I read some posts about the Wild Bill's Concealment Fusion Paddle holster, then I did some research on Wild Bill's and didn't like what I read. Quality is good, but the lead time is awful. Some people said they waited for months to get theirs and trying to get a response from them is worse. Can anyone here provide any info about your order if you ordered from Wild Bill's. I would like to get a Fusion paddle holster for my 9mm Shield.
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Wild Bill's Concealment
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scattershot
Member
No personal experience, but the woods are full of good holstermakers these days. Just sayin........
Walt Sherrill
Member
I've had a couple of Wild Bill's holsters. Have your tried their phone number? (I think Bill has started to phase out of the business [retirement] and family members have taken over.) That may be incorrect, but I've heard no comments about changes in quality, etc. You'll find some other feedback in the links at the bottom of this area -- below.
I did business with him BEFORE that change, but asked him to build something to my specs, and it took a long time to get what I ordered -- but he was upfront about that, at the time. (I live in NC, and have seen the Wild Bill booth at a couple of gun shows.)
Good quality, well made. They just weren't fast -- unless you're asking for something that is made up and in stock (as was the case at the gun shows.) A custom order may take a while, but if you're going for a more plain vanilla holster for a common weapon, you might find that delivery time isn't as long.
Wild Bill's Concealment | The Professional's Choice
The phone number is on their contact page...
I did business with him BEFORE that change, but asked him to build something to my specs, and it took a long time to get what I ordered -- but he was upfront about that, at the time. (I live in NC, and have seen the Wild Bill booth at a couple of gun shows.)
Good quality, well made. They just weren't fast -- unless you're asking for something that is made up and in stock (as was the case at the gun shows.) A custom order may take a while, but if you're going for a more plain vanilla holster for a common weapon, you might find that delivery time isn't as long.
Wild Bill's Concealment | The Professional's Choice
The phone number is on their contact page...
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VaTom
Member
Makes sense about the phase. I used to see them at every gun show in my area. The last year or so they have not been there. I bought both of my fusions from them at Gun Show. The one for my Shield 9mm loosened up a little and I sent it back to them. They resized it and sent back very quickly. I carried a Glock 23 in one of theirs before retiring.
They were not at the Gun Show I attended last week which disappointed me as I want a fusion paddle for my 2" Model 64.
They were not at the Gun Show I attended last week which disappointed me as I want a fusion paddle for my 2" Model 64.
I've purchased several holsters plus a couple belts from them over the last 10 years, some at gun shows and a few made to order, with those made to order purchases have been in the last couple years, so it's recent experience. I can't speak to lead times in the distant past.
Here are the facts that I know, as opposed to what someone heard for someone who knew a guy who saw something on the internet.
1) It's a family owned business located a couple hours away in Garner NC. It's American made, by actual Americans, in America, and it's sold at a very reasonable price - a superb price when you consider the quality.
2) Their holsters are well designed (although I prefer their Covert Carry IWB holster to their Fusion paddle holster, but then I've never been a real paddle holster fan either). Quality has been consistently excellent, with high quality leather and stitching.
3) Customer service has been superb. In 10 years I've had exactly one spring clip fail - probably my fault do to over stressing it. They installed a new clip for free. After about a decade of heavy use, the stitching on a belt was getting thin in one spot where the clip rode over the belt. They re-stitched the belt for free.
4) Their website states 8-10 weeks for made to order items, such as a Covert Carry holster for a 3" K frame, an item that they catalog but don't keep in stock due to low sales volume. However despite the 8-10 week estimate on made to order items, all three of my made to order purchases arrived at my door in 2 to 3 weeks. If you live out west you'll perhaps need to add another week for some shipping delay while the little brown truck of happiness does its thing, but you can still plan on 3-4 weeks.
I suspect the 8-10 week estimate is where people get the idea that it takes forever to get things from WBC, but dollars to donuts the people complaining the loudest have never actually ordered anything and instead used the 8-10 week estimate as a reason to buy somewhere else. Nothing wrong with that, except when they then have the balls to talk smack about WBC.
I spoke with the owner about the actual 2-3 week delivery time versus the 8-10 week estimate and he agreed 2-3 weeks is the norm, particularly over the summer which tends to be their slow season. He indicated that the overly long estimated delivery time is probably costing him sales, but his wife fields any customer service complaints and she'd rather customers be pleased that it arrived 5-8 weeks early, rather than a week or two late.
5) I have no direct experience with special order items, but I will say that when I order a set of boots from my custom boot maker in Montana, I don't expect to see them for 3-4 months but they are perfect when they arrive. I'd expect about the same from WBC.
The closest I came to a custom order was a holster for a CZ-75 Compact, which they did not catalog at the time (but do now). However since I was at a show he selected another holster that was a near perfect fit and I saw no need for a custom order. And as I said, since there was a demand they created a block for it and it's now a made to order item.
In short, I have no complaints and I highly recommend them, particularly if you are looking for a good IWB holster.
