Erich
Member
Have you ever run across a product and said, “Man, where have you been all my life? I could have used this for the last 25 years!” Well, that’s my feeling after two weeks of wearing the inexpensive no-clip IWB holster from Remora Concealment and Security Products.
Remora Concealment and Security Products
When I started carrying (about 25 years ago), I was a poor college student. I needed something that would allow me (a southpaw) to carry concealed safely and securely. What I got, though, were a succession of schlocky holsters that were either bulky or didn’t protect the gun or would fly out on the draw. And this only after long searching for left-handed holsters. If I were to run across a college kid today in that situation, I’d give a quick, easy referral to the $30 Remora no-clip IWB holster.
No clip?! Well, you have certainly seen the DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster, the one with the rubberized "grippy" outer surface designed to keep the holster in your pocket. I've had a few for years now - big problem with them is that the grippiness fades over time and the holster doesn't sit so well in the pocket. Anyhow, I've tried used the Nemesis holsters IWB on occasion. A belt holds them pretty firmly in place, and they add very little bulk. The problem is that the pocket-holster design of the Nemesis is not ideal for such use: it’s a little oversized, designed to release the gun quickly on the draw. Not the security you want for IWB.
Nemesis and handmade mag pouch with CZ RAMI
Turns out that I'm not the only one who's attempted this. The fellow who invented the Remora holster (promising name!) took the Nemesis-in-the-waistband idea and really improved on it. Little subtle improvements, like using an even grippier rubber coating, using a heavier liner, closing the bottom of the holster, fitting the holster better to the gun, and using grippy stuff on the binding over the seams (holds the gun in the holster better).
Remora holster below, DeSantis Nemesis above – note the grippy binding used on the Remora
And note the upgraded and more-structured lining of the Remora (L)
Exteriors are similar grippy stuff – Nemesis above, Remora below
Anyhow, I ordered one (obviously) for my CZ RAMI after reading about the Remora product, and my holster came two weeks ago yesterday. Lightning fast service: they had it across the country to me in two business days. (Remora’s owner, Alan Bogdan, threw in a free mag holder, too - a really well designed one - because I'd had a little delay in being able to pay for my holster since his site had been hacked – it’s totally fixed now.) I unpacked the holster, loaded in the gun and immediately went on a hike in the foothills. After two weeks of serious wearing it (in the rain, sweating on it on hikes including one up a mountain, at the range, among non-gunny people, doing yardwork and lifting), I think it's a winner. (If I were a retailer, I would carry this line.)
The Remora no-clip IWB holster is ambidextrous out of the box ( – no more searching for Southpaw holsters!). The rubber used is, if anything, a bit stickier than that on the DeSantis Nemesis. The Remora holster holds the gun in place. It’s suitable for a wide variety of IWB carry positions (cant and depth), according to user preference. It does not slip down or around (or at all) in the waistband. It releases the gun on the draw. It does not come out with the draw. It protects the gun from sweat and rain. And – thanks to the no-clip design – it accomplishes all of these things in as thin a package as is possible. Remora holsters are available for a very broad variety of handguns (see their site).
The Remora no-clip IWB holster works much better with a belt than without a belt (though I’ve worn it without a belt around the house and getting the mail and such). It does not allow for particularly rapid one-hand re-holstering. Not being a gun gamer, I'm not in a hurry to reholster. And I note that a whole lot of people seem to shoot themselves while undertaking such unnecessary (there’s rarely a real-world prize for being the first one to disarm himself) shenanigans. And this holster is a tool: I’m no longer a poor college student and am fortunate to be able to afford whatever I want – I note that some folks can make a bit of a fetish out of their gun and holster. That’s not my style: I just want something that works, and don’t take any real pride in owning fancy gear. On the contrary: I find that I worry about messing it up. This Remora holster is something that will get used.
This size of Remora also has proven to work great with my Walther PPS
Remora advertises a “Lifetime ‘No Questions Asked’ Warranty”. Judging from the really great service I got on ordering (which included several emails offering to take care of any hassles from the temporarily hacked website in any way convenient to me, as well as having Alan pay attention to what I was ordering the holster for and send me the correct holster for my gun and not the incorrect one that I’d oafishly ordered), I have great confidence that Remora will back this up. But, after two weeks of wearing the thing pretty heavily, I doubt replacement will be necessary.
The Remora mag pouch deserves some praise as well: it holds the double-stack magazine upright in the pocket. The magazine does not shift around and it does not slide out of the pouch during rough movement. The pouch allows the magazine to be drawn but remains in the pocket itself. Absolutely worth the money.
