TFB Review: Werkz Bisect Kydex Holster System
Werkz is a company dedicated to helping customers carry their pistol, with all that that entails. Their lineup includes five styles of holsters, magazine carriers that either attach to your holster or standalone carriers, as well as weapon-mounted and handheld flashlights. Werkz saw my review of the CZ P-09C Nocturne pistol and asked if I’d review the Werkz Bisect Kydex Holster system, which is optimized for Appendix Inside the Waistband carry (AIWB). Although the Bisect is set up for appendix carry, the piggybacked magazine carrier can be separated so that the pistol holster can be carried with a smaller profile, or in a different position in the waistband. To say that the Werkz Bisect is a full-featured holster would be an understatement! Let’s see why.
DESIGN AND SPECS
While the review example here is made specifically for the CZ P-09 C Nocturne, the Werkz Bisect holster (and piggyback mag holder) is currently offered for Glock 17, 19, 21, 23, 30, 43X, 48; Canik MC9, TP9, Mete; FN Reflex; SIG Sauer P365; Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0, Smith & Wesson Shield; Springfield Hellcat, Eschelon; Walther PDP; CZ P-09 (C or F), P-10 (S, C, F, F CR), Shadow; PSA Dagger; HK CC9; and the Staccato C2, XC, and C. That’s a pretty good list if you ask me, and I was impressed how quickly Werkz got on board the CZ Nocturne game.
The Werkz Bisect comes in three components: the holster, the magazine holder, and the bridge between them. Each component has multiple adjustments to find the best fit to your liking. If having a mag carrier attached to the holster isn’t your cup of tea, you can ditch the bridge and carry the holster and mag carrier separately. The belt clips are made of metal and attach to the Kydex via a screw and a square nut. The square nut rides inside a rectangular track inside the holster, which has multiple holes within the track for 1.875 inches of adjustment. Although the holster body only comes with one clip, there are two tracks. The second belt clip is on the bridge, but again, that can be utilized on the second track of the holster, or swapped to the magazine carrier if you plan on separating the two. The top hole of each clip is expanded side to side to allow the holster to be canted inside the waistband.
The Werkz Bisect holster, along with the magazine carrier, are constructed with .090-inch Kydex, which is a nice thickness for durability and stability. They also offer proper length holster coverage to the muzzle of each model they mold for which is a plus.
The holster comes with a belt claw to drive against the belt tension to push the pistol’s grip closer against the wearer’s body, rather than allowing the grip to print through the outer clothing. The Werkz claw also comes with a spacer that, when installed, protrudes 3/4” from the holster, but can be reduced to about 5/8” without the spacer. The claw system is completely separate from the weapon retention screw, so the claw can be removed altogether if desired.
Another of the Werkz Bisect holster’s features is a removable rubberized bump that further drives the stern of the pistol and grip into the wearer’s body, again with the intent to prevent printing through the shirt. Some holster manufacturers have created bump outs that were molded into the Kydex, while other manufacturers have made little pillows or wedges, but the Werkz bump system is a great balance between the two extremes. The Werkz bump utilizes the same style trench for screws and bolts as the aforementioned belt clips, which means it’s adjustable and removable. Even though the bump is made from a soft silicone material, the inner structure of it is firm around the securing screws, so it took a few days to get used to the pressure. I liken it to breaking in a new pair of shoes and after a few days of wearing them, you don’t even notice it anymore.
The Bisect is not made for mounted pistol lights, which may turn some people off, but I already carry a handheld light and concealed carry is a bag of trade-offs in general. For anyone who wants to dive into all these topics, check out the TFB Concealed Carry Corner column.
AIWB FIELD USE
Appendix carry is typically one of those things that people either love or hate, and it tends to be quite subjective based on body type and wardrobe style. In my case, I actually don’t love it or hate it, but I lean more towards a 4 o’clock carry. However, that didn’t stop me from appendix carrying my P-09 C Nocturne in the Werkz Bisect.
It took a bit of trial and error to find the most comfortable and concealable placement, but once I had it, it disappeared under my shirt. I’ll note that in the photos, it looks like the whole rig is too heavy for my belt, but I was just positioning it under my gut.
Standing, walking, and sitting were the most comfortable. I could bend over and touch the floor in front of me just fine, but putting my shoes on and tying them was a different story. It wasn’t comfortable, but I managed, and it’s not a task I’m doing all day.
I’m not sure if it’s wholly necessary, but for the readers’ reference, I’m 5’10” and 190 pounds. In the photos below, I wore a medium T-shirt and showed the Werkz Bisect from the front and the side. I was pleasantly surprised to not see any printing, even with a medium shirt. Generally speaking, most people aren’t paying attention to detail, and even if you print a little bit, you could try a slightly larger shirt if you’re nervous about it. I had great luck positioning the Bisect holster with and without the magazine carrier. I positioned the button of my pants between the holster claw and the belt clip.
4 O’CLOCK IWB FIELD USE
After bisecting the Bisect, I carried the P-09 C at my 4 o’clock position. As stated above, I prefer this position over the Appendix carry, but both have their place. Thanks to the design of the belt clips, the Werkz Bisect can be carried with a shirt tucked into the waistband. There’s not tons of room to tuck behind the belt clip though, but it is possible.
Depending on the pants material, I noticed that sometimes the claw liked to slip down below my belt line if I was very active. It didn’t seem that it led to printing through my shirt, but I had to readjust the holster on occasion. Otherwise, the Werkz Bisect was pleasant to carry IWB.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I was a bit skeptical about the Werkz Bisect holster at first. I hadn’t appendix carried that much prior to this review, and at first glance, it’s a big rig. However, it’s also the most adjustable and modular holster I’ve ever seen. Between all of the adjustments, I found the perfect fit and concealment placement for AIWB and IWB carry for me. I also loved that I could “bring enough gun” (to steal Springfield Armory’s slogan), whereas I never felt that I could conceal compact size pistols previously. I’ve used the Werkz Bisect holster nearly every day for the last 8 months, and will continue to carry with it nearly every day. I’ve worn my Werkz-clad CZ P-09 C while biking, hiking, running, driving, and canoeing during these months, and I can definitely recommend the Werkz Bisect holster.
The Werkz Bisect holster pricing starts at $100 for the holster, hardware, bump and claw, while adding the magazine carrier, bridge and respective hardware will bring the rig to $140. The Bisect is offered in black, FDE, carbon fiber black, coyote tan, and olive drab. Add $5 for the latter four color options. You can view all of the Bisect options HERE, or visit Werkz.com to see all of their other holsters and concealed carry accoutrements.
What do you think about the Bisect holster? Have you been looking for something like this? If you’ve already been carrying your pistol in a Werkz Bisect holster, let us know how your experience has been, and let us know how you carry it.
Doug has been a firearms enthusiast since age 16 after getting to shoot with a friend. Since then he's taken many others out to the range for their first time. He is a husband, father, grandfather, police officer, outdoorsman, artist and a student of history. Doug has been a TFB reader from the start and is happy to be a contributor of content. Doug can be reached at battleshipgrey61 AT gmail.com, or battleshipgrey61 on Instagram.
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