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Skull Crush Holsters... any good?

8K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  bball531 
#1 ·
Hi, all! I just passed my CCW exam, and am looking into carry weapons and holsters. I'm nearly set on going with the H&K VP9SK as my EDC choice. While browsing around I ran across a company called Skull Crush, and they make Kydex holsters lined with smooth leather. The holsters look really nice. I just have a hard time dropping that kind of coin without learning more about them.

Does anyone have experience with their products? I'm having a tough time locating any reviews.

I know there are other companies, like Crossbreed, with solid reputations. Their SuperTuck is on my radar, as well. (Doesn't look like they have AIWB holsters for the VP9SK, yet.) But I always like to investigate multiple options, when I can.

Any other suggestions for holstering the VP9SK for CCW?
 
#2 ·
Those Skull Crush holsters have an interesting design, both from the leather lined Kydex to the attachment methods. But yes, a bit spendy.

Take a look at Concealment Solutions: Concealed Carry Equipment: CCW Gear, Accessories & More No AIWB for your pistol yet, but he has other models that do accommodate it.

You can't go wrong with a SuperTuck. Get the horsehide model if you go that route. You won't regret it.
 
#3 ·
Thanks, I'll check them out.

I've read lots of good comments about the SuperTuck holsters. I also really liked the look of the Black Arch double-clip holsters. Seems they have solid reviews, too.

I know looks aren't that important, since it will be concealed. But if you love how it looks, you'll just enjoy it that much more.
 
#4 ·
It doesn't look any different than those by Tucker/Garrett: the Silent Thunder series, which is the original of this breed. Note that these holsters will be slightly thicker than a single-material holster,

If you train/practice a lot and get your gun's exterior dirty with sand and other such debris, a leather, hybrid, or leather (or other "soft" material)-lined holster will simply trap the debris and cause it to mar up your gun even faster.

Even without, leather typically wears the flats, while Kydex and other hard plastics wears the highs.

With a full-hardshell, unlined, holster, you can just rinse out and dry out the inside.

Similarly, if you're looking for a holster that you can just remove with the gun, en masse, and store it in your safe or on your nightstand overnight for the next day's EDC, you have to scrap the liner idea, too, as the trapped moisture can cause oxidation on the slide and other metals (i.e. control surfaces and/or sight bodies).

Don't base your holster choice on "gun wear." If the gun is going to be used, it's going to wear. Instead, base holster choice on what actually suits your usage needs best.

Holster wear is inevitable (even if that holster is made out of virgin baby-butt skin ;)) if you actually routinely practice drawing your weapon, be it live-fire or dry. There used to be a wonderful picture (thanks, Photobucket :rolleyes::mad:) of Emerson's GenIII finish Ed Brown at 30K rounds, a gun that spent its life in and out of leather, and it showed just an awesome patina and character lines (read: scratches). For a "user" gun, you'll have to resign yourself to either some wear and character lines or, alternatively, like a show-car that's also daily driven, get it refinished periodically. I remember a Japanese show-and-daily FD RX7 that was meticulously repainted every week during that portion of its life. ;)

But if you just want this type of holster for the aesthetics, go for it.
 
#5 ·
It doesn't look any different than those by Tucker/Garrett: the Silent Thunder series, which is the original of this breed. Note that these holsters will be slightly thicker than a single-material holster,

If you train/practice a lot and get your gun's exterior dirty with sand and other such debris, a leather, hybrid, or leather (or other "soft" material)-lined holster will simply trap the debris and cause it to mar up your gun even faster.

Even without, leather typically wears the flats, while Kydex and other hard plastics wears the highs.

With a full-hardshell, unlined, holster, you can just rinse out and dry out the inside.

Similarly, if you're looking for a holster that you can just remove with the gun, en masse, and store it in your safe or on your nightstand overnight for the next day's EDC, you have to scrap the liner idea, too, as the trapped moisture can cause oxidation on the slide and other metals (i.e. control surfaces and/or sight bodies).

Don't base your holster choice on "gun wear." If the gun is going to be used, it's going to wear. Instead, base holster choice on what actually suits your usage needs best.

