This is big news from two great great brands. LAV has been using Raven holsters for years, so it was a natural fit. I’m looking forward to checking out what they’ve come up with.
North Ridgeville, Ohio — Thursday, 29 October 2015
Raven Concealment Systems announced today the release of their Vickers Signature Series of holsters and magazine carriers.
The Vickers Signature Series is a collaboration between Raven Concealment Systems and Larry Vickers of Vickers Tactical.
The Vickers Signature Series is the first in a new family of products Raven Concealment Systems will be bringing to market over the next several months. Signature Series products are limited-run production batches of gear designed to the personal specifications of some of the most respected gunfighters and shooting instructors of our time. These Signature Series items promise to be both highly functional and visually striking.
“As one of the first adopters of the Raven Concealment Systems Phantom holster, I’ve always been a believer in the design’s exceptional comfort, concealability, and speed of draw. Over the past decade, I’ve seen and experienced the unparalleled durability, quality, and consistency of Raven’s products,” said Larry Vickers. “It was a pleasure to work with Raven’s professional design team on this project. We tailored the Signature products to reflect the functional and aesthetic attributes I was seeking in a holster and magazine carrier optimized for outside-the-waistband concealed-carry.”
The Vickers Signature Series is only available in one of four “shooter’s pack” configurations. These shooter packs are only produced for the pistols which LAV views as his “go-to” handguns: The Glock 17, Glock 19, Heckler and Koch VP9, Beretta M-9, and of course, the M1911 A1 pistols. Every item is tastefully emblazoned with the Vickers Tactical logo, and is produced to the same exacting standards of fit and finish that customers have come to expect from both RCS and Larry Vickers.
“As an organization, Raven Concealment Systems could not be more proud that Larry collaborated with us to design and manufacture the inceptive products in our Signature Series.” said John Chapman, CEO of Raven Concealment Systems. “Working with Larry is predictably pleasant due to his professionalism and clear vision of the excellence required to fulfill the needs of expert end users.”
The Vickers Signature Series is available exclusively through the Raven Concealment Systems website and a limited number of dealers specially selected by Vickers Tactical.
Tags: Larry Vickers, Raven Concealment Systems, Vickers Tactical
Digging the color scheme and the QMS. For those wondering RCS is offering 4 packages:
#1) Holster, double mag carrier
#2) Holster, single mag carrier, AR mag carrier
#3) Holster, double mag carrier, AR mag carrier
#4) Holster, double mag carrier, single mag carrier, AR mag carrier
Being an exclusively OWB guy, I really like the cut. Being a pragmatist, no way I’m shelling out that coin for plastic, while advertising for anyone.
I bought some RCS stuff when they were just a fledgling little company, but I wish someone would explain in simple terms why Kydex is now costing as much as custom, handmade leather. So much for it being a less expensive and more durable option.
Bill-
Why is acceptable to pay $200 for a custom leather holster and double magazine pouch, but not a custom Boltaron holster and double magazine pouch?
Just like a custom leather holster, these products are hand made by skilled craftsmen.
However, leather varies in quality and consistency from one hide to the next. It is susceptible to sweat, solvents, lubricants, and humidity. It absorbs and holds moisture, blood, and other liquid nastiness that one might encounter. Leather holsters start off life as “too tight” so as to allow them to break in to be “just right” — a process that ultimately leads to them being “too loose” after months or years of continuous use.
In sharp contrast to leather, polymers like Kydex and Boltaron are exceedingly consistent in from one sheet to the next, even over sample sizes of hundreds of skids. They are completely impervious to water, sweat, blood, lube, and almost every solvent known to man. They do not absorb nor retain moisture. Contaminants rinse right off. Once molded, it will hold the same shape (and therefore retention) for life. They do not “stretch out.”
For nearly every single attribute you could want in a holster, polymers are VASTLY superior to leather.
