Kramer Leather Customer Service Experience

[Smoke]

The primary reason I bought this holster is because I can't draw from my hip with my R/ Rotator Cuff injury but I may also use it at home at the Goat Ranch.

My holster arrived today.158 days after I ordered it. 42 days later than they promised.

I'm satisfied with the quality of the holster. I'm just not happy with them lying about how long it was going to take.




The suede harness is to keep any dye from bleeding into your shirt. I personally don't care because I wear black T-shirts anyway.



The ticket said it was a horsehide holster but I don't think so.

To Be Clear I did NOT order horsehide and I really don't care if it is or not but possibly they upgraded the holster for my inconvenience.



I will probably never use the magazine carrier but it came with one.

The primary reason I bought this holster is because I can't draw from my hip with my R/ Rotator Cuff injury but I may also use it at home at the Goat Ranch.

 

[Smoke]

So I wore the holster today for the first time. I was very surprised because I thought it would be uncomfortable and heavy. Granted I was sitting down most of the day but I did spend some time herdng chickens and I walked a little bit over 2 miles on the road.

I was actually surprised the holster was quite comfortable. I wore it for about 9 hours and I don't have any real muscle fatigue after wearing it.

 

[Steve_Revo_]

As predicted earlier in this thread, here I am to offer a professional's perspective. It's who I am, for more than a half century...

Then, to decide which result you'd prefer on your gunleather when you're paying premium prices, for a very long wait.

I don’t think anyone said they had an issue with the wait times, the issue was that the maker quoted delivery dates that were in no way remotely accurate. I can see being off a few days, or maybe a week, but when you are repeatedly weeks to months later than promised, you have an issue.

Just be honest with your customers.

 

[Smoke]

I don't buy my holsters for aesthetics
I buy them for their utilitarian value.

I buy Kramer Leather holsters because they last forever.

This is the first Kramer Leather holster I ever bought




it's either 10 or 12 years old and it still fits my 4006 like a glove and it's still rigid like a holster is supposed to be.




I don't have a "Carry Rotation" as such. I carry a Glock 19 or Glock 26 depending on my concealment needs.

Once we move to the Goat Ranch I'm very seriously considering retiring the Glock 26 because I'm not driving 70 miles to the nearest gym.

I will probably go back to my Smith & Wesson M&P 9. If I do I will very likely buy a Kramer Leather holster for it

 

[Onomea]

...The ticket said it was a horsehide holster but I don't think so.

To Be Clear I did NOT order horsehide and I really don't care if it is or not but possibly they upgraded the holster for my inconvenience. ...

Smoke, I think all Kramer holsters are horsehide.

Glad you like the holster. (While aesthetics are not important to you, I think the holster looks great!)

 

[BAM-BAM]

I agree with horsehide being the best. I have a contact in PA that is a horsehide holster maker, and he makes nice stuff. I want another holster, and I am going to contact him

Below is a horsehide holster he made for my Glock 36

Nice who made it ^^^^^^^^^^ ?

 

[smoothshooter]

My take on all this is if you are in a business, manufacturing something, you should...no....need to know what you are capable of. By this I mean if you say you will deliver a product in X amount of months then you should deliver it in X amount of months. Yes, I realize that there can be circumstances that may throw a wrench into the plan, but that can't be used as a chronic excuse. You have to know your business and how long it takes to produce something. I have been waiting for something I ordered 15+ months ago. I have had "updates" about the item being delivered, usually saying that it will be another few months. I have received 4 of those now, the latest stating delivery "maybe" in the spring of this year. If that does occur, it will be 18 months after I was promised a initial delivery of 4 months, to 6 months maximum. In the meantime, they have informed me that they are taking care of orders placed after my order first, before they start mine. I am really a very patient person..if I order something and you tell me that it will be ready in 6 months, then that is fine, I won't contact you until the 6 months is up. You set the time frame, I did not. You know your work load, I do not. You know your capabilities, I do not, so therefore I rely on what you tell me as that is all I have to go on. Again, a month, maybe even two, if there is some unforseen problem, but a year? Just my rant for the day....

