My old man, after leaving the Air Force following the Korean War, worked in downtown Atlanta. He carried an Iver Johnson .38 S&W. And his holster — a super slick leather in-waist-band design with a steel clip — was functional, but hardly provided the peace of mind that the average holster provides today. I expect he would have carried much more regularly if he’d had a holster like the DeSantis Slim-Tuk.
Like all holster concepts, the revolver holsters continue to evolve — and the IWB versions keep getting better and more dependable. There may be a point, for some of us, where the use of materials and new carry positions challenge our sensibilities. Kydex — for example — is a hard sell for some revolver owners. It shouldn’t be — what DeSantis has built with this design is kick-ass for EDC.
The DeSantis Slim-Tuk J-Frame Holster
The J-frame guns from Smith & Wesson are solid performers. They’re not all snub-nosed designs. The designation has more to do with the general frame size than the length of the grip or the barrel. But the .38 snub-nosed S&W is what most of us mean when we use the term colloquially.
And these guns are classics. Smith changes up finishes, the material composition of the frames, and even the sights. The overall fit and feel, though, echoes back the designs that have been carried for more than 70 years. The guns are — even when modernized — nostalgic.
They’re also effective. With no external safeties and both double-action and single-action pulls, these revolvers are easy and intuitive. Finding a slim holster — one that doesn’t print easily — has been the challenge. The Slim-Tuk is just about the easiest design to conceal.
Form-Fitting Kydex
There are unique design considerations inherent in the snub-nosed design. One of the less obvious is the super-high front sights some rely on for fast time-to-target metrics. These need a solid sight channel. Not like you might for a Staccato, perhaps, but height is good. It keeps you from dragging the blade out, which often happens with leather designs.
And the end is bent over. This may mean that some revolver designs won’t fit. My 3″ J-Frame won’t fit.
The closed-off end is designed to make putting the holster into place and wearing it much more comfortable. This is an interesting design element — the comfort — as not many EDC holsters begin with that in mind. Usually, these are built for maximum efficiency, and that’s not always possible when comfort comes into play.
IWB Rigidity in the Slim-Tuk
IWB holsters can be a pain when it comes time to reholster. This is not the case with the Slim-Tum. DeSantis has left the mouth rigid and open, which makes returning to the holster easier. I say easier because the belt can still pinch this in enough that you might need to finesse the cylinder into place or use two hands. But you won’t have to remove the holster to get the gun back in.
If you don’t like the clip, that’s easy to change out, too. There are many other designs on the market, and most have gravitated toward a consistent hole spacing. This means modifying the Slim-Tuk is as easy as finding the right ride height, belt thickness, and belt width…. OK, maybe modifications aren’t easy, exactly, but they’re far from complex.
What if you don’t like Kydex?
Let’s say you’re working with the Slim-Tuk and just can’t seem to accept the material feel. Kydex is a plastic, and some folks simply like the leather better. The Flex-Tuk works in almost exactly the same way. There are some major ergonomic differences, but from the position of the gun in the holster to the way the clip works, these two are close cousins.
Using the Slim-Tuk
When it comes to carrying this design, I find the appendix position to be ideal. I’ve been carrying it at about the 1:30 position, and it rides exceptionally well. I can sit with the holster on without gouging holes in my leg.
And the clip is easy enough to snap on and off. I can take it off, even in a parked car, without drawing a ton of attention. If you do need to go into the courthouse, say, or the local PD, and they’d rather you not carry — simply pull it, drop it in a lock-box, and tuck it out of sight.
The DeSantis Gunhide Slim-Tuk Holster for Smith & Wesson J-Frame is $27.99. I’m still trying to wrap my head around that one. How is it even possible that they can build something so functional and sell it for this price?
And, for those who might be considering a holster for something other than their trusty Smith, DeSantis makes this same design for almost everything on the market right now. This is a design that has proven exceptionally versatile for a company that is known, primarily, for leather. That, though, is changing.
The Slim-Tuk has a lot going for it, in all of its configurations. Even the lefties can get in on the game as the design is ambidextrous.
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