A handcrafted pocket holster that keeps your handgun always at the ready and rock-steady when drawn.
There are some practical considerations involved when you decide to place a concealed weapon on your body.
First, it must be accessible. Second, it must be concealed (duh!). Third, it must be comfortable. For me, a pocket carry is just fine.
I looked around and found several cheap designs and tried them, but they all came up lacking. Either they would wear out quickly, slide around in my pocket or cause difficulty in getting the firearm out of the pocket. Obviously, none of these are desirable.
A friend introduced me to Mika’s Pocket Holsters. Robert Mika, in Readstown, Wis., hand makes every holster and when finished, he signs and dates the interior leather. As a 20-year veteran of the LAPD, he’s had plenty of experience with open and concealed carry.
When you order, he gets the make and model information from you so he can match the holster to the gun. If he has any questions, he will call you and make sure he understands your concerns before he fashions the holster.
After wearing the holster several days, I appreciated the way it was stable in the pocket and, if the gun was drawn, it came out and the holster did not.
Robert told me the holster is manufactured so it is also easy to get the gun back in the holster—not a feature on most pocket holsters. The leather is soft and supple, and he attached a strip of gripping material around the middle to provide some friction against the pocket so it will stay right in place as the handgun is drawn.
Occasionally, I leave the gun in my locked vehicle, and it would be nice if there were a removable strap to secure the gun to the holster while not on the body.
I’m sure he could make one if asked. Mika has many different products on his website and will customize any holster. The cost is under $30, and the quality is excellent. It’s a pleasure to find a product made in the USA that is high quality and has a money-back warranty as well. (Visit frontiernet.net/~akim/index.html).
This article appeared in the February 13, 2014 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Recommended resources for concealed carry:
The Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry, 2nd Edition
The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery
Armed: The Essential Guide to Concealed Carry
Find more resources at gundigeststore.com/tactical
I bought one of Mika’s early pocket holsters in the late 1980’s at a police supply store in Long Beach, CA. I used it with perfect satisfaction for many years with my S&W J-frames. I contacted Robert Mika a couple of years ago while working on a concealed carry article and when he found out I still had one of his early products he asked me if I’d send it to him for a keepsake if he’d make me a brand new one. I said OK and we did the deed. I’ve been just as happy with his newer design. It’s a good product at a fair price from a man who knows what it’s about.