Wild Bill's has been around for a long time. I purchased my first belt slide holster with a thumb break for a G27, along with their belt and mag pouch for $100 in 1997. I still have it and wear it today and its in great shape with no maintenance on my end.
Need I say anymore?
PS unfortunately the belt doesn't fit my waist after 20 years
Need I say anymore?
PS unfortunately the belt doesn't fit my waist after 20 years
Thanks for the replies. When I researched Wild Bill's I wanted to see what actual customers thought so it wasn't a "I heard she said her cousins cousins best friend had issues" kind of thing. So with that said, I will give Wild Bill's a call and get a direct answer.
spierce617
Member
I bought a Fusion Paddle holster and when I ordered it the drop down said 7-10 business days and they were right on for that.
The shipping times seem to be right for me.
The shipping times seem to be right for me.
I have one of their black gun belts. Very stiff and an overall nice belt and well constructed. I would purchase another belt but I dont have experience with their holsters...
Any business with an 8-10 week lead time is doing something wrong. They either need to hire more help, stop advertising, or fix whatever is wrong. The long wait time is an old gunsmith ploy (all don't do it, thank God) to give the impression they are soooooo good that everybody wants their work. I call BS on that. If you are truly good, then be good to your customers. If you can't handle the work in a reasonable time, take less work. Ethics is the operative word. 8-10 business days is reasonable for in stock products. 2-3 weeks for custom orders is reasonable. 8-10 weeks is ridiculous.
Thank you for making my point. You obviously:
1) didn't read my post;
2) didn't proceed past seeing the 8-10 week estimate for made to order items; and
3) obviously haven't actually ordered anything from WBC.
I've had three made to order items shipped to me and ALL THREE OF THEM ARRIVED IN 2-3 WEEKS. Something the company confirmed is the norm, but just states that they want to under promise and over deliver.
And you have the gall to question their ethics? Unbelievable.
royal barnes
Member
I've bought from Bill since he was a Raleigh police officer and his company was called Impact Leather. He is a very good holster and belt maker and his products are reasonably priced. I own several of his holsters and I don't wear anyone else's belts. He is slowing down personally especially from the gun shows. He did get a bad rap some years back and was roasted over the fire on the internet for slow orders taking months to complete. Most don't realize that during that time he was very sick and almost died from cancer.
People extol the virtues of The Beltman's belts. Wild Bill taught him how.
People extol the virtues of The Beltman's belts. Wild Bill taught him how.
Yeah, I read your post. If you find another opinion unbelievable, great. You posted your take on your situation, I posted another opinion. I didn't say Bill actually takes 10 weeks. I inferred those that do have a problem. Get over it.
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Oh...you're just spreading mis information under the guise that you were talking about someone else in this thread regarding WBC.
Sure, that makes it all better....
What is up with you? I hope you get over it. I won't play your banter game any longer. This is a "forum."
fo·rum
ˈfôrəm/
noun
1.
a place, meeting, or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged.
Maybe this "forum" is not for you.
fo·rum
ˈfôrəm/
noun
1.
a place, meeting, or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged.
Maybe this "forum" is not for you.
standerson
US Veteran
Shop around.
I ordered several holsters from a guy who made a VM2 type holster. His leather is now more than the VM2 and his lead time is 4 time that of Milt Sparks.
Sometimes you just have to wait for good quality work.
I ordered several holsters from a guy who made a VM2 type holster. His leather is now more than the VM2 and his lead time is 4 time that of Milt Sparks.
Sometimes you just have to wait for good quality work.
Kframerbluvr
Member
Wild Bills is at most of the VA gun shows. I have bought two belts and several holsters from them. The belts are first rate and so is the paddle holster for my 4" M10.
The belt slide for my Colt DS is a tad loose in the cylinder and I intend to see if they can cinch it up.
Overall, I am very pleased with their products.
The belt slide for my Colt DS is a tad loose in the cylinder and I intend to see if they can cinch it up.
Overall, I am very pleased with their products.
dougb1946
Member
It's a lot better to say 8-10 weeks and deliver in 4 or 5 than say 4 or 5 and deliver in 8 to 10. You don't have to do business with him, and you don't find good leather workers on every street corner. You can always catch a cow and make your own.
rednichols
Member
Of course Jim is absolutely right in every regard, and I've posted the same myself on more than one occasion. Long leadtimes are simply poor customer service, excused as being an indication of popularity. Not least because these holsters are NOT custom, but in fact are even built for, and shipped from, stock (Sparks does this, for example).
I've been in the industry a very long time and can tell you that leadtimes are curable -- if one wants to. It requires an investment in machinery, people, operating space -- and that requires money. And it was a Ruger executive who pointed out to me, when I started up Nichols Innovation to serve the holster industry, "holster companies don't have any money".
The other purpose of the list is to keep buyers from going to a competitor; otherwise the company would simply reply, "not currently taking new orders"; then when the backlog was cleared, "now accepting new orders".
