Product review: Darkblade Maverick holster
Product photo for the brown Darkblade Maverick holster
Seeing I had already ordered bits and bobs from Darkblade in the past, and was always pleased with the quality, I took their holsters in serious consideration. Aside from the fact that it was cheaper than holsters I found on etsy, it was also shipped from the UK which would mean I could avoid a hefty customs tax on top of everything else. Plus the holster looked nice enough from the product photo. So after some online comparisons, I decided to purchase the Darkblade Maverick holster.
Imagine my surprise when the holster arrived. Now I don’t mind a store using boxes they found at supermarkets to ship their wares in. Provided those boxes are CLEAN. And whilst it wasn’t disgustingly dirty, it was really not as clean as it should have been. Considering that they charge a whopping £ 9 for shipping within Europe you’d expect them to at least properly and cleanly package their goods.
Second issue lied with the holster itself. First of all let us compare the colours of the brown model. The product photo shows a two tone dark brown holster. Mine is some kind of almost terracotta shade + dark brown. And yes I do understand that a monitor setting may make for a difference but not to this extend.
Secondly, the website lists the holsters as made for the right or the left hip. Now this may be my problem entirely as I’ve always just bought non-hip descript holsters in the past BUT when they say hip, they mean handed. Result, I am stuck with a holster for left handed folks whilst I am, indeed, right handed. Easily pulling my Maverick is something I can forget about. So should you still want to order after you’ve read this entire review: remember that you are ordering for your hand, not your hip. So if you’re right handed, get the right hip one, regardless on which hip you want to carry it.
And now for the quality of the holster. Whilst there are many positive things to be said for soft leather, the main one that it doesn’t tend to eat your clothes, it’s not the most suitable in this kind. Because the Maverick is rather on the heavier side of toy guns. It’s not a bothersome weight, but it requires a good sturdy holster nonetheless. Whilst the body of the holster is alright, the two loops that your belt goes through lack sturdiness to give them proper stability. I may be proven wrong in the end, but I fear for the durability of this piece because the loops support all the weight and I think they’re simply too flimsy to do so successfully for years and years on end. If you only use this a couple of times a year, I’m inclined to hazard the guess and think it’ll be alright, but if you use it often, I don’t think it’ll last.
All in all I feel ripped off. The quality is not as expected, the colour isn’t as advertised, it is nowhere indicated that by hip they mean hand which resulted in me getting essentially the wrong holster for me and the packaging was pretty rubbish. Especially considering that this ended costing me nearly € 45, shipping included. If you are looking into buying a holster, you can get a better one elsewhere I’m sure.
About the author Hilde Heyvaert is a self taught fashion and costume designer with a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design and a speciality in advertising. She has been fashion editor and reviewer for the Gatehouse Gazette since the first issue. 
I didn’t know they made these, and now I want one! But I have not steampunked my nerf yet, so I have time. I am planning to learn a bit of leatherworking in the future, so maybe I will make my own! But it is pretty much the bottom of the list of all the other things I have to learn, like sewing complete outfits, etc!