In this DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster review, I’ll tell you about my experience of carrying a Sig P365 around in it for 2 weeks.
But first, here’s a spoiler –
It’s actually a really nice holster, and I like it.
Keep on reading to find out why.
And in case you’re short on time – here comes a short summary with all you need to know below.
Let’s go.
DeSantis Nemesis: Summary & Verdict
| Type: Pocket Holster | Adjustability: – |
| Material: Synthetic, Neoprene | Retention: Passive |
| Carry: Concealed Carry | Light/Laser/Optics Cuts: Available for Light/Laser |
| Fit: Semi-Customized To Gun | Gun Compatibility: All Compact Guns |
| Safety: ✅Trigger & Barrel Covered | Warranty: ✅ Lifetime |
| Made In: ✅USA | Hand Orientation: ✅Left & Right |
DeSantis Nemesis Pros:
- Trigger fully covered when holstered
- Stays in place when inside the pocket
- Conceals well
- Holster stays in pocket during the draw, doesn’t come out
- Simple, durable construction
- Soft fabric cushions the gun’s edges, comfortable
- Retention good for a fabric holster
- Affordable
DeSantis Nemesis Cons:
- Not for small or tight pockets
- Swings while running
- Draw speed slower than waistband carry
- No active “click” retention
Who Should Buy DeSantis Nemesis:
You should buy DeSantis Nemesis it if you’re looking for a lightweight, comfortable pocket holster that conceals well.
When it comes to fabric pocket holsters, it’s a clear winner.
- It holds your gun in place and doesn’t come out with the gun while drawing
- The shape makes concealment easier, not shaped like a gun
- The trigger is covered when holstered, and the retention is good for pocket carry
There’s actually nothing I would change about it.
It’s simple & affordable but doesn’t cut any corners on the quality of the material. And drawing from it is about as good as it gets.
Who Shouldn’t Buy DeSantis Nemesis:
As I said above, if you’re looking for a lightweight pocket holster, then Nemesis is the best you can do.
But let me play the devil’s advocate.
DeSantis Nemesis might not be the right choice for you if:
- You’re new to concealed carry. Pocket carry is not recommended for starting out, and is best left for limited, specialist scenarios. If you’re new to concealed carry, I recommend waistband carry instead.
There are also kydex & leather pocket holsters that you might want to explore, but I don’t really see any advantages they might have over this one.
While they do provide that “click” retention, kydex is not the best material for pocket carry because:
- It’s less comfortable, the plastic is rigid
- Less “gripping” on the outside material, the kydex would move around in the pocket more vs. Nemesis
- Very difficult to draw the gun without pulling out the holster with it
- Sharp edges will wear out your pocket faster
The same applies to leather pocket holsters, with the exception that they’re more comfortable.
To summarize, if you’re looking for a good pocket carry holster, there’s actually no reason not to go for DeSantis Nemesis (or similar). But I hope that this section helped you clarify any doubts you might have had about your options.
DeSantis Nemesis Review
About DeSantis
DeSantis is a household name in the American holster industry.
Founded in 1972 when Gene Desantis started making concealed-carry leather holsters on his kitchen table.
Now, they’re one of the largest holster producers in the world.
They still make all of their holsters by hand, and everything is produced in the USA.
And the enterprise is owned and run by the original DeSantis family who founded it.
How We Tested
I carried the DeSantis Nemesis with my Sig P365 for two weeks.
I don’t usually do pocket carry, so there was an adjustment period involved.
I experimented with different pockets and locations.
In the end, I ended up carrying it in the following way:
- Cargo trouser thigh pocket
- In the pocket of loose-fitting shorts
- Jacket pocket
There were a couple more, but those were the main ones that I was the most comfortable with.
Build Quality, Durability, Looks & Feel
DeSantis Nemesis consists of two parts:
- The holster itself
- The “hook” that they’ve added below the barrel
I’ll start with the overall holster description, and say a few words about the hook below.
