As luck would have it both of the holsters I've been expecting arrived in the mail today, so I'm going to do a little side-by-side picture show.
On the left is a Raven Concealment Phantom for G17 and on the right is a Solely Canadian custom build, also for G17 (made by CGN's own rollie100, Solely Canadian can be found on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/SolelyCanadian).
Structurally the two designs are very similar. The Raven (left) came in it's standard configuration; 10-degree cant and full-height body shield. The Solely Canadian (right) has a neutral cant and a mid-height body shield, but came, at rollie100's suggestion and my request, with angled belt loops to give the entire holster a 10-degree cant (along with an extra pair of neutral loops included at no additional charge, in case I change my mind about the angle). The belt loops on the Solely Canadian are Kydex, while the Raven uses some other polymer for it's loops. Overall the Raven is slightly larger than the Solely Canadian, partly due to the different cut angle and partly because the Raven extends below the muzzle a little.
The screws and rivets seem to be of similar quality and the fit and finish of the installation is excellent on both of them. The Solely Canadian (bottom) has more mounting holes for the belt loops, allowing for the offset mounting required when using the optional angled loops.
One design difference that could be important for anyone using a G19 with a Canadian-length barrel, is that the Raven (top) fully encloses the muzzle of the pistol and extends below it, while the Solely Canadian (bottom) leaves the muzzle open.
The fit and finish is top notch on both holsters. The only significant difference that I was able to see was that the Kydex edges on the Raven (left) seems to have been polished with a finer grit than the Solely Canadian (right), giving the Raven a bit more shine, though all of the edges on both are very smooth. After my recent experience with Red Clover's offering, I'm blown away by the quality of the craftsmanship that went into both of these holsters.
I was unable to discern any difference in pistol fit or retention between the two of them. They both held my G17 like a second skin, requiring a deliberate strong pull to extract. Holstering was smooth with a very positive snap into place on both. Based solely on the feel of the draw and re-holster I would be completely unable to tell them apart. On the belt both holsters are comfortable and wear very close to the body, much more like my Blade-Tech Eclipse pancake holster than something like a Blackhawk Serpa or Blade-Tech Black Ice.
I also ordered a pair of double mag carriers from Solely Canadian and they are every bit as well made as the holster. Mag retention is firm and they both come with the same type of belt loops as the holster (neutral cant of course).
Although I haven't had any range time with them yet, from what I've seen so far I'd say that Solely Canadian is putting out a product that easily stands shoulder to shoulder with the best in the business. The elapsed time from rollie100 and I finalizing the order to the finished package (holster, 2 double mag carriers and an extra set of belt loops) arriving at my door was only 9 days. If you're looking for a holster that's (at least) as good as a Raven, costs less, ships for far less, and has an order turnaround time measured in days instead of weeks or months; I'd look no further than Solely Canadian.
On the left is a Raven Concealment Phantom for G17 and on the right is a Solely Canadian custom build, also for G17 (made by CGN's own rollie100, Solely Canadian can be found on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/SolelyCanadian).
Structurally the two designs are very similar. The Raven (left) came in it's standard configuration; 10-degree cant and full-height body shield. The Solely Canadian (right) has a neutral cant and a mid-height body shield, but came, at rollie100's suggestion and my request, with angled belt loops to give the entire holster a 10-degree cant (along with an extra pair of neutral loops included at no additional charge, in case I change my mind about the angle). The belt loops on the Solely Canadian are Kydex, while the Raven uses some other polymer for it's loops. Overall the Raven is slightly larger than the Solely Canadian, partly due to the different cut angle and partly because the Raven extends below the muzzle a little.
The screws and rivets seem to be of similar quality and the fit and finish of the installation is excellent on both of them. The Solely Canadian (bottom) has more mounting holes for the belt loops, allowing for the offset mounting required when using the optional angled loops.
One design difference that could be important for anyone using a G19 with a Canadian-length barrel, is that the Raven (top) fully encloses the muzzle of the pistol and extends below it, while the Solely Canadian (bottom) leaves the muzzle open.
The fit and finish is top notch on both holsters. The only significant difference that I was able to see was that the Kydex edges on the Raven (left) seems to have been polished with a finer grit than the Solely Canadian (right), giving the Raven a bit more shine, though all of the edges on both are very smooth. After my recent experience with Red Clover's offering, I'm blown away by the quality of the craftsmanship that went into both of these holsters.
I was unable to discern any difference in pistol fit or retention between the two of them. They both held my G17 like a second skin, requiring a deliberate strong pull to extract. Holstering was smooth with a very positive snap into place on both. Based solely on the feel of the draw and re-holster I would be completely unable to tell them apart. On the belt both holsters are comfortable and wear very close to the body, much more like my Blade-Tech Eclipse pancake holster than something like a Blackhawk Serpa or Blade-Tech Black Ice.
I also ordered a pair of double mag carriers from Solely Canadian and they are every bit as well made as the holster. Mag retention is firm and they both come with the same type of belt loops as the holster (neutral cant of course).
Although I haven't had any range time with them yet, from what I've seen so far I'd say that Solely Canadian is putting out a product that easily stands shoulder to shoulder with the best in the business. The elapsed time from rollie100 and I finalizing the order to the finished package (holster, 2 double mag carriers and an extra set of belt loops) arriving at my door was only 9 days. If you're looking for a holster that's (at least) as good as a Raven, costs less, ships for far less, and has an order turnaround time measured in days instead of weeks or months; I'd look no further than Solely Canadian.