In all seriousness: Remora, where have you been all my life?!
Remora Concealment and Security Products
When I started carrying (about 25 years ago), I was a poor college student. I needed something that would allow me (a southpaw) to carry concealed safely and securely. What I got, though, were a succession of schlocky holsters that were either bulky or didn’t protect the gun or would fly out on the draw. And this only after long searching for left-handed holsters. If I were to run across a college kid today in that situation, I’d give a quick, easy referral to the $30 Remora no-clip IWB holster.
No clip?! Well, you have certainly seen the DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster, the one with the rubberized "grippy" outer surface designed to keep the holster in your pocket. I've had a few for years now - big problem with them is that the grippiness fades over time and the holster doesn't sit so well in the pocket. Anyhow, I've tried used the Nemesis holsters IWB on occasion. A belt holds them pretty firmly in place, and they add very little bulk. The problem is that the pocket-holster design of the Nemesis is not ideal for such use: it’s a little oversized, designed to release the gun quickly on the draw. Not the security you want for IWB.
Nemesis and handmade mag pouch with CZ RAMI
Turns out that I'm not the only one who's attempted this. The fellow who invented the Remora holster (promising name!) took the Nemesis-in-the-waistband idea and really improved on it. Little subtle improvements, like using an even grippier rubber coating, using a heavier liner, closing the bottom of the holster, fitting the holster better to the gun, and using grippy stuff on the binding over the seams (holds the gun in the holster better).
Remora holster below, DeSantis Nemesis above – note the grippy binding used on the Remora
And note the upgraded and more-structured lining of the Remora (L)
Exteriors are similar grippy stuff – Nemesis above, Remora below
Anyhow, I ordered one (obviously) for my CZ RAMI after reading about the Remora product, and my holster came two weeks ago yesterday. Lightning fast service: they had it across the country to me in two business days. (Remora’s owner, Alan Bogdan, threw in a free mag holder, too - a really well designed one - because I'd had a little delay in being able to pay for my holster since his site had been hacked – it’s totally fixed now.) I unpacked the holster, loaded in the gun and immediately went on a hike in the foothills. After two weeks of serious wearing it (in the rain, sweating on it on hikes including one up a mountain, at the range, among non-gunny people, doing yardwork and lifting), I think it's a winner. (If I were a retailer, I would carry this line.)
The Remora no-clip IWB holster is ambidextrous out of the box ( – no more searching for Southpaw holsters!). The rubber used is, if anything, a bit stickier than that on the DeSantis Nemesis. The Remora holster holds the gun in place. It’s suitable for a wide variety of IWB carry positions (cant and depth), according to user preference. It does not slip down or around (or at all) in the waistband. It releases the gun on the draw. It does not come out with the draw. It protects the gun from sweat and rain. And – thanks to the no-clip design – it accomplishes all of these things in as thin a package as is possible. Remora holsters are available for a very broad variety of handguns (see their site).
The Remora no-clip IWB holster works much better with a belt than without a belt (though I’ve worn it without a belt around the house and getting the mail and such). It does not allow for particularly rapid one-hand re-holstering. Not being a gun gamer, I'm not in a hurry to reholster. And I note that a whole lot of people seem to shoot themselves while undertaking such unnecessary (there’s rarely a real-world prize for being the first one to disarm himself) shenanigans. And this holster is a tool: I’m no longer a poor college student and am fortunate to be able to afford whatever I want – I note that some folks can make a bit of a fetish out of their gun and holster. That’s not my style: I just want something that works, and don’t take any real pride in owning fancy gear. On the contrary: I find that I worry about messing it up. This Remora holster is something that will get used.
This size of Remora also has proven to work great with my Walther PPS
Remora advertises a “Lifetime ‘No Questions Asked’ Warranty”. Judging from the really great service I got on ordering (which included several emails offering to take care of any hassles from the temporarily hacked website in any way convenient to me, as well as having Alan pay attention to what I was ordering the holster for and send me the correct holster for my gun and not the incorrect one that I’d oafishly ordered), I have great confidence that Remora will back this up. But, after two weeks of wearing the thing pretty heavily, I doubt replacement will be necessary.
The Remora mag pouch deserves some praise as well: it holds the double-stack magazine upright in the pocket. The magazine does not shift around and it does not slide out of the pouch during rough movement. The pouch allows the magazine to be drawn but remains in the pocket itself. Absolutely worth the money.
In all seriousness: Remora, where have you been all my life?!
