I called Alessi for more information and talked with Tom Kulwicki, the President. He was very helpful and suggested that I consider 3 holsters….the APX, the Talon, and the Deep Cover. He mentioned that the Deep Cover was designed for undercover LEO’s, sits low, and is difficult for some less experienced people to get a proper grip on the stock when drawing. He thought I should probably choose one of the other two. I ended up ordering a Deep Cover anyway because I thought it would conceal better.
I waited about 5 weeks for the Deep Cover before it arrived. I tried it for a few weeks. Although it was very comfortable and well concealed, it was difficult for me to consistently get a good grip when I practiced drawing. I called Alessi and spoke with Tom again. He was very sympathetic and didn’t say “I told you so” but that was the essence of the conversation. He then volunteered that he would make one APX and one Talon for me, ship them to me at no upfront cost, let me “test drive” them, and then I could return the holster(s) I didn’t want, and pay for any I wanted to keep. I was very pleasantly surprised with Tom’s offer and accepted it.
About a month later, I received the two holsters. The APX is designed specifically for appendix carry. The Talon is really meant for carry around the hip. They both position the revolver higher above the top of my pants/belt, making for an easier draw. The bottom of the APX sits higher than the Deep Cover, making it more comfortable when sitting down. Also, because of the placement of the clip, there is less of a bulge in my waistband. I decided to keep the APX and also the Deep Cover, and return the Talon since I have no interest in carrying at the hip.
I’m including a couple of pictures of the three holsters. The APX is on the left, the Deep Cover in the middle, and the Talon on the right. I’ve tried to line them up so the clips are all at the same height. All three are very nicely made, molded to fit the J frame 642 perfectly, and are made of very thin but substantial leather. The clip works either under or over my belt, so I can use them without a belt if needed.
I know this is a bit lengthy, but I wanted to report my experiences with Alessi and more specifically with Tom Kulwicki. It’s obvious that a quality product and customer service are very high on their priority list.
Ken
