It has always been my belief that there are three crucial parts to any concealed carry system. The sidearm is an obvious one, followed by the holster and belt. In my quest to find the best components for a CCW system, Tulster’s products had caught my attention a few times, and I decided to see what the hype was for myself. Tulster’s website is one of the best I’ve seen so far as it was well designed, easy to navigate, had clear/bright photographs, and I had found that they sell other gear and apparel besides holsters. The color/texture/pattern and belt clip size options were plentiful, and I really was impressed with the Kydex color preview page. The prices for the Profile holster (as tested) start at $64.99 and (depending on the selected color/texture/pattern option) go up to $79.99. I ordered a Profile holster for my Springfield Armory XDS-45 (3.3″ barrel) in Kryptek Typhon with a 1.5″ belt clip, and was impressed by the build/ship time as well as their customer service (email responses received within a couple of hours). I had ordered on a Thursday at 1545 hrs., received notification that it was shipping the following day (Friday) at 1706 hrs., and received the holster the following Monday at 1449 hrs. Your experience may vary.
When I had received the product, I realized that I had ordered from a company that pays attention to detail. The exterior packaging was a padded envelope, that contained the holster and a small plastic bag (containing a couple of small items) within a perfectly sized package of bubble wrap. Inside the small plastic bag were a couple of business cards, a 1 ml. packet of thread locker, and it had an instructional decal affixed to the exterior of it.
The first thing I noticed about the holster was the material. The Kydex is .08″ thick (great for solid construction and retention) versus .06″ that is commonly found in other products , and all of the edges are glossy and smooth. No tool or sanding marks were noted. In fact, the design and molding process results in a sleek, low profile, and low drag holster. While there isn’t a great amount of definition in the holster to show the details on the sidearm, there is a purpose for this. The more points of contact a holster has (pinch points caused by tight molding to show detail), more force is required to draw, and the sidearm may become hung up. All day comfort is another reason for the smooth design. The Kryptek Typhon pattern has a good amount of variation in it, and is printed on a light grey color Kydex.
Remember when I had commented on the attention to detail? The other features designed into the Profile holster are a perfect definition of this, as it provides the user with options such as belt clip sizes, adjustable retention, and even an adjustable forward cant (holster angle)! While I ordered the holster with a 1.5″ clip, for an additional $3 I could have ordered it with the 1.75″ clip too, making it a universal fit for most popular belt sizes. The retention of the sidearm is provided at the trigger guard while completely protecting the trigger, and is adjustable by loosening or tightening a Phillips head screw. Most inside the waist band (IWB) holsters on the market are designed for a 3-5 o’clock carry OR appendix (AIWB) carry. The Profile holster is able to be used in BOTH positions. The clip position is the key. It is fastened to the holster by two Phillips head screws and two soft o-rings. Simply loosen the screws, adjust the cant from 0-15 degrees forward, and re-tighten. Don’t forget to use the included thread locker when making all of your adjustments. Trying for a tighter fit on a thinner or dress belt? No problem. Remove the o-rings and re-tighten the screws. By doing this, the clip seats right up against the holster, tightening the gap for the belt.
Some times the smaller details can make all the difference, and Tulster seems to have thought these out while designing this holster. If the belt clips aren’t comfortable or provide the positioning you want, you may order soft loops as singles or a two-pack that include hardware. Need to replace a clip, replace hardware, or make the clip fit a thick belt? You can order those too. There is a sweat shield molded into this holster, and it is slightly undersized to provide comfort and less skin irritation while protecting the slide. The way the front and rear of the holster work in conjunction with each other makes for smooth and safe re-holstering. The sight channel is oversized and runs the length of the holster, which is perfect for taller aftermarket sights. The muzzle end is curved inward protecting the sights, slide, barrel, and recoil spring assembly, but remains open so that debris doesn’t collect in this area. While the magazine release is exposed, I have never had the magazine eject by accident. This includes bumping against belt buckles and other common objects such as; doors, door frames, walls, vehicle doors, seat belts, kids, pets…. you get the picture.
In my opinion; for all the features designed into this holster while keeping it as compact as possible, it is a great buy at the $64.99 to $79.99 price point. Still stuck on that versus the bargain pricing of other commercially available products? Remember that safety and your life are worth any price. Remember hearing about the guy who shot himself in the ass? Kuddos to that guy, by the way. He was brave enough to share his story so that others may learn. Check out the full line of Profile holsters, Echo magazine carriers, and other items at Tulster.com. You won’t be disappointed, and I’m looking forward to ordering more of Tulster’s products in the future.
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