Tagua Gunleather from Vandalia Tactical

[Sevesteen]

Early in July, I bought a Tagua Gunleather holster for my J frame, for $39.99 from Vandalia Tactical. Fairly standard open top pancake holster. Tight fit at first. After wearing it around the house, it loosened up appropriately, good balance between retention and draw. It carries well, keeping the grip tucked in nicely, unlike the JIT slide I'd tried first.

However...After wearing the holster for a couple hours, the first draw becomes difficult. Once you've drawn and reholstered, it is fine for a time, but the same problem reappears later. Inside the mouth of the holster the cylinder is scraping the finish off one side. I've compared my J-frame to others, and as far as I can tell, my cylinder isn't any sharper. Obviously this is no good for a carry holster.

When I went to return the holster, I was told that they don't usually accept holster returns, because they had a guy buy one for a class, then return it when the class was done. I told him that if it were a problem with fit or style, I'd agree but this is a defect. He took the holster for the owner to evaluate, and promised that they would call. 3 weeks later, no call, but there is a new sign behind the register saying no returns on holsters and ammo.

I've contacted Tagua. If they don't help, it will wind up on the for sale forum with full disclosure.

[Brian D.]

Hmm, that is a brand I''ve never heard of. Will do some Google-ing and report back if I manage to learn anything.

[Brian D.]

Just going by the Tagua website pictures, the price of $40, and wildly guessing beyond that, perhaps the leather used is of less-than-stellar quality. Our Esteemed Moderator Sabalo said something sage along these lines at the Picnic two Sundays ago: 'There's a price point about $75 that one doesn't want to venture below if one wants a quality, durable leather holster meant for LOTS of carry.' I would tend to grudgingly agree, with exceptions here and there of course.

Not trying to sound pompous about this, and fwiw neither was Sabalo.

[Scavok]

I've contacted Tagua.

You bought a Tagua? Are you nuts?

[Sevesteen]

'There's a price point about $75 that one doesn't want to venture below if one wants a quality, durable leather holster meant for LOTS of carry.' I would tend to grudgingly agree, with exceptions here and there of course.

I wasn't really expecting very much--This was to be a secondary holster for my secondary gun. My expectations were that it would work initially, but would not last long--If I got 4 or 5 months of actual use spread out over a couple summers I'd have been satisfied. In a sense, I got negative use out of it--I was carrying a gun I could only draw on the first attempt for the first hour or so I was carrying it.

I was more disappointed in how Vandalia Tactical handled this. The salesman I dealt with mentioned that he remembered us buying several guns, and promised a call when the owner made a decision. I checked back a week later, nothing, then after more than 3 weeks. They had not found time to call yet, but they had managed to put up the new "no returns on holsters" sign. The owner was there that time, but didn't bother to talk to me in person.

[Brian D.]

Imo if that's the case the store should take care of you allowing a return or at least exchange. Hope they wouldn't need to be reminded that there is another gunstore about a mile south of them, and yet another less than one mile north!

Even though the area is 50 miles or so from me I get through those three shops and Gander Mountain on a "near north gunnut road trip" a couple times a year. Vandalia Tactical arguably has the best prices on stuff overall, they even got me for a gun once as it was a hard-to-find item at the time. Nonetheless I was able to haggle the price down a little, so overall my experience with them is good.

[Sevesteen]

I emailed Tagua, they say it is an unusual problem, and requested my address so they could mail me a new holster.

[Scavok]

I emailed Tagua, they say it is an unusual problem, and requested my address so they could mail me a new holster.

And they didn't want the old one returned? (Not that it's of any value other than for quality control purposes.)

[Pdave]

I go there all the time. The sign has been up for at least 2 years. It is not new and was not put up because of your situation. As a business owner I would not allow a return on something that was not in new condition and holsters are going to get marked up just by the nature of trying them out so I understand this policy. If it is defective I would expect them to honor whatever warranty the item had. I am not in any way affiliated with them, and I have always had good friendly service when I have shopped there. I hope you get this situation resolved, but at the same time don't blame the business because you choose to buy a cheap holster. (Spoken from somone who has a drawer full of cheap holsters and has learned his lesson )

[Sevesteen]

I go there all the time. The sign has been up for at least 2 years. It is not new and was not put up because of your situation.

I recall a different sign about not unholstering carry weapons being in that spot not that long ago. There may have been a sign elsewhere with the same message.

As a business owner I would not allow a return on something that was not in new condition and holsters are going to get marked up just by the nature of trying them out so I understand this policy.

I agree that is reasonable if the item isn't defective. I'd previously bought a Hume JIT slide elsewhere. After wearing it a bit I don't like the way it carries, but it isn't defective. I didn't even think about taking it back. If the quality of the Tagua was as good as the (significantly cheaper) Hume I'd have been perfectly happy.

If it is defective I would expect them to honor whatever warranty the item had.

This is where the argument is. I expect some sort of warranty against defects on new items as the default in any reputable store. If something is sold as-is, the buyer should be specifically notified--A sign posted somewhere isn't sufficient. I consider a holster that you can sometimes draw from, and sometimes not to be defective.

I am not in any way affiliated with them, and I have always had good friendly service when I have shopped there.

Until now, so have I. 3 out of 5 guns I've bought new came from them.

I hope you get this situation resolved, but at the same time don't blame the business because you choose to buy a cheap holster. (Spoken from somone who has a drawer full of cheap holsters and has learned his lesson )

I don't expect much out of a cheap holster. I've got a few that met my expectations, a couple that exceed. For more than limited use, I a agree that a better holster is worth the extra cash.

[VandaliaTactical]

Vandalia Tactical, like all other gun shops, cannot accept return of used holsters unless they are defective.

