Nelson Holsters — Caldwell County, North Carolina
Made in the USA
My name is Ervin Nelson. I'm a former firefighter and EMT with 13 years of service. I started Nelson Holsters as a small, family-owned business dedicated to making quality custom leather holsters — the kind you can actually carry all day.
It all began when I couldn’t find a comfortable inside-the-waistband holster. I had tried just about every brand out there. Eventually, I discovered K&D Holsters and purchased their Dakota Defender. It was the most comfortable holster I’d worn to that point — but I still felt it was missing something.
Inspired by that design, I decided to build my own holster, making a few tweaks based on my own needs. When I finished it, I knew I had something special. It quickly became my go-to carry option for full-size pistols like the Beretta 92, 1911, XD 45, and Glock 17.
About five years later, I learned that K&D Holsters had closed its doors. I reached out to Kevin Manley — the original creator — and asked if I could continue making holsters based on his design, along with my own modifications. Kevin responded:
"Nice to hear from you. With respect to making holsters, I'm no longer making those nor do I intend to make any in the future. So you're free to do what you wish with respect to making one following our design. Best of luck to you."
Today, I continue building holsters by hand — combining the best features from Kevin’s design with my own. I use only the highest quality vegetable-tanned tooling leather I can find. Because I’m always sourcing the best materials available, prices may vary slightly, but I always pass any savings on to my customers.
Every step in the process — from pattern marking, cutting, sewing, wet molding, boning, burnishing, to finishing — is done entirely by hand. This old-fashioned approach ensures each holster is strong, reliable, and built to last for years. It's the kind of product you can proudly pass down if you choose to.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out by email at james@nelsonholsters.com, send a message through the Contact Us page, or give me a call at (828) 729-3415.
Sincerely,
Ervin Nelson