I Carry: Kimber EVO SP in a BlackPoint Tactical Holster

Welcome to another episode of "I Carry," Shooting Illustrated's weekly video series covering the guns and gear needed to put together a potential everyday-carry kit. Today we have a Kimber EVO SP in a BlackPoint Tactical holster. We also have a Vedder Holsters belt, a Pitbull Tactical magazine carrier and a Camillus knife.

Kimber EVO SP

OK, some of you might be thinking, “New striker-fired pistol? From Kimber? Didn’t they have…” Yeah, let me just stop you there. Yes, Kimber entered the striker-fired, concealed-carry market before with its SOLO design, and there were a lot of lessons learned from that first entry. Now, they’ve refined the concept with the EVO SP, and at first blush, this pistol does look similar to the SOLO, and that makes sense. The SOLO was a sleek, ergonomic little thing, and so is the EVO SP.

What they’ve worked on with the EVO SP is making the gun a bit more shootable, as well as easier to rack. Anyone who got their hands on the SOLO knows that it took a lot of strength to pull that slide back, and this one is much easier to get into action. One of the stand-out features on the EVO SP is the trigger, though, which is amazingly clean for a single-stack, subcompact carry gun. This makes a lot of sense, considering the company’s Micro 9 also features a crisp, single-action trigger that allows for accurate shooting out pretty far for a compact carry gun.

BlackPoint Tactical Mini WING IWB

The Kimber EVO SP is pretty new on the market, so there aren’t a ton of holster options yet, but one manufacturer that’s always pretty quick about getting holster fits to market for new guns is BlackPoint Tactical. This particular holster is the company’s Mini WING IWB design, which is an all-Kydex take on the company’s Leather Wing. Well, not ALL Kydex, exactly.

The holster body is completely Kydex, but the wings that attach the clips to the holster body are leather, which allows them to flex and better fit the contour of the body. This attachment also makes it easy to tuck in a cover garment over top of the holster, if you want to run a tucked-in shirt. It’s also an incredibly versatile holster, allowing for strong-side, appendix or small-of-the-back carry.

Camillus Morph Folding Knife

All right, now let’s take a look at a potential pocket knife. But, paraphrasing the immortal words of Crocodile Dundee, that’s not just a pocket knife, THAT’s a knoife! You’re definitely going to want to check your state’s minimum blade-length law before you stick this puppy in your pocket. The Camillus Morph features a three and a half inch offset blade that’s designed to provide extra leverage when cutting. The G10 handles are durable enough to stand up to daily use, and the AUS-8 steel blade holds an edge better than some other popular blade steels, thanks to a higher Vanadium content.

Pitbull Tactical Magazine Carrier

In addition to our EDC knife, we’ll also need a carrier for our backup magazine, too. We’ve discussed the importance of carrying a spare mag before on “I Carry,” but suffice it to say that, if you’re truly prepared for worst-case scenarios, then a spare magazine really covers all the bases. Pitbull Tactical is a new player in the market for 2019 with an innovative universal design. With a two-piece polymer body held together by upper and lower elastic bands, this carrier stretches to fit any single- or double-stack magazine body. The tension from the elastic bands secures a mag into place, and the belt-clip attachment allows for both IWB and OWB carry.

Vedder Leather Gun Belt

Speaking of belts, we need a good foundation for our EDC gear to ensure that our holstered gun remains solidly secured into place inside the waistband. For this, we tapped Vedder Holsters, which has its new Leather Gun Belt. This is an incredibly high-quality option that’s reinforced with a polymer core that stiffens the belt and secures any holsters or magazine carriers. It’s got a really great look to it, so it can work with even a business-casual outfit, and it’s not going to scream that it’s a gun belt when you’re out and about. The belt measures one and a half inches wide, so it’ll fit pretty much every holster clip or loop out there.

All of this gear represents just one of an incredible number of combinations on the market today, and it’s important for everyone to find the EDC kit that works best for them. Looking for something different than what you see here? Stay tuned to “I Carry” to see more concealed-carry setups