If gun shops accepted returns of holsters that show signs of wear and tear as when someone takes it home and wears it around the house or uses it for a CCW class and it's condition is apparent that it has been used, most of the holsters on the wall would be in used condition.

I personally looked at the holster involved in this thread and it was apparent that it had been used but not visually defective in any way. Holsters without thumbstraps are meant to be tight so the gun does not fall out. There are treatments for the inside of holsters if the gun seems to not slide in and out freely. Therefore, the return of this holster was denied. IT WAS A USED HOLSTER.

As for the sign on the wall at Vandalia Tactical stating that holsters are not returnable, that sign has been on the wall in the same place for over three years. it is obvious why. There are people who purchase holsters on Friday for a CCW class then return it on Monday or Tuesday expecting a refund for a used holster. There are people who purchase a holster, use it, decide they don't like it or decide they made a bad decision and attempt to return the used holster. Then there are people who purchase a holster and expect to return it three months later.

If you purchase a holster from Vandalia Tactical and return it in NEW CONDITION with all packaging within a reasonable amount of time you will usually receive a refund or store credit for the purchase price. I would never treat any customer with less respect than I would expect if I were their customer. Please do not, however, expect to return a used holster and expect a refund for it because it is not going to happen unless it is defective. A holster being tight does not make a defective holster.

I would like to add that if you purchase a cheap holster or gun you get a cheap holster or gun. I suggest purchasing quality. Don't expect Galco quality in a cheap holster and don't expect Smith & Wesson or Glock quality in a cheap handgun. You only get what you pay for in life.

You carry a firearm to protect your life.

How much is your life worth?


Bill Jarrett, owner
Vandalia Tactical

[curby]

that about sums it up...

[Sevesteen]

Vandalia Tactical, like all other gun shops, cannot accept return of used holsters unless they are defective.

If gun shops accepted returns of holsters that show signs of wear and tear as when someone takes it home and wears it around the house or uses it for a CCW class and it's condition is apparent that it has been used, most of the holsters on the wall would be in used condition.

I personally looked at the holster involved in this thread and it was apparent that it had been used but not visually defective in any way. Holsters without thumbstraps are meant to be tight so the gun does not fall out. There are treatments for the inside of holsters if the gun seems to not slide in and out freely. Therefore, the return of this holster was denied. IT WAS A USED HOLSTER.

Kind of a catch-22 with this defect--If it is too tight initially, "needs to be broken in". If it is still a problem after breaking in, "It is a used holster". If I buy a cheap holster I must not know anything, and any problems with it must be my fault. I don't have a problem with "no returns unless defective", the argument is what is considered a defect.

I don't know if your staff didn't tell you what I'd told them--Since you did not even come out of your office to talk to me in person (I assume it was you that I saw the shop guy talking to in the office mezzanine ) and didn't bother to call the number I'd left with your staff, we won't know if you understood what I considered the defect to be. The holster was fine for the first hour or so I wore it each time. After a few hours, it was nearly impossible to draw. I don't mean a little stiffer, I mean I pulled hard enough to give myself a wedgie, and the gun remained holstered. If I twisted and wiggled the gun quite a bit I could finally get it loose. Even if there was something I could have changed in my drawstroke to improve the draw, there was no way to practice, since the draw was perfectly acceptable for an hour or so. It looked to me like the leather inside the mouth was soft, and over time it molded around the edge of the cylinder--there was an obvious scuff mark in one place. If you had suggestions to make it work, I'd have loved to hear them.

As for the sign on the wall at Vandalia Tactical stating that holsters are not returnable, that sign has been on the wall in the same place for over three years. it

OK, that's possible. I thought there was a different sign about keeping guns holstered in that spot, and that couldn't have been much more than 3 years ago, since that's when I bought my XD from you. I don't generally scour the walls for disclaimers.

is obvious why. There are people who purchase holsters on Friday for a CCW class then return it on Monday or Tuesday expecting a refund for a used holster. There are people who purchase a holster, use it, decide they don't like it or decide they made a bad decision and attempt to return the used holster. Then there are people who purchase a holster and expect to return it three months later.

None of that applies. I've had my CCW for a couple years, I probably wouldn't use the J frame for a class and if I did I've got a Hume JIT slide for it. If I could have the workmanship of the $20 Hume holster in a design similar to the $40 Tagua, I'd have been more than happy. It was about 3 weeks from purchase before I tried to return the holster--I was on vacation for two weeks, and didn't want to make a special 40+ mile round trip.

If you purchase a holster from Vandalia Tactical and return it in NEW CONDITION with all packaging within a reasonable amount of time you will usually receive a refund or store credit for the purchase price. I would never treat any customer with less respect than I would expect if I were their customer. Please do not, however, expect to return a used holster and expect a refund for it because it is not going to happen unless it is defective.

"If you purchase a holster and decide you don't want it before you use it, we might take it back. If you use it and it doesn't work, you are out of luck"
I didn't want a refund, I wanted credit towards a holster with a consistent draw, or some sort of suggestion to make it work.

A holster being tight does not make a defective holster.

Again, consistently tight isn't the problem--Tightening during wear to the point of not being able to draw is.

I would like to add that if you purchase a cheap holster or gun you get a cheap holster or gun. I suggest purchasing quality. Don't expect Galco quality in a cheap holster and don't expect Smith & Wesson or Glock quality in a cheap handgun. You only get what you pay for in life.

You carry a firearm to protect your life.

How much is your life worth?

Bill Jarrett, owner

How much are the lives of your customers worth? This defect is a particularly nasty one, and the equivalent to an intermittently unreliable gun.

Tagua sent a replacement holster--A lefty, with an added sticker saying "Ambidextrous". (worn as a right hand holster, the stitching will be rough side out) Both holsters will be sold with full disclosure for whatever I can get out of them.