What is the wait time for Galco?
They make good holsters too.

 

[Smoke]

What is the wait time for Galco?
They make good holsters too.

I don't think there is a wait time for Galco.

When I started this whole shoulder holster Fiasco 8 months ago I called the local gun store to see if they had a Galco shoulder holster for my gun.

It was Specialty Sports and Supply in Colorado Springs and the lady I spoke to told me that they didn't carry Galco products anymore.

When I asked her why she told me that the prices had gone up so much the people weren't willing to pay for them.



I have a Galco holster for my Glock 26 that I bought out approximately the same time as I bought the holster for my Smith & Wesson 4006.



I can pinch the Galco holster closed. That is not a sturdy holster The Kramer holster has no give whatsoever.

 

[Baxter6551]

I’m glad that OP Smoke got his holster. I too have waited for Kramer but don’t recall exact time frames (over the years I’ve only ordered 2 brand new). Smoke already likes Kramer and his latest one seems to reinforce why so many people do.
Actually the majority of my Kramer was picked up used and cheap at gun stores or bought second hand off the Forum or internet. They all function like brand new.
Chief38 has already expressed his feelings about Kramer and I am 100% in agreement with him that Kramer is the best IMO.
All day comfortable, wear like iron and fantastic retention. I too have many holsters from other makers. I use DeSantis frequently. Their speed scabbards are great holsters. I carried a DeSantis Viper Paddle holster with my Sig for years in Detectives. They sent me a new Kydex paddle when mine cracked. I have some Galco also. As a matter of fact I just emailed them asking about a Combat Master I have for my 686 that pinches closed and makes reholstering difficult.
I totally respect the contributions to the craft, the knowledge and experience of rednichols. I can see exactly what he is talking about in his post above about the finish. I don’t mind leather scaring or natural marks as shown on Smokes shoulder holster. I want the holster for its function and durability. We don’t need BBQ rigs in CT (open carry not allowed again) so I’m not worried about perfect finish. Just my two cents but wanted to add my support and admiration for Kramers products.

 

[FivePews]

My most recent Kramer order arrived in 9 months, and it was for the wrong pistols. Have to admit that I had to send an email at 7 months (with no reply), then call at 8 months (which seemed to work). But, they didn't bother to read the special instructions in the order (about my J frames have rear sights). They didn't look at the pictures of the pistol I had attached to emails either.

However, they did "fix" the holsters and return them in about a month. It looks like they simply remolded the holsters to make some room for the rear sight. Unfortunately, the fit is loose and neither holster seems to be "just right" IMO. It's a disappointing situation, but could have been worse.

I'm sure Kramer would be willing to try again if I complained, but I've lost interest at this point.

Incidentally, I was pleasantly surprised by Ritchie holsters in 2024. I custom ordered a "dual upside-down" shoulder rig for a pair of J frames (just for kicks) and it showed up in less than 8 weeks. Perfect in every detail, right on the first try, and very fairly priced.

My next leather order is most likely going to Ritchie.

 

[Shoebox1.1]

If there was ever a Kramer fan boy it was me. I have 6-7 kramers. The last one for my TRR8 was 24 weeks.. I never bothered them…I called to get update and the lady that answers the phone that is not Kim acted suprized and said “uh… oh yes here you are.. your almost done we will ship you in couple days”. Ok great! What I got in mail was a half finished *** nowhere near Kramer quality-dull rough rush job! They completely dropped me in the grease and were like OH ****!! Rush on to him. Tried to get hold of Kimmie or Greg via email/ FB etc. crickets. I don’t want to call and get the OH WELL from the older woman on phone. They’ve lost my buisness. At least I’ve got 6 real kramers. I watch eBay like a hawk for more

 

[Smoke]

I've had the holster for a little over a month. I've used it 2 or 3 times. I've had to fiddle with it a little to get it adjusted but that's to be expected.

I'm surprised how comfortable it is. It sits nicely under my shirt. and after wearing it all day I didn't have any sore spots.