Making high-end custom holsters requires skilled people with an eye for detail, regardless what material they are made of. Because of that fact, and because our materials are superior to leather in so many ways, I fail to understand why any consumer would so hastily assume that polymer gear should be judged as the “cheap” option.
Add to that the fact that these products are the result of the combined knowledge and efforts of two highly-respected brands (RCS and Vickers Tactical) who are both widely regarded as subject matter experts in their respective fields, and I think the price is very reasonable.
I hope I’ve been able to answer your request for someone to explain the cost factor in simple terms.
Respectfully,
Michael Goerlich
Owner
Raven Concealment Systems
1. It depends how you look at it. Are you paying for the product alone or are you paying for the labour as well? No kydex guy is going to argue that making a high-end leather holster is more difficult than making a high-end kydex holster.
2. You are making a very big assumption that custom leather vendors don’t check their materials. Since they do, the point made in these two paragraphs is moot.
3. Maybe this is true, but you are again exaggerating the point. Leather has better retention and is more durable in certain ways. it’s a simple question of what attributes are more important to the end user.
4. It does require skill, but the simple question is this. Are you asking for a fair price or are you being business minded and asking the most lucrative price. It’s been showed time and time again that reputable vendors jack up their prices because they know people will still buy their shit. Having a signature “instructor X” in the name allows them to jack the price even more.
In conclusion. If you pay for the product only, than the price might be justified, if you pay for labour it’s probably not.
Robert-
Consumers don’t make purchasing decisions based on what they think the raw materials or labor cost the manufacturer; if they did, none of us would ever buy a cup of gas station coffee or order a pizza again, let alone buy guns and accessories. When you buy a holster, you’re not buying it based on the sum of its parts; you’re buying it for a myriad of factors like quality of workmanship, innovation of design, consistency of execution, feel and functionality, reputation, customer support, warranty, etc… factors that each consumer weighs differently, but basically amount to an opinion of what YOU feel the product can do for YOU. Price is nothing but an opinion.
I’ve worked with leather, and I’ve worked with Kydex and Boltaron. The two materials each require completely different skills, but anyone could make a holster out of either material. Making an extremely high-quality holster is another story altogether. And making dozens, or hundreds, or tens of thousands of holsters that are consistently extremely high-quality is an order of magnitude more difficult still. Making good leather holsters is no harder than making good Kydex holsters; it’s just hard in a different way.
Nowhere in my comments did I make assumptions that leather holster makers “…don’t check their materials.” I merely pointed out that as raw materials go, leather is organic will therefore inherently have flaws and consistency issues that a synthetic raw material (like Boltaron) will not.
My other comments on the attributes of leather versus Boltaron are anything BUT moot; they are all absolutely factual. If you can refute any of them, please feel free.
As I said above, price is nothing but an opinion. I wouldn’t have asked the price I did if I didn’t think it was “fair,” and judging by the number of people who have ordered kits so far, I’d say I am not alone in my opinion.
I appreciate your effort but you will never win the “why does it cost so much” with people who are bound and determined to remain ignorant and refuse to be taught.
Does the smoke coming from the holster let you know that the pistol is being retained?
WOW… Did I read that right? $199? I’m sure it’s great quality and all, but how is it that expensive? I didn’t see anything about donating a percentage of the proceeds to a military charity or anything.
Oh well, nice bit of kit for someone with deeper pockets than I. I’ll stick to the local guy for my custom kydex.
$200 for a custom holster and magazine pouch from a premier brand is pretty average, actually.
The fellow above is not in the market for a premier brand.
What makes it premier? The instructor’s name? The marketing? A fancy website? Do tell.
Are you implying that the small, veteran owned brand I purchase completely custom kydex gear from is somehow inferior or inadequate?
Inferior… probably.
Inadequate… depends on your needs.
Are there any benefits that this one has that the others don’t?
All I need now is a pair of signature Vickers briefs. With Larry’s face covering my manhood nothing will ever scare me again.
I’d like to see more pics and info on that 1911, don’t really care about the holster 🙂