Killer Kydex
Squared Away Customs was referred to me by a Facebook contact. So I gave them a shout...on Facebook. I had one simple question, would they like to have their work reviewed? I had an answer in about an hour. That's incredible response time for any company. Most are simply too busy to have someone sitting on Social Media all day. To get a response from them in the same day is an awfully good start in my book. So, we chatted some about what they would like reviewed. The impression I came away with is that the best thing to do was to write about the whole experience. That's why I started from the Facebook chat. So, I took a look at their website. It's very clean. Simple black and white palette that doesn't overwhelm the sensed or give you a migraine looking at it. It's very well put together with a simple scrolling gallery on the main page. All in all, it's a site that you want to spend some more time on. I hit the products page and they have everything all in one spot. No confusing page after page to scroll through before you find what you're looking for. It's a site I have a lot to learn from as far as website design. I settled on the Oscar model. A simple outside the waistband model that looks like it will ride comfortably. The components look like they are high quality and put together well. I don't usually go the Kydex route and even then they were hybrids. So the prospect of a full Kydex high-quality holster was interesting. Their menus were easy to use. Simple drop down menus for each category needed. Make/model, color, all the basics in an easy to use format. They have all the normal colors and even some premium patterns. A-TACS, digital, Kryptek, and even some outside the box patterns. A-TACS Vista (a Realtree like pattern) and A-TACS Bonz (a hunting camo style but with deer skulls) are some outside the box but actually fun patterns. I would absolutely use the A-TACS sport the A-TACS Bonz as part of my hunting gear. For my order, I set my feet firmly into A-TACS LE. I have many of their photos in the gallery below, used with Squared Away's permission, but am saving the LE pattern photos for the holster I have coming. Purchasing my holster was a breeze. So much so that there's really nothing left to say about it. Which says a lot in my book.
The holsters quality is excellent. There are many companies out there that turn out a functional holster with little attention to detail. Squared Away isn’t one of those holsters. The edges are smooth and polished. There are no rough edges and everything is tight and sturdy. This is an impressive holster. The holster came with the loops in the center position. I found that the pistol was a little top heavy in this spot and tended to lean outward. This morning I moved them to the top and tried it out. Yeah, it gave the Glock 23 a slight longer profile but nothing that a T-shirt wouldn’t still cover. The real advantage was how well it balanced once I moved the belt loops a mere inch. I actually forgot that I was wearing it. I really like the fact that the muzzle is protected. I know it isn’t completely necessary, and some absolutely hate the muzzle being covered by a holster, but I think it’s comforting knowing that I’m not going to have dirt and dust blowing into my barrel on a windy day. Not to mention the thought of tripping and getting gravel or something else damaging the muzzle crown. As much as I like this holster I do have a couple of criticism. Their website says to expect 3 to 6 weeks to get your holster. This holster showed up at 9 weeks. Now, they’re busy and it takes some time make each holster by hand. I would just suggest that the time frame is updated on their website. The A-TACS LE pattern that I ordered ended up very light. I asked the owner is it was a product of being heated for the molding process. I was assured that heat does nothing to the color of the Kydex. The sheet they used for my holster just had a “light pattern”. That may be a disappointment but it was out of their control and, in no way, diminishes the quality of the holster currently on my hip. I expected this...
I got this...
Like I’ve said before, this is an extremely well-made holster. Beyond that, they have some great stock patterns as well as custom designs. I’ll leave a gallery of those at the bottom of the page. What I’d like to leave you with is this...if you need a holster, Squared Away is a great option. Unlike some I’ve come in contact with I will be keeping this holster around to do it’s job...and not just ride the hunting bag. One thing about Kydex that should be remembered is that being so rigid is a two-edged sword. Retention is great. A hard exterior means the pistol is protected. But it also means that it isn’t flexible enough to bend to the contour of your hip and really hug tight against you. That’s not an argument against Kydex. It’s just something to remember. Inside will hide easier...with any material. Inside or outside really doesn’t matter, though. It’s how you handle it. Wear an unbuttoned outer shirt. Maybe a light jacket. At the end of the day just remember that it’s worth it for the ability to use a great holster like the Squared Away Customs.