 

[Stickgunner]

If the largest complaint people can come up with is the wait time, that isn’t a big deal. If you want an in stock holster, look on Amazon and satisfy your instantaneous gratification needs. If you have hurt feelings like some people evidently do about wait times being longer than they were told, go to Amazon and see the above.

I’ve met Mr Kramer, been in his house, and almost eaten by his large wolf sized dog. He is a kind and solid man, who created a series of near legendary holsters.

The negativity of some for hurt feelings is laughable. Mr Kramer, his son, wife, and workers are making holsters as fast as they can while keeping standards of high quality. That hand sewn and custom holsters take longer than stated isn’t a big deal in the large scheme of things.

 

[chief38]

If the largest complaint people can come up with is the wait time, that isn’t a big deal. If you want an in stock holster, look on Amazon and satisfy your instantaneous gratification needs. If you have hurt feelings like some people evidently do about wait times being longer than they were told, go to Amazon and see the above.

I’ve met Mr Kramer, been in his house, and almost eaten by his large wolf sized dog. He is a kind and solid man, who created a series of near legendary holsters.

The negativity of some for hurt feelings is laughable. Mr Kramer, his son, wife, and workers are making holsters as fast as they can while keeping standards of high quality. That hand sewn and custom holsters take longer than stated isn’t a big deal in the large scheme of things.

Perfectly stated! Some people would rather settle for less quality, less durability, a less utilitarian design and keep chasing a better holster for years to come rather than to just order the Kramer from the get go. In the long run they wind up spending more money, get more frustrated never finding the perfect holster they think they are getting cheaply and quickly elsewhere. In a way maybe that's how they know they have found perfection if and when they finally order the Kramer holster. lol. I carried a Chief's Special for 40 years and kept chasing the perfect holster, spent thousands doing so and my quest only ended when I found out about Kramer's Horsehide Leather. Since that time I never bought another brand other than Kramer. When I bought my Sig P365 6 years ago I ordered a new Kramer holster that day.

What people don't get is WHY he has a long wait time. First of all, he custom makes his holsters which takes time. Secondly he makes them to the best of his ability. That in turn is the entire reason his products are in so much demand and why the wait time is 3-6 months. Like yo state, what's 3-4-5-6 months in the long run?

 

[jaguargolf]

10 years ago I ordered a holster from Kramer

I received it 8 years ago.

 

[Onomea]

I like Kramer a lot. I do find Smoke's comment above, post #68, that he can pinch his Galco holster closed but can't pinch his Kramer closed because it has no give incompatible with my own experience.

With the exception of my kydex holsters, I don't have a leather holster, including Kramer, that I can't pinch closed. Kramers are a lot stiffer than the others, to be sure

I posted about a new Galco Combat Master a few days ago. I don't find the pocket closing — the pocket does not close unless you oinch it closed — and making reholstering difficult. And I think it is plenty sturdy. I shot a coupla hundred rounds from the Galco last Friday and found reholstering a non issue. Slipped right in.

Does not have that satisfying "click" that a Kramer does when reholstering, but then none of my other leather holsters do either.

 

[chief38]

While Galco holsters are OK - they are not in the same class as a Kramer, IMO. I have had Galco's in the past - I don't anymore.

 

[M29since14]

I tend to agree with Onomea. I prefer a concealment holster be made as thin and lightweight as possible and still be serviceable. It’s likely you’ll have plenty of time to holster your weapon, and it should be done deliberately and carefully anyway. A secure fit and quick access are what matter, to me. JMHO, and to each, his own.

 

[Onomea]

Well, I should clarify, as I edited to make clear above, that I don't find my Galco Combat Master pocket closing unless I pinch it closed.

I would not say that I think the Galco is as good as a Kramer, but I do think it is in the same general class, as I wrote in the other thread.

 

[Smoke]

If the largest complaint people can come up with is the wait time, that isn’t a big deal.

I've stated multiple times in this discussion that the wait time in itself was not the issue.

The issue as I have stated was they guaranteed the holster on a specific date twice knowing they weren't going to make either date, IOW they lied to me,
and didn't even bother to apologize.