer a wide variety to choose from when placing an order:
Below are a few other holsters that Gerber Holsters has made, just to give you an idea of the diversity in look;
At $130 for this style and quality holster, I can say that it’s money well-spent. The craftsmanship and detail that went into the holster is absolutely perfect, and the owner was a pleasure to work with.
Use this link to check out the holster options available, and use coupon code ‘cn10’ to save 10%.