When I first got the holster out of the box, it came flat as fabric holsters do. After a while, it does break in though and retains some openness even when the gun is not holstered.
The material of the Nemesis is durable but soft. It’s some kind of neoprene fabric, a thick rubberized material. With an anti-slip surface to keep the holster from moving around in the pocket too much.
And it works – the holster grips quite well into the cotton fabric. I had minimal movement once the holster was already inside the pocket.
The holster never changed direction or went “upside-down”, so I was always ready to draw when needed.
The rubbery material is resistant to wear, and there’s double stitching around the edges of the fabric. The edges are reinforced, and I would expect to get multiple years of use out of the Nemesis.
The interior is soft, and won’t leave any marks on the gun unlike some Kydex, Polymer, or even leather holsters.
The retention is good – I’ll cover this in more depth below – the gun doesn’t come out of the holster unless you want it to.
And when my P365 is holstered, the trigger guard is completely covered. There’s no way for anything to get in there while the gun is in the pocket. This is important, and something that so many of the pocket holsters get wrong.
Partial trigger guard coverage in any holster is asking for trouble. But that’s especially true with pocket carry where small objects like coins, etc. could slide into the trigger guard opening and cause a negligent discharge.
Now, a few words about the “hook” that is located below the “barrel”. It serves 3 purposes:
- It makes the holster look more “square” and less like the shape of a gun when you have it in your pocket. It might look like a wallet or some box. This reduces printing, as the shape of the gun becomes way less obvious than it would be without the fin.
- The hook snags on the edge of your pocket when you draw. This helps the holster come off from your gun & remain in the pocket. See the video review below to see how it works in practice.
- It keeps the holster from turning upside down in your pocket and provides better stability.
I’ll say this – I’ll never consider buying a pocket holster without that “hook” built-in. It’s such a simple little thing, but it really does make everything better. From drawing to concealment.
The nose of the holster is open, accommodating threaded barrels.
Yes, this also means that pocket lint will get inside the barrel. But lint will get everywhere anyway – that’s just something you’ll have to live with if pocket carrying.
Take an extra 5 minutes to check & clean your gun from time to time, and you’re good to go. There’s no escaping the lint.
It’s too early to say anything about the long-term durability of the holster. But it’s held up fine for the few weeks that I’ve carried it. I did some research on long-term durability reviews, and most folks who have been using it for a while are happy with how it holds up over months & years.
To summarize:
I wouldn’t change anything about the construction. It’s a simple, lightweight, durable, and well-made pocket holster.
Retention & Fit
I got a good fit on my P365 with the Nemesis.
The retention is strong enough to keep the gun from slipping out of the holster, or from moving around inside of it too much. But not so tight that the holster would come out of the pocket while you pull the gun.
Overall, I’m satisfied with the retention. It’s just right.
If you did the usual retention test – turning the holster upside down with the gun inside – it would obviously fall out. But there’s no passive retention on a soft fabric holster that will be able to do this. And you don’t need it to, either.
Comfort
Pocket carry can be very comfortable, once you get used to it.
While I did miss being able to access my gun quickly, there’s just something simple & comfortable about having the gun in my pocket.
The material on Nemesis is thick enough to cushion out the edges of my P365 and I didn’t feel any discomfort from carrying it in my pocket.
The only thing I’ll say is that running was definitely less comfortable compared with waistband carry. I’m not talking about going for a 5K run in the morning here, for reference.
I’m talking about taking that quick jog from Walmart to my car while it’s raining.
The Nemesis does swing around in the pocket quite a lot if you’re running. I found myself missing my waistband holster in those situations.
Fortunately, It was literally only one time when that happened. Besides that, it’s quite comfy.
Ease Of Concealment
While in the pocket, the Nemesis looks like a square thanks to its “hook”.
If it prints, people can see that I’m carrying something in my pocket. But it could be a big wallet, a small notebook, a bigger phone, or really a million other square-shaped things.
