Being a holster junkie can be hard
... there are just too many quality makers out there. Not only does one have to keep up with the contemporaries but the search for rigs from past makers such as Nelson, Seventrees, and the like is never ending. And while I definitely own more than my fair share of nice gun leather up until this point I had yet to own anything from Josh Bulman.
Josh’s work was no stranger to me and from what I had seen I could tell that he possessed infinite attention to detail and presence behind a stitching machine that really shined through in his products. Add into that the amazing work he had done with the leather from LTW #2 (and more than one good reference from my pal Lou Alessi) and I was long overdue for a rig from Bulman Gunleather.
This first rig is basically a modified version of Josh’s TSA IWB holster and I suspect most will recognize the basic lineage from the classic Nelson Summer Special. Josh’s TSA comes standard with dual snap loops but when I ordered the rig I had something a bit different in mind and requested the snaps be omitted and the loops be sewn directly to the holster body. What I was looking for was a rig that, aside from the holster body itself, had as little bulk as possible. Out of simplicity, I originally requested that Josh sew the loops to the top of the mouth-band but he did me one better and stitched them underneath the mouth-band and then molded them precisely to the shape of the belt. This is a much better way to accomplish the task and makes for any extremely slim profile.
To accompany the TSA Josh made me two of his QMP mag carriers and one of his UGB belts all in black. With the holster and mag pouches firmly anchored by the belt, this rig literally makes a 5” 1911 disappear underneath a T-shirt.
The second rig was kind of an after thought. After seeing the initial rig from Josh and being quite impressed with the quality and workmanship I started thinking about other rigs he had available. However I was undecided until he told me he had a pattern for the old Seventrees Speed Scabbard and that if I wanted he would mold it for the squared trigger guard of my Swenson-Colts. So I boxed up one of my Swen-guns and sent it off and below are the results.
After seeing the rigs in person I’ve got to wonder why it took me so long to order something from Josh... I think I may have found another leather addiction.