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Blade-Tech experience and soon to be released holster

TRAKATAK

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2007
Messages
55
Location
Puyallup, Washington, USA
imported post

I just wanted to share the latest great interaction, as well as a previous, with the fine people who work at Blade-Tech. As most of you may know, we are fortunate to have one of the premier holster manufacturers in the world located here. I have been to their store/factory many times and currently own 6 of their holsters and mag holsters and I am fond of every one I own.

My first story goes back to my return from a deployment to Iraq. I had purchased a Kydex M9 holster from them and about 3 months into the tour I managed to snap the thing almost in half. I am rough on my gear, and while disappointed that it broke, I couldn't really hold them at fault. I did find it odd that the superior Kydex holster did break though, and I held onto it to show them so maybe they could do a redesign or something. 12 months later I come home, take the holster to them to show how it broke and began to leave the store. The admin assistant came out and wanted me to come back in. Apparently, for military and law enforcement, they like to go out of their way and after apologizing for the holster breaking, ON THE SPOT made a new holster for me. No charge of course. Yeah, that's right. They didn't have any in stock, so they made one. Then they gave me a screaming deal on a knife while I was waiting.

Now this last week I go in to check out their new place and buy some knives for gifts. I speak with Tim Wegner (yes....THE Time Wegner), his son Bryce, and the knife guy Mikey. All of them are awesome guys....super nice, personable, outgoing, and willing to talk shop about guns, holsters, future products, and the world in general. While talking with Bryce about ankle holsters (for my new Ruger LCP backup), he shows me their new retention holster that is going to trump the Blackhawk Serpa in spades. Instead of the forefinger release, it is a thumb push activated trigger-well retention system. Very natural to release in a normal draw, very compact against the body, and here is the best part, VERY INEXPENSIVE. I will not say how much he said he was going to start selling them for, but when he told me the price I said to him "Blackhawk is going to be soooooo pissed at you guys." I think they should ask for more, but they want to get them moving and increase interest first, I suppose. So after showing me these new holsters I go to get some knives.

Mikey and Tim are showing me all the kick ass knives they have and I request two more of the MLEK-lite knives like I currently own to give as gifts. Tim mentions that they probably don't have any in stock, so in lieu of that knife (40-50 bucks), they give me (give being almost a perfect word here) two much more expensive knives, well....for a really, really, reeeeaaaallllly good price. So good, I don't want to say it here so people don't think I took advantage of them. Oh, and even with the holiday season here, Mikey said he will have the engraving (that they do in house and is a very nice touch to personalize the knives) completed on Monday.

So the moral of the story is this....Blade-Tech is owned, operated, and staffed by a group of really great guys who go out of their way to please the customer and their new holster coming out is the balls. You guys should really go check them out at their store and ask to see this thing. It is NICE!
 

Aryk45XD

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2009
Messages
513
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
imported post

Bladetech's here!? Holy cow! I must look into this!
Sound's like a great opportunity you had Trakatak. I'm happy for you. Now I must go look into some accessories.
 

amlevin

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
5,937
Location
North of Seattle, Washington, USA
imported post

Hmmm! A Blade-Tech Holster with a thumb release like others have tried? Hope it works better.

As far as Blade-Tech holsters go, I agree that they are premier products. Put one next to any other Kydex holster and their quality stands out. Surprisingly, their prices are not all that bad either for the quality of product.
 

amlevin

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
5,937
Location
North of Seattle, Washington, USA
imported post

Hmmm! A Blade-Tech Holster with a thumb release like others have tried? Hope it works better.

As far as Blade-Tech holsters go, I agree that they are premier products. Put one next to any other Kydex holster and their quality stands out. Surprisingly, their prices are not all that bad either for the quality of product.
 

TRAKATAK

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2007
Messages
55
Location
Puyallup, Washington, USA
imported post

So good you had to say it twice!

When I go to pick up the knives, I will ask if I can take pics/video of the holster and post it here for you guys to see.
 

twest17

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2008
Messages
21
Location
, ,
imported post

hmm very interested in this new holster, did they give any timeline as to when it will be available?
 

OrangeIsTrouble

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2009
Messages
1,398
Location
Tukwila, WA, ,
imported post

TRAKATAK wrote:
I have been to their store/factory many times


Now this last week I go in to check out their new place and buy some knives for gifts.
Sounds like it would be open to the public as a retail store. Unless TRAKATAK has some sort of special clearance....:what:
 

TRAKATAK

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2007
Messages
55
Location
Puyallup, Washington, USA
imported post

Yes, they do sell retail out of their location. Their new place is still in the process of being completed, but they did have cases with their knives in them. I was kinda caught up in the conversation with Bryce and did not notice if they had a wall with holsters. I will check when I go back and report.

Their old location off of Steele St. in Tacoma was very small, but they did sell anything that they had in stock, and I would imagine that the procedure has not changed. You can also place an order on site if they don't have it and they will call when it is ready. Turn around is amazingly quick. Like I said, they are a really great group of people to do business with.
 

massivedesign

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2009
Messages
865
Location
Olympia, Washington, USA
imported post

All the holsters that I have bought from BT I have done in person. If they didn't have my make in stock, they said come back in an hour, and it was done, fresh off the press.

