Soft Sided Pocket Holsters
Dr. John Woods 03.13.17
There are many alternatives for carrying a pistol on the person. Choices abound for “inside the waist band” or “outside the waist band,” as these are very popular modes of carry. The deal is you have to find a system that works for you, your style, what you wear, and how you like to carry.
I recently discovered during a holster search for a new lightweight, small pocket pistol another alternative approach. Why not wear the pistol inside the pocket? For me, I cannot stand a holster worn inside the pants belt. I am not comfortable with a bulky item inside the waist band. I do use and like many holsters worn outside the waist band. But, those can be obtrusive and noticeable unless a shirt is worn out to cover the gun.
So, I began to research available products to carry a pistol in the pants pocket. I came up with two great products, and I am now using both with excellent results. These are the Sticky Holster and the DeSantis Nemesis. While they are similar in mission and function, they do feel differently.
The Sticky holster is just that. It is a polymer type material that truly is sticky. When you run your hand across it, it grabs the skin. Inside the pants pocket it does the same thing. This “adhesive” characteristic is what keeps the pistol inside the slip pocket holster in place in the garment’s pocket. Walking, sitting, driving, climbing, etc, the Sticky Holster stays “stuck” inside your pocket.
The DeSantis Nemesis holster is similar but the material has more of a textured waffle design. It is sticky but has a different feel to it. It does not “grab” in the same way, but is just as effective to wear in the pocket. The pistol simply slides into the holster sleeve and is tightly held in place with the pistol grip easy to grab for a quick withdrawal.
Now, to be clear, when or if you need to withdraw your pocket pistol from either of these holsters, it might take two hands. Meaning one to grasp the pistol’s grip, and the other to hold the pants in place as the pistol withdrawal will likely bring the holster with it. This is ok, but something you have to work with and train for to practice the move. Practice with these holster types is essential to see how the draw works for you.
