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I don’t post many reviews and am not an expert at it, but every now and then something comes along that inspires me to post my experiences on a product and service I receive. Sometimes it is good, sometimes horrific. I try to be as unbiased as possible and call it like it is. One thing I am adamant about is that I actually use it for awhile and see how it performs and holds up to wear in tear. I collect a few custom knives here and there and have learned that on the outside something can be stunning in appearance but lack in performance due to design, materials used, edge geometry and in some cases, the makers demand leading to something leaving the shop that shouldn’t of. Something that looks great might not perform. So actually using it for awhile without babying it, is the only way for me to really know if it was worth it and how much of an improvement it is.
I want to share my experiences with Alex Nossar and his custom leather. I didn’t even know who Alex was until I met Ned Christiansen at his shop in Michigan. When I picked up my pistol I asked Ned about leather and he showed me a Nossar IWB holster he had that Alex wouldn’t let him sell due to a flaw. I looked at it several times and couldn’t see anything wrong with it until Ned pointed out a very small stitching issue, so small I can’t remember what it actually was but remember thinking I wouldn’t hesitate to carry it.
I contacted Alex about a holster for my 1911 and decided to inquire at the same time if he could make me some leather for my duty weapon as well. I was issued a DeSantis holster and magazine pouch by my agency. I and wear anything from street clothes to suits for duty. The problem I was having is that I carry two spare mags, radio, handcuffs, weapon, and sometimes an ASP. It was almost as much gear as I carried as a patrolman on a Safariland duty belt. It wasn’t secure, moved around on the belt during the day, and the design of the holster and mag pouches took up a lot of space on my belt. I wasn’t left with much spare room. I felt like a cross between the Michelin Man and Batman.
I sent Alex some photos of my current belt and gear and asked for help. Alex suggested two single mag pouches with the loop on the back instead of the double I was carrying. That would enable me to get them on either side of a belt loop. He then said he could do a holster for me with my agency required thumb snap that had one loop on the back of the holster and the other behind the slide/frame area. That would eliminate another front loop that I had and help giving me some more belt space. In addition I asked that he shorten the length of the belt from the sizing holes to the tip. By eliminating some of this excess, it gave me more space to get the spare mags towards the front of my body, again freeing up and extra inch or two.
Alex took both of my orders via an e-mail order form. He then gave me an estimated ship time and I paid in full for my purchase. I was taken back a little that payment had to be made in full but after my initial shock can see why. The leather is a complete individual custom from the holster to the belt in this case. I am sure at some point if Alex accepted a small percentage down and the customer didn’t come through with the rest of the payment after Alex had completed it, he would have some very specific made leather he might or might not be able to sell in the future.
Then came the wait. Pulling no punches here, you are going to wait. There was a delay from the original estimated delivery date. I will say that Alex did contact me and advise me of the reason for the delay. Not only did he do this by e-mail but an international phone call on his dime. Alex told me he has had some e-mail problems in the past and wanted to ensure I was aware of what was going on. It was refreshing to have the contact initiated by someone other than me about a delay.
The wait continued until the day Alex called to say he was finished and was shipping it. I told him I was in the middle of a move and requested he hold it until I relocated. After my move I e-mailed Alex and asked him to ship it. It arrived several days later and Alex called to make sure I had received it.
When it arrived, each piece was in a very nice felt bag. Every piece was very nicely molded, finished, and stitching was excellent. I immediately noticed how the belt and loops were very well fitted and there was only a slight amount of play, not the slop I was used to. I don’t know if my picture below captures it, but the loops are almost like they are molded to the contour of the belt. The fit of the loops and the belt are the best I have seen. Looking at the thickness of the leather on the holster and magazine pouches l I was amazed how thin it was. My previous experience with horsehide was a Kramer IWB for a P7M8. Alex’s horsehide is much thinner and nicer in fit and finish.
The next thing I did was insert my P229 into the holster. It snapped in like kydex. I had difficulty drawing the weapon from the holster the trigger guard area was molded so well. I didn’t feel comfortable carrying it on duty until I had practiced with it and broke it in some. I also noticed after getting all the junk I carry on, I had indeed gained some free space on my belt. Enough now I could clip on the anchor, AKA cell phone .
Alex's belt is kydex lined and thick. One word of caution, order the correct size. This belt isn’t going to stretch or loosen up much, if any, over time. It does an excellent job of supporting everything. I had to drop a few pounds to get to the middle hole because I didn’t get it right. Not a bad thing!
I have worn this rig for over a year now. I would say it is very durable and the molding remains excellent. During training I was running to get to cover with a shoulder weapon and cut too close to a corner and clipped it with the holster and scuffed it pretty good and slightly stretched the corners around the loop. It was a hard enough hit to bounce me off line (enough to get peppered by a full-auto burst of Sim rounds, ouch) and the holster stayed where it was. I have worn the whole rig every day from normal duties to some non-traditional activities like horseback riding, mountain biking and never has my weapon come loose or unsnapped or have I lost a magazine from the pouch. That includes falling from the mountain bike, crazy horse that had a personality dispute with me, running ect.
In a recent pistol course I attended, I presented and holstered this weapon in a week more than I probably do in a year. The course was challenging and it was a pass/fail class for me. Everything was timed to a stricter standard than our regular qualifications with a higher round count and moving. During this class I noticed I was actually slow on my first shot because the retention of the holster was enough that it required me to really pop it out of the holster and the extra force was not helping a smooth presentation because it really brought it away from my centerline.
That night back in the hotel I wetted the inside of the trigger guard area and pressed outward on the molding and loosened up the retention some. The pistol still had retention and maintained the molding, just not as tight. The rest of the week it made a noticeable difference in my times so I think the retention and molding was almost too good. Another important thing I should mention is the holster doesn’t collapse after my draw like my issued one. The mouth of the holster always retained the shape and allowed for safe one handed holstering. As a firearms instructor I cringe and have to correct people from using their non-firing hand to sometimes open the mouth of the issue holster to get their weapon re-holstered because it collapses after the weapon is out. I leave my comments about our issued leather out of this!
If I were to list the biggest con of the whole rig, it would be the brass belt buckle. Alex said he didn’t have nickel at the time and silver wasn’t available either. The buckle is solid but tarnishes and looks worn pretty quickly. Not a huge deal and one he said he is working on but at this point is still having trouble finding a quality nickel buckle maker.
In summary I would say that Alex’s work is fantastic and it is evident from the design that Alex is a shooter and understands what works and doesn’t. It is expensive and you are going to have to wait. Alex does all the hand shaping, boning, and stitching himself and is an artisan. It is no different to me than ordering a custom knife or gun and having to wait. One thing I forgot to mention is that there is some squeaking to the leather. When I talked to Alex about this, he suggested a product called KG9. I haven’t purchased it yet so I can’t tell you how it works but intend to do so and let you know how it works in a follow up.
One last note, when I talked to Alex last he was in the middle of moving his residence and workshop. I don’t know how or what his status as far as order taking is so you might want to contact him. My next project with Alex is going to be a setup for my wifes P7M8. I also have a review to do on the IWB for my 1911 that I will get to in the next few weeks.
Sorry, more winded than I wanted. Pics below. I didn't take photos of it when it arrived but assure you they are as nice in person as you see on this forum.
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