Braxton Taylor
Nearly two decades ago, Ohio-based Raven Concealment became one of the holster companies responsible for codifying the classic “pancake” Boltaron holster with the introduction of the original Raven Phantom holster. By the early 2010s, the Phantom became the holster de rigueur for serious tactical shooters. Raven’s implementation of thermo-molded plastics into concealment holster-making signaled a paradigm shift in materials from the traditional leather medium and into modern materials that were virtually impervious to the problems associated with a leather holster. Fast-forward to the summer of 2024, and Raven Concealment quietly launched its first additive-manufactured holster: the Executive Select VSB.
Raven Concealment Executive Select VSB Overview
The Raven Concealment Executive Select VSB is a one-piece appendix inside the waistband (AIWB) concealment holster composed from a grey high-strength nylon material produced with additive manufacturing technology (industrial 3-D printing). Currently, Raven Concealment offers Executive Select VSB fitment for three main Glock- and SIG Sauer-product families: Glocks G43, G43X and G48 (including MOS models), and the SIG Sauer P365X/XL and P365 X-MACRO pistols. To reduce hotspots and maximize comfort, the Executive Select VSB’s unique vase-shape has a “melted” and dehorned outer surface that lacks any sharp corners, edges or seams. An additional benefit of this holster’s design is that its natural shape leaves enough volume to include a built-in magazine well for a spare magazine when used with slim carry pistols like the Glock G48 or the SIG-Sauer P365 series. This addition makes the Executive VSB a single-piece “sidecar”-style holster.
The Executive Select VSB includes a sweat guard to protect the pistol’s slide from the wearer’s skin or garments. It’s configured by default to support pistols with slide-mounted reflex sights and taller back-up iron sights. The very bottom of the holster also has a slot to accommodate pistols with threaded or slightly longer barrels.
Despite its alternative design, end-users can still adjust the holster’s passive retention to their liking via screw. For the sake of comfort and convenience, Raven Concealment includes its signature Phantom IWB overhooks. The Executive Select VSB hardware holes use industry-standard spacing which opens up the possibility to further end-user modifications with different belt-attachment accessories.
Wearing The Raven Concealment Executive Select VSB
From a practical standpoint, the Executive Select VSB still wears and carries like any other modern concealment AIWB holster. Even though the Executive Select VSB holster has a visibly thicker shape, it didn’t seem to cause any issue when worn with my usual belt or pants. Likewise, I don’t think its unusual shape contributed to needless printing, keeping in mind that shirt fabric material is also an important factor. Admittedly my favorite thing about wearing the Executive Select VSB is its lack of sharp corners and edges. Over the years, I’ve become desensitized to the hotspot I get from the bottom edge of most concealment holsters, so I welcome this holster’s rounded bottom. The high-strength nylon material does not negatively affect the feel or perception of drawing my Glock G48. If anything, there’s less resistance on the draw.
3-D Printing and Beyond
I first laid eyes on one of the Executive Select VSB prototypes during the 2024 SHOT Show, and I immediately understood this new holster’s implications only moments after holding it. Whereas virtually every other concealment holster has been designed around the pistol and then modified to suit the carrier, the Executive Select VSB flips the script by doing the exact opposite. This holster’s unusual shape was contoured and designed to conform to the topography of the body’s torso and waistband first, and the pistol second. By virtue of its design, the holster omits the need for wedges and pads for improving comfort and concealment. With its basic outer shape codified, manufacturing a holster like the Executive Select VSB to fit almost any firearm is only a matter of punching in different inputs into the computer. Gone is having to source a pistol-specific mold or shape.
One of the biggest downsides of the Raven Concealment Executive Select VSB is its cost. With a retail price of $205 and the fact that it only fits slimmer Glock and SIG pistols, it won’t be for everyone. This is the case with many “first time” or proof-of-concept products, like the first personal computers or electric cars, for example. However, the first-principles design approach and execution via additive-manufacturing techniques makes the Executive Select VSB a product worthy of discussion. The industry is at a point in time when 3-D printing is being used to manufacture other products, such as high-end, flowthrough suppressors with unique baffle patterns. This technology applied to concealment holsters opens up many possibilities, and once again Raven Concealment is positioning itself to be the catalyst for another paradigm shift in holsters.
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