The Tek-Lok system is more than a holster it also includes magazine and double moon-clip pouches, handcuff and magazine combination pouches, flashlight holders and knife sheaths-all are adaptable to fit everything from duty belts to standard trouser belts. The latest Blade-Tech designs also have paddle and inside-the waistband (IWB) panels that can be easily switched out with the same molded holsters. The thumb release (far left inside curve of the mount) is easy to activate on the draw. So I kept the same concept and went back to the drawing board.”īlade-Tech makes the ThumbDrive Level II holster for 5.11 Tactical. It had springs that were internally embedded in the mold, and that was going to be a very expensive mold to make and was almost beyond the technology at the time. I had an idea and had a prototype made up, but it turned out to be a little bit more complicated to manufacture than anticipated.

“Back in the 1990s, Bianchi had a steel clip and a military clip that worked for military belts, so the Tek-Lok was kind of born from the concept of making a multi-purpose mounting system that would work with a variety of belts. “I wanted to come up with some kind of adjustable belt channel,” explained Wegner in a recent interview. RELATED: 87 Concealed Carry Holsters for Everyday Defense It was belt mounting that intrigued Wegner because belt width was always a determining factor in how (or if) a holster would fit or ride securely. These limitations were simply the established fundamentals of holster design a holster was either worn on a belt or mounted over a belt using a steel clip or paddle. At the time, holsters were still primarily constructed of leather, and there were very specific ways in which a holster could be worn. 3.) The hinged latch is the latest addition to secure and lock the entire mechanism.īlade-Tech’s founder, Tim Wegner, developed the Tek-Lok system in the late 1990s. 2.) The channel adjustment band can be moved to fit various belt widths. Next-Gen Tek-Lok 1.) The lock button releases and secures the Tek-Lok. This is the Tek-Lok system, the core design that has made Blade-Tech one of the most respected names in tactical holsters. Thermo-molded plastics revolutionized holster design, and since the late 1990s Blade-Tech has been revolutionizing the use of thermo-molded plastics to create holsters that not only contour-fit specific handguns, but offer one platform that can be worn in multiple configurations.

And so it has been for hundreds of years, during which time holster designs rarely kept pace with firearm technology-that is, until the late 20th century, when the adoption of injection molding came into popular use for making holsters. Holsters are almost as old as guns, but the gun came first and holsters eventually followed.

G clip vs tek lok