With more women entering the shooting sports--as well as obtaining carry permits to defend themselves--we are seeing an increase in shooting products specifically aimed at the fairer sex. Unfortunately, many of these products are superficial in nature and only appeal to the feminine eye. One of my favorite leathersmiths, C. Rusty Sherrick, delved more deeply into the needs of female gunowners before introducing his line of women's holsters. There are no inlaid flower designs or stylish materials, just good old horsehide and a commitment to make holsters that adapt to the female form.

I've admired and used Sherrick's leather goods for some time now and have always been impressed by the amount of time and care put into their design and production. While Sherrick's holsters are handsome, he spends more time working on ideas to make them fit better and ride more comfortably on the hip than on appearance.

When he began designing his line of ladies' holsters, he took an all too uncommon approach to finding out what women needed; he talked to them.

Women are built differently than men, as some of you may have noticed. To compound the problem, many women are built differently than other women. Sherrick has designed several different holsters, which will adapt to various female body types. Plus, since each holster is made to order, he can tweak the design for the individual customer.

Sherrick recently made a Ladies High Ride holster for a friend of mine and to say she was pleased is putting it mildly. The Ladies' High Ride is a variation of a Matt Del Fatti design with a shortened tail loop with a one-way snap and a front loop directly behind the slide of the gun, to afford a stable platform that tucks the butt of the gun without digging into the rib cage. This holster design works well for the woman with a defined waistline.

Any belt holster demands a good quality sturdy belt of the proper width to ensure a comfortable secure carry. Sherrick can fix you up on that count as well. Even with a less than ideal belt, the Ladies' High Ride provided an excellent cant and tucked the butt of a Llama .45 comfortably close to the waist without digging in.

If you visit the Sherrick web site, you'll see a selection of Ladies' holsters with a brief description and body type for which each was designed. It is about time someone made a genuine effort to address the needs of women who carry.

Price: $100 (Ladies' High Ride)

C. Rusty Sherrick
Dept. HG
507 Mark Drive
Elizabeth Town, PA 17022
(717) 361-8870
www.c-rusty.com