BT makes an excellent product. BT for OWB and Crossbreed for IWB.. Life is grand..
 

Bobarino

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2008
Messages
295
Location
Puyallup, Washington, USA
imported post

my experiences with Blade Tech mirror the OP's. i have a half dozen of their holsters too. all bought at their factory and all but one custom made the way i wanted it right on the spot. i told the person what i wanted (1" deeper ride and extreme FBI cant in an IWB) and she called up an employee named Corey, he walked me back to his station and we goofed around with the mold and the placement of the snaps until i was happy, then 15 minutes later, i had a perfectly fitting custom holster and it didn't cost any extra. that was about 9 years ago and it's still on my hip right now. excellent products and excellent people and service.

when i bought my Serpa, i almost felt like i was cheating on them. when their new retention holster comes out, i'll be on it!

Bobby
 

TRAKATAK

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2007
Messages
55
Location
Puyallup, Washington, USA
imported post

Yes they are. I have OC'd in their store. Not even a second look. Tim Wegner was proudly carrying his Glock with, what I think were, RSL laser sights, and when I showed him how I was currently carrying my LCP in my pocket (since we were discussing possible ankle and pocket holsters being developed by them), once again, not even a blink from anyone. I wouldn't be surprised if he is not the only person in the business carrying, and that makes me a very happy customer indeed.
 

kito109654

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Messages
533
Location
Sedro, Washington, USA
imported post

gogodawgs wrote:
follow up question then...

are they OC friendly? If I walk in with my Sig in my galco holster to have it replaced, they are cool wit dat?

Even if they are, it would be bad gun etiquette. If the pistol is to be touched at all it should be brought inunloaded and in a case. Carry another gun, the one on your hip is not to be touched unless you're defending your life.

Well, that's how I treat it, at least.
 

gogodawgs

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Oct 25, 2009
Messages
5,669
Location
Federal Way, Washington, USA
imported post

kito109654 wrote:
gogodawgs wrote:
follow up question then...

are they OC friendly? If I walk in with my Sig in my galco holster to have it replaced, they are cool wit dat?

Even if they are, it would be bad gun etiquette. If the pistol is to be touched at all it should be brought inunloaded and in a case. Carry another gun, the one on your hip is not to be touched unless you're defending your life.

Well, that's how I treat it, at least.
Kito, you are correct. I did not mean to imply that a loaded/unloaded holsteredgun would be handled.
 

kito109654

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Messages
533
Location
Sedro, Washington, USA
imported post

gogodawgs wrote:
kito109654 wrote:
gogodawgs wrote:
follow up question then...

are they OC friendly? If I walk in with my Sig in my galco holster to have it replaced, they are cool wit dat?

Even if they are, it would be bad gun etiquette. If the pistol is to be touched at all it should be brought inunloaded and in a case. Carry another gun, the one on your hip is not to be touched unless you're defending your life.

Well, that's how I treat it, at least.
Kito, you are correct. I did not mean to imply that a loaded/unloaded holsteredgun would be handled.
Oh, okay. :)
 

TRAKATAK

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2007
Messages
55
Location
Puyallup, Washington, USA
imported post

O.K. everyone....I went to pick up the knives today. They turned out great, by the way. They do NOT have any holsters on a wall like they did in their old location, but I was able to speak with Bryce, Tim, and another individual, whose name I did not get, but he was apparently their dedicated holster guy. I asked to take pics/video to post up here and they said that they would need to get clearance from someone else before they could do that and begin promoting the holster. I asked "I assume it is still in R&D?", and they answered in the affirmative.

They did, however, show me a picture they had taken of a large man (200 lbs plus) doing pull-ups while hanging from two pistols in the holsters. Yes, he was hanging from the two pistol grips and they remained firmly in place. The holster is a level 2 holster that requires you to push the pistol down and then press the thumb release. I can confirm that you CANNOT pull the weapon out of the holster without properly pressing the thumb release. A big plus for those concerned with good retention. They did state that Glock models are going to be the first offerings from the line. More to follow.
 

amlevin

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
5,937
Location
North of Seattle, Washington, USA
imported post

TRAKATAK wrote:
Yes they are. I have OC'd in their store. Not even a second look. Tim Wegner was proudly carrying his Glock with, what I think were, RSL laser sights, and when I showed him how I was currently carrying my LCP in my pocket (since we were discussing possible ankle and pocket holsters being developed by them), once again, not even a blink from anyone. I wouldn't be surprised if he is not the only person in the business carrying, and that makes me a very happy customer indeed.
What's this? A company that doesn't subscribe to the premise that guns should not be allowed in the possession of their employees? Must not have a PC HR Department like just about every other company in the US. Oh wait. They deal with guns and gun owners. Must know that guns are not bad, just the dumbasses that give them a bad name. Oh well, I can only hope that their enlightened attitude will become a model for other companies as well.:cool:
 
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