Thanks to the shape, it’s difficult to see that I’m actually carrying a gun.
It has no trouble hiding the outline of the gun in bigger pockets. Coats work well, as well as looser-fitting cargo pants & shorts.
With smaller pockets & tighter clothing, your mileage will vary. That will depend on the tightness of your clothing and the shape of your body.
For reference, I wear regular-cut jeans, nothing too tight around my legs. With my P365 packed into Nemesis inside my pocket, it won’t be immediately obvious to the untrained eye that I’m carrying a gun. Just something large inside of my pocket. But if you have an eye for spotting concealed carry guns, then that bulge will give it away.
Either way, the Nemesis is meant to be used with larger pockets, purses, backpacks, and handbags. It’s not meant for tight & small pockets – it’s impossible to concealed carry in those, no matter what you do.
One final suggestion about testing the concealment – towards a full-length mirror to see if it is concealed enough.
Your gun might look concealed in your pocket while you’re standing or sitting, and start printing when you walk with it. I’ve heard that that’s especially the case with exposed hammer revolvers. Worth double-checking if you’re not sure.
Clips & Adjustability
DeSantis Nemesis has no clips and is not adjustable in any way.
Ease Of Draw & Reholstering
After a little practice, my draw speed has improved. I didn’t time it with this one, but I feel comfortable that it’s around that 2-3 second mark. Depending on whether the pocket is zipped up or not.
The fabric inside of the holster is smooth, allowing the gun to slip out when needed.
I can get a good, full positive grip while drawing.
Different pockets work differently, so you’ll have to see what works best for you. Whether it’s a hoodie pocket, front pocket, or thigh pocket on cargo shorts or pants.
Probably the most common issue with these pocket holsters is that the holster comes out together with the gun while drawing.
The hook that I talked about above prevents this one from doing that.
To summarize, the drawing performance is about as good as I could expect from a pocket holster, no complaints.
DeSantis Nemesis’s Price & Value For Money
Value for money?
It’s cheap, just go get it.
You might save $3 on a cheaper pocket holster from Blackhawk or something, but you’ll sure as hell regret cheaping out here.
It’s very rare for me to recommend a soft fabric holster, but this one really does pull its weight and is worth considering for pocket carry.
Guns & Mods Supported
They make Nemesis for pretty much every gun in existence. Even bigger models that you probably shouldn’t be pocket-carrying. But to each their own.
They also accommodate common mods like streamlight, lima laser, etc.
Gun manufacturers covered:
- Beretta
- Para Ordnance
- Naroh
- Mossberg
- Bersa
- Boberg
- Browning
- Colt
- Diamondback
- FN Herstal
- Glock
- H&K
- Honor Defense
- Kahr
- Keltec
- Kimber
- North American Arms
- Remington
- Rohrbaugh
- Ruger
- SCCY
- Seecamp
- Sig Sauer
- Smith & Wesson
- Springfield Armory
- Taurus
- Walther
Video Review & Unboxing
DeSantis’s Warranty, Shipping, Customer Support
- Desantis offers a 1-year warranty on all holsters.
- They have a 30-day no-questions-asked returns policy.
- They have different shipping options including free economy shipping.
The customer support is very friendly, and I wouldn’t hesitate to call these guys if I had a question about one of their holsters.
Loose Rounds: Do We Recommend DeSantis Nemesis For Pocket Carry?
Final word –
DeSantis Nemesis is a great pocket holster.
They’ve nailed the construction & features.
While it’s not obvious, a lot of thought went into designing these.
The tradeoffs between size, retention, fabric thickness, and ease of draw.
It’s a good product that I recommend for anyone looking to get into pocket carry.
Worth every penny.
Hope my little Desantis Nemesis review helped you make up your mind.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
To learn more about how we work and earn our living, read more about who we are or take a look at our editorial guidelines (work in progress!)