I’ve been looking at various products made by Blackhawk! and was wondering what the general consensus of their stuff was.
Are they inline with other brands at their price point? Obviously I understand the pay for what you get concept, but just because something costs more doesn’t always mean its better.
Have you seen the Eagle gear. It is nice.
Oh thanks! I have browsed many of the sponsors sites shown at the top of the forum but I hadn’t yet gotten to that one. Looks like some very nice gear. Prices are higher, but I’m sure the quality is better too. Judging by what I’ve seen and read it doesn’t appear that m4c will allow just any ole company to be a site sponsor like many other AR sites do.
Blackhawk stuff started out with some pretty decent products. However, recent years has seen them transition to having their gear made in Vietnam, and the quality has suffered.
Their designs are pretty much exactly the same as Eagle Industries (plate carriers, mag pouches, chest rigs, H Harnesses, belts, etc, etc) but that’s pretty much redundant now due to the company who owns Blackhawk buying out Eagle!
What stuff of theirs are you looking at? There may be better alternatives out there. I certainly wouldn’t buy Blackhawk stuff at the prices they charge.
Only things I was really looking at in particular were these…
http://www.blackhawk.com/product/Omega-VI-Ultra-Holster,786,119.htm
http://www.blackhawk.com/product/SOLAG-Special-Ops-Full-Finger-Light-Assault,1042,1358.htm
Other than that I was just browsing some of their MOLLE gear and various packs and bags.
I don’t like it. Overly padded, even when it doesn’t need to be. And everything has mesh on the bottom, which seems to be a point failure source to me. Stitching and edging is so-so. Tactical Tailor, Spec-Ops Brand, and LBT are much better quality of construction and design in my opinion. Of course, I haven’t been on the trail in 20 years, but I still shoot regularly and I’m getting back into competitions and classes…
Thx for the info, I’ll check those companies out.
Even though I may get bashed for my opinion, I like Blackhawk products.
I bought one of their Omega vests back in 2001 and used it a lot back then for things like airsoft. It has held up very well, and I used the same vest last year in a carbine class. For me, it is comfortable and well made.
I also use their Desert Ops boots, which I find to be both lightweight and comfortable.
That said, I would recommend something else for holster options, as there are much better alternatives out there. However, I am curious as to what people think about the SOLAG gloves.
BHI build quality and QC is a moving target. Best satisfaction with it will be with light to moderate use. There are some bright spots and interesting layouts in the line, but much of it is cookie cutter or copied.
Given a certain p/n, it’s likely that you could find an equivalent product from LBT, Eagle, or other known-good vendor rather than having to buy BHI. And depending on the item, for little more money.
Depending what kind of items you’re looking for, I’m a big fan of Emdom. Their stuff is very durable, well-built with quality material, very well thought out, and made HERE.
Pat
Apparently my keyboard is now obsolete, as I couldn’t have stated it any better myself. A few things are worth picking up on closeout, but there’s almost always something better and cheaper.
Theres better out there, shop around , you will find gear made in the USA . I like Tactical Tailor , Kifaru , SOF , and others .
Not sure how differently they are run but both companies are owned by the same corporation now. ATK purchased both Blackhawk and Eagle. Man I wish this would slow down.
Dale, may I politely recommend the Vicker’s Tactical gloves?
http://www.eotac.com/tactical-clothing/tactical-accessories/vickers-duty-gloves
http://www.eotac.com/tactical-clothing/tactical-accessories/vickers-mid-length-combat-gloves
I have two pairs, and really do like them. They have a shorter cut available as well, if you have shorter fingers. They are called the cadet size. Very handy.
Fernando, who runs EOTAC, is a very nice fellow, and periodically offers discounts to M4C members. He also helps sponsor two very good TV shows, Tactical Arms and Tactical Impact.
If you want to buy a nylon leg holster like that, shoot me a PM. I’ve got a Tactical Tailor one I am not using. And frankly, it’s likely better made.
Good luck to you! 
I got some SOLAG gloves for free at work.I really don’t like them at all. They don’t have any dexterity, too thick and all the extra velcro is useless to me. I keep them in case someone needs to borrow a pair. I use Hatch gloves instead.
ETA: the Mechanix gloves available at many local stores actually work well too and are cheap and available everywhere
just FYI - emdom is based and designed in the US with the products made in hong kong, as stated on the label. they’re a small outfit (one guy here in NYC, his partner running a factor in HK where they also make goods for the HK police etc). they’re looking into having some stuff made here, but finding the quality/price combo is a challenge, plus sewing houses aren’t looking to deal with such small quantities.
full disclosure - i collaborate with emdom as a designer and they manufacture quite a few of my designs.
All good points. Just because something is not made or assembled here it can still be of good quality.
The flipside is that “Made in USA” can be a very important factor in many people’s decisions; whether it truly reflects quality or not, it matters to the customers. While other small gear companies are having their gear made in the USA, Emdom (and Blackhawk, et. al.) is going overseas for their labor, and paying into an overseas economy instead of our own. Is Emdom good stuff? I hear yes; I don’t own any myself. Is US-made a defining factor? That depends on you.
I’ve got an Omega Vest from '03, and another from '07. If you’re not planning on wearing armour, then the design is fine. The '03 was my work vest, and is still in acceptable shape. The '07 has become my primary “rig” since I’ve used it to pretty much replace all my rucksacks for backpacking. Is it the best? No. Does it work for what I need it to do? Yes.
I look at most support equipment as expendable, unless I’m going to invest in plates.
I’ve got a fair bit of BH gear floating around in my lineup:
The BH holster (above) is alright at securing a sidearm on your person. It sucks if you ever need it to defend your life. The leg strap is pretty frayed, and it only saw about three months of full-time duty in the woods. I’ve used my “Enhanced” butt pack as an attached backpack on my vest. It’s small enough to keep me under control, and the quality of the materials is decent enough.
It depends upon your requirements.
In a nutshell:
I own quite a bit of BH gear, that’s pretty old-school at this point. I’m pretty much indifferent to it. It doesn’t cause other shooters to get man-crushes for me, it doesn’t attract chicks. It DOES hold what I need to stuff in it, and holds up as well as I expected it to.
Am I happy with my BH gear?
Yes.
Will I buy any more BH gear in the future?
No.
It’s decent kit, but at this stage in the game there’s much much better, that’s still made in the good old U.S.A.
YMMV.
agreed. that’s why i posted that - to ensure that folks have the info that matters to them when they make a decision to buy. being open and honest is more important than getting sales based on incorrect info/assumptions.