This Medina holster made by Cherries Apparel is somewhat unique in that it was designed to be a BWB (Below The Waistband) holster.  I prefer deep appendix carry, so this WBW holster appealed to me.  I couldn't find any info on this forum regarding this holster, so I figured I'd give my review of it.

I ordered this holster on 3/22 and received it on 5/2, so they held up to their 6 week lead time, which is on par with many other holster suppliers.

Upon inspection, I noticed that the "finish" isn't as nice as many of the other holsters I've seen and used.  By this, I mean the finishing work.  Like all other Kydex holsters out there, the cut edges were sanded/polished smooth.  But they left a sharp plastic burr rolled into the inside of the holster in many areas.  The Kydex on the interior was wrinkled, not smooth.  Not a big deal, but maybe worth mentioning.  And the cut on the plastic clip has zero finishing work.  It came complete with sharp corners.  For a $90 holster, it seems to be lacking in the fine details department and resembled something more inline with being homemade by an average Joe.

So, I insert my unloaded G43 in to see how retention is.  Not bad in this department.  In my honest opinion, the holster contacts way too much of the gun and retention is a little bit on the high/tight side.  But this is just me being picky.  The gun fit well, and there wasn't any real issues here.









Next, I inserted a loaded mag, chambered a round, and attempted to reinsert my G43.  Emphasis on attempted.  It seems that the folks at Cherries were unaware of the fact that the extractor on the G43 kicked outward a bit when a round is chambered.  This holster does not accommodate a chambered gun.

At this point, this holster has a failing grade and is going to need to be returned.  I contacted Cherries and explained the issue and showed them these images.  They believe the error is an isolated issue - meaning they somehow made my one holster without regard to the extractor, but all other G43 Medina holsters have been made properly to account for it...  The offered to replace it if I pay to send it back to them.  No offer of a freight prepaid call tag...


I mulled it over for a week trying to decide if I wanted a replacement or a refund.  I fit the holster on my person to get an idea of how it wore.  One thing I noticed is that it felt bulky, which is should not with such a small gun.  At the widest point, my gun measures 1.02".  The width of this holster measures in at 1.84"!  Nothing like adding an inch to the width of your carry piece...!  This is due to two reasons.  1) They mold in a raised area for the hardware to attach the clip.  And being an ambidextrous holster, this raised area is on the front and back of the holster.  These combined add ~ .500-.600" to the holster's overall thickness.  If they could figure out a 'slimmer' way to attached the clip and/or ditch the idea of making it ambidextrous, it would really slim down the design and make this a more comfortable holster.  And 2), They use rubber spacers between the clip and the holster body.  This again, adds thickness and simulates bulkiness.  I assume the reason for these spacers is to make reholstering easier.  Nevertheless, it comes at some expense to comfortability.

My biggest complaint has got to be the printing.  At almost 2" thick and hanging from one side of the holster, it has a tendency to rock the muzzle forward.  This causes it to print badly through denim.  Again, I believe this would be less of an issue if they could slim down the design.






In the end, I have requested a call tag and a refund.  I really like the idea of this holster, but do not like the implementation of it.  I cannot recommend this holster until the quality and design improves and the price comes down out of the clouds.

Pros:
Nice body lines in regards to covering the trigger guard and allowing a full grip.
The felt on the outside is a nice touch.
The idea of BWB is excellent and worth improving on.
Retention is effective.


Cons:
Sub-par finishing work.
Not designed to work with a loaded chamber.
Bulky/Thick.
Expensive.
Poor customer service.

FYI:  They've refused a call tag and refused to credit back shipping both ways. They also said they will hit me with an $8 restock fee, "per their websites FAQ". WTF?

This is the customer service of this company after charging me $97.95 for a holster that doesn't even accept a chambered gun.  Buyer beware.

Everyone is a holstermaker these days,this outfit will not be in business long.
$97 for that,what were you thinking?

Well, I was expecting the quality to match the price tag...

And it's not like there's dozens of BWB options on the market.  (Hint Hint holster makers!)

Why not just use a smartcarry or 3-speed for carrying below the belt line? It seems like the clip is a dead give away that you're carrying and it wouldn't matter if you have some grip exposed or not. The smart carry and 3speed both use waist straps that you can completely conceal. I can only imagine this them MIGHT give you the ability to reholster, though I would not attempt it.

Sorry to hear about your experience though, that thing should have never left the line.

Never heard of that holster. It looks awful. Sorry you're out shipping both ways plus a restocking fee.

Thanks for the warning, that looks terrible. Way too thick, poorly finished, way too expensive. Add poor service and I'll be sure to stay away.

I hope you bought it with a good credit card.  If so, call the credit card company and explain what's going on and request a credit back from them.  That may change the holster makers opinion of the return label and restock fee for a holster that doesn't work.