Around every good pocket pistol is a good pocket holster. Seriously. I used to carry an exes’ .38 snub nose revolver in my pocket when I worked at a sporting goods store, and within a month the muzzle had worn a hole in every right front pocket of all of my khaki pants. When I bought my Guardian I bought a leather Galco pocket holster. A good pocket holster (which includes the Galco, highly recommended) will not only protect your clothes but will also break up the lines of the pistol.
My Kel-tec PF-9 has been a fantastic pocket carry gun. I’ve carried it in my pocket for almost a month now, and it’s lightweight and comfortable. Granted, one of the reasons is because the Kel-tec is well designed to be a deep concealment pistol. The other reason is the DeSantis Nemesis Pocket Holster.
The Nemesis holster is nylon, with a special grip fabric double stitched to the outside. The Magic Gripper stuff (not the real name) snags on your pocket, which allows you to freely draw the handgun without pulling your pocket holster out with it. There is a semi-rigid spine on the “top” of the holster and a … well, it looks kinda like a fucking shark fin on the “bottom.” Both structures help the holster retain its shape and hide the outline of gun in your pocket. The very bottom of the holster is open, which means that the barrel could theoretically poke out if needed.
So far the Nemesis has functioned flawlessly. I unloaded my PF-9 and performed a bunch of test draws, and it never snagged nor did it ever leave my pocket. The only complaint I have against the holster is that it pushed the PF-9 a little to high up into my pocket. Some of my shorts have really deep pockets, so it isn’t a problem. But on other shorts or pants, particularly more dress pants as opposed to cargo-style clothes, the top of the handgun could be seen if you’re directly behind me and really, I mean REALLY looking for it. I drape my shirt over my pockets anyway, but sometimes it bothers me.
I purchased the Nemesis directly from DeSantis for $28 shipped. Sure, that’s a lot for a piece of fabric with Magic Gripper stuff on it, but compared to a leather holster by Galco or similar it’s not bad at all. You may be able to find it on eBay or similar for a little bit less, but I wanted my purchase to go directly through DeSantis as a sign of support. I’m pleased with the Nemesis and recommend it to anyone looking for a durable, functional pocket holster.
DeSantis Nemesis Pocket Holster, I securely conceal in thee:
Four out of five STFU mugs!
What size did you get. I see there are three for autos; large auto, compact auto and small auto
Hi! I’ve been reading your site for about a month now and LOVE it! Your reviews are incredibly helpful. But . . . I’m having an issue with my DeSantis Nemesis that I purchased (in part based on your review). I carry a Kel Tec P3AT and, maybe the gun is small enough, maybe my chicken legs are skinny enough, but I simply can not draw the gun from the holster. I can draw the gun and the holster no problem, but if I want to draw the gun along, I have to use my thumb to push the gun out of the holster and then draw. I wear a lot of Columbia pants which are looser fitting than jeans and maybe that’s the problem too. Do you have to wear Rolling Stones type leather pants to get the Nemesis to function properly? I guess I was just wondering, from your personal experience, did you find that the Nemesis “broke in” (i.e. loosened up a bit) with time? Thanks for all of the intelligent and humorous writing!
Hi Troy,
I apologize for not responding sooner.
I wonder if the P3AT is so much more thin than my PF-9 that it’s giving you a problem. I am pretty gangly myself, and wear cargo shorts and painter’s cut jeans.
I definitely experienced what you’re describing with my Galco leather holster for my North American Arms Guardian. I had to “start” the pistol draw by pressing my index finger along the side of the holster. Since I point-shoot I didn’t consider this a big deal, but it was definitely something I had to practice before I felt comfortable.
I don’t know if it will help or not, but I once read of someone putting an iron-on jeans patch on both sides of their pocket holster. The additional grip might help you. It might also totally fuck up your holster.
I am sorry you’re having problems with it, and wish I had better news for you. I am able to quickly and cleanly draw my PF-9 without pulling the whole holster out.
Hi again — I just had to give a quick update to my DeSantis experience. After having spent nearly three weeks wrapped around my P3AT, the DeSantis is functioning much more smoothly! I can wear it in most looser fitting pants and draw without a hitch. It really is turning out to be a great holster. And to think, I wouldn’t have purchased it without happening upon your review. Thanks again!
Hi Troy,
I am glad your DeSantis Nemesis holster is working out for you. Did you have to do anything else to the holster to make it work, or was the break-in process enough?
I use my Nemesis holster just about every day. The design is such an improvement over the Galco leather pocket holster I have for my North American Arms Guardian .32. I don’t know if you have owned other pocket holsters, but I really like how the Nemesis allows you to easily grab the grip of the pistol. My Galco holster was shaped like an “L” and I had to tilt it slightly to put my fingers around the firearm.
May you never need to draw your P3AT “for real,” and best wishes.
I like the Nemesis as well, but have one complaint. Over time every Nemesis I’ve every owned has started picking up the debris (lint, etc.) from the inside of my pocket and lost it’s stickiness over time. I carry a pocket gun most all the time so my Nemesis is carried on a daily basis. As such, I can only get around 6 months out of one before the sticky stuff becomes useless and the holster won’t stay in the pocket during the draw. Aside from that, I think they are a great value for the money.
Does the pocket Galco fit the PF9? How about with the Crimson Trace sight? I find that the Desantis Nemesis is a little tight for the CT and I might try restitching it. Like Brad said, though, it is losing its sticky stuff.
Jim
Maybe I missed it. What size holster did you buy for your pf-9?
Sorry, it’s the N38. It says it fits the Kel-tec P-11 and P-40 but it fits the PF-9 just fine.
to accommadate my crimson laser sights, I took my pocket holster to my local taylor, removed the stitching by the “sharks fin” and relocated it about 3/8 inch and the crimson trace laser fits very nicely now.
I bought a Nemesis for my Glock 26. It conceals well, but unlike the Nemesis for other guns, this one covers most of the Glock’s grip! This means a one finger draw, with the trigger and middle finger dragging on the holster.
Result: the holster wants to exit with the gun, and/or your end up with a bad grip, which you must adjust after the gun is out. Not good.
I noticed on the net that some guys have trimmed this holster to expose the full grip and I can see why. But this will leave a rough edge, and honestly, I don’t understand why Desantis decided to cover up the grip as they did.
Bought a Nemesis for my Glock 26, and it does just fine, but has the same problem noted above: Desantis has chosed to cover up most of the grip for some reason, probably concealment, which it does very well. I also had the same problem in drawing – I found that if I grabbed the Glock, and pressed the holster against my leg, it would hold and the gun would come out.
Some easy solutions…
I trimmed the holster to expose the full grip of the G26. This is MUCH better, maybe a tad less concealment, but still very good, but the draw is now fast and easy, and the holster stays put.
I simply trimmed it with some sharp scissors, then used some carpet thread (looped around the edge), enough continuous stitches/loops around the cut edge. Took maybe half hour, and now I have a very functional nice pocket conceal.
Had the same problem with the DeSantis holster coming out with the gun (PPKS). Gave up on the PPKS and went to carrying my Seecamp LWS32 in a rear pocket holster by Hedley and never had any further problems.