Holster wear is inevitable (even if that holster is made out of virgin baby-butt skin ;)) if you actually routinely practice drawing your weapon, be it live-fire or dry. There used to be a wonderful picture (thanks, Photobucket :rolleyes::mad:) of Emerson's GenIII finish Ed Brown at 30K rounds, a gun that spent its life in and out of leather, and it showed just an awesome patina and character lines (read: scratches). For a "user" gun, you'll have to resign yourself to either some wear and character lines or, alternatively, like a show-car that's also daily driven, get it refinished periodically. I remember a Japanese show-and-daily FD RX7 that was meticulously repainted every week during that portion of its life. ;)

But if you just want this type of holster for the aesthetics, go for it.
Thanks for the input. You've posed a number of good things to think about.

I'm not particularly concerned about the wear on the gun's finish. I understand it comes with the territory, especially if you practice often. (Which one should, if deciding to carry a concealed weapon.) And I would absolutely remove the gun from the holster when storing it. The last thing I want is rust on my guns.

My main draws to Skull Crush were: this company has positive reviews for their carbon fiber helmets and holsters (though the holsters are newer, so reviews are still a bit sparse), and the idea of a leather-lined holster delivering a very quiet draw, should the need arise. The last thing I want to do is have the sound of hollow plastic sliding across metal as I pull a gun out to defend myself or someone else. And so, the idea of the lined Kydex seemed very intriguing to me. An advantage over a standard Kydex holster.

But, I'm totally open to other suggestions and ideas. Carrying a concealed weapon is very new to me, and so I'm just trying to learn as much as I can about the process and equipment involved. If you have any additional insights, I'm happy to read anything you might have to offer.

BTW, I've corresponded with Skull Crush over the last day or two. They've been very quick to respond, and been very helpful. So far, it seems they have good customer service.
 
#6 ·
^ I think those are good enough reasons to go with Skull Crush, then. :)

There's one thing to be said, though - it's that the more of one type of holster that a holster-maker makes, the better they are at it.

There's a reason why Raven Concealment was the standard where it came to OWB hardshell Kydex. Same for Milt Sparks and their leather.

This isn't meant to suggest that you should go with Garrett instead of Skull Crush. Many times, newcomers do have new innovations to offer.

But there's a reason why the standard-bearer is the standard-bearer, too. :)
 
#7 ·
^ I think those are good enough reasons to go with Skull Crush, then. :)

There's one thing to be said, though - it's that the more of one type of holster that a holster-maker makes, the better they are at it.

There's a reason why Raven Concealment was the standard where it came to OWB hardshell Kydex. Same for Milt Sparks and their leather.

This isn't meant to suggest that you should go with Garrett instead of Skull Crush. Many times, newcomers do have new innovations to offer.

But there's a reason why the standard-bearer is the standard-bearer, too. :)
Completely agree! Good reviews and long history of solid products has a big appeal. That's a big reason why I'm looking for feedback, because I value opinions of anyone who has used a product.

I stumbled onto SC, and they do look nice. But they're also expensive, and I'm definitely still looking for ideas. The Black Arch holsters also look appealing. A little less pricey, but they look to be high quality, too.

I still have time to decide. So, I'm in no hurry.
 
#8 ·
I think the good response-rate you wrote about in your previous reply is likely a good indicator.

When I was looking for a new full-hardshell Kydex IWB holster for my 3.8 Compact/Surefire XC-1 setup last year, I took a chance with KT-Mech because of others' feedback about their response-rate and C/S...as well as the fact that I just couldn't find anything else, at the time.

I remain very glad that I took that chance, as today, I use three of their holsters - two for various training setups (one of the above, plus another with my 4.5-inch w/Surefire X300U) and another copy of the IWB 3.8 Compact/Surefire XC-1 combo for EDC.
 
#9 ·
I have a vp9sk and ordered a Skull Crush holster, it took a month to get as it says on their website. Expensive holster at $127.00 Do not waste your money. It is well made, but getting it in and out of your waistband is a real chore. I cant even use it. I ordered a Raw Dog iwb holster which gets good reviews at $39.95 so I'm hopeful this is the one.
 
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