Hey everyone!
Welcome back to the blog! You’ve guessed it, I have another review for you! This time we’re looking at my new Kydex HK45 holster - the Lowrider HK45 holster by KHNLD.
The Lowrider holster is a holster made from the thermoplastic material Kydex. This holster, in particular, is designed to ride a little lower on your belt line so that it clears any tactical gear you may be wearing such as plate carriers, chest rigs and backpacks. The Kydex itself is 2.5mm thick, making it a more robust holster for tactical applications. As the Kydex is thicker, it gives the holster more retention on the weapon it holds, which you can still adjust using the two retention screws, that are located on the outside of the holster if you need to. The mounting holes on the back are designed to work with Safariland, Blackhawk, G-Code and Blade Tech hardware - with my Lowrider I’m using the UBL and leg strap from Safariland that KHNLD also sell on their website. It is worth noting that the mounting hardware doesn’t come with the holster - it is purchased separately.
I chose a grey colour to go with my MultiCam Black loadout, and also as grey is a great accent colour for other camouflage patterns I think this will go great on my MultiCam and green loadouts too. It is available on the KHNLD website in different colours including black, coyote, OD and MultiCam. It can be totally customised from what side the holster sits on, what weapon system it holds, whether it has space for a torch and of course, what colour it is.
Upon receiving the holster, the first thing I noticed was the thickness of the Kydex - it feels sturdy, durable and there’s only a little bit of give when put under pressure. My HK45 slides in easily and makes a positive click when in place. The retention is spot on - it’s not unusual to adjust the retention on Kydex holsters but my HK is kept in place firmly and requires a swift tug to release. As it’s designed to ride lower on the belt line, I have got it caught on door frames, people and other obstacles as I’ve been running around airsoft sites - I think this is because I’m used to running a holster that sits on my belt and is closer to my body. This isn’t a design or manufacturing fault, I’ve put this down to me being clumsy and forgetting my profile with gear on. The more I’ve used the holster though, the more used to the profile I’ve become. It has taken a few knocks and bangs but has barely scuffed - so I’m hopeful for its longevity. The leg strap secures the holster to my leg so that it doesn’t move when storing or releasing the pistol. Overall, I am happy with the design and functionality.
What about the price? The holster starts at €75 and have a lead time of 1-2 weeks as they are made to order, the Safariland retails at €28 and the leg strap €25 so the whole set-up cost a total of €128 (around £110 at the current exchange rate) so it is a little pricier than other Kydex holsters on the market but with KHNLD products, you definitely get what you pay for. The craftsmanship is impeccable and the materials are really high quality - all their holsters are CNC machined to ensure tight tolerances on the final products,
Thank you Lenn at KHNLD for sending me the product to review!
