TexasCHLforum.com

I own a Smart Carry holster which is made of a mix of denim and ? cloth. Very easy on the Glock.

I also own a horsehide holster and it too is pretty easy on the frame.

So, what benefit am I missing by not owning a Kydex or similar material holster?

I am concerned about the constant abrasive contact of Kydex against the frame.

Opinions please.

Thanks!

I have used the Smartcarry for a revolver, and a Fobus OWB (some kind of synthetic), a leather holster, and currently a kydex CompTac C.T.A.C IWB holster for my FN Hi Power.

My thoughts:

The Smartcarry was clever, but in the way of, um, things. Didn't hurt the finish of the gun, but was not compatible with MY frame.

The Fobus holster worked well. I am pretty sure there was some wear on the Hi Power, but not "excessive." (The Hi Power's finish was matte black epoxy.) As a matter of fact, the gun gouged the holster from lots of re-holstering. However, I did not like OWB wear, as it was hard to keep the muzzle of the Hi Power concealed even with a long vest.

I next tried a leather IWB "tuckable" holster from Black Hills Leather Company. Excellent holster, very comfortable to wear, but not stable enough since it had only one attachment point. I did not notice any excessive wear -- I had already had the Hi Power for awhile, gave it lots of use, and wore the finish off the high points and corners.

I currently use the C.T.AC. tuckable IWB holster. Very stable, very flat, not as comfortable to wear. It does not give at all. I had my pistol refinished last November or so, about the time I got the C.T.A.C. I have worn it daily since then, been to a couple of training courses with lots of draws and reholstering, plus my own practice. I again have wear spots on the pistol, but not all of them are in places that contact the holster. Overall, I have less wear on the finish now than when I used the Fobus synthetic and Black Hills holster, but I don't know if that is due to the holster material or the different finishes, or something else.

Short answer is, I can't tell any difference in wear among the leather and synthetic holsters I have used. I think with steel guns you are going to get some wear. I also have a Glock 17, and I think I could carry it in a cement mixer loaded with rocks and not worry too much about hurting the finish. Personally, I would focus more on the concealability, stability, and durability of the holster. Short of gouging great canyons in my gun, I would not worry about minor wear on the finish, especially with a Glock.

Good luck.

elb

Not all “plastic� holsters are Kydex, a lot of different materials are used depending on the vendor. But I’m going to assume in your post you are breaking holsters into two large categories, leather and plastic.

I have several holsters that are plastic, and some of them are Kydex. I find the Kydex to be “faster� when it comes to drawing, while not giving anything up in retention when compared to leather…leather tends to drag more then the Kydex. I also find the Kydex to be faster then my other plastics, but all the plastics seem to beat leather on speed.

The plastics do tend to mar the weapons faster then leather. But even leather will wear on a pistol given enough time. If you carry consistently, and practice often, you will end up with wear on your pistol whether the holster is plastic or leather. For me my carry weapons are tools. I accept the fact that they will show wear as time goes on...

In the rally hot weather, I don’t have to worry about sweat/salt damaging a plastic holster. It also won’t trap moisture next to the weapon.

Kydex, for the same strength, is thinner then leather. This tends to allow for thinner holsters, which can make for a more comfortable fit with IWB styles.

It's also easier to clean then leather. A little water and a rag is all it takes. I know folks that throw there's in the dishwasher and run it on cold. Try that with leather

I have both leather and plastic, and I wear both about an equal amount of time.

Go with what you’re comfortable with. Just don’t be scared to give Kydex a chance. It’s a viable alternative to leather.

One place leather beats Kydex hands down is in looks. A well made leather holster is a work of art. Kydex just looks like...well...plastic

Thank you both for the insight into leather vs. plastic holsters.

At this point, I've used an OWB horsehide holster and a type of fanny pack that didn't really look like your standard fanny pack that announces "gun" to the world. Sometime in the near future, I'll try the IWB route, but wasn't really certain if synthetic is for me or not.

One thing's for sure, a leather holster must be positioned properly in order to draw your weapon without a great amount of drag.

I prefer a crossdraw and the holster I use is designed for both strong side or crossdraw, but if crossdraw is used, I've encountered a great amount of drag. I've even tried baby powder to ease up the drag but, it didn't help much.

I guess holster experimentation is part and parcel of concealed carry.

Hillsman Holster is a Texas-based holster company I want to try, check this out:

http://www.hillsmanholster.com/

They use a later version of Kydex which according to their site is even mo' bettah.

Yes, leather is beautiful, but the awful "plastics" should draw quicker.

Texican_gal,

Thanks.

I far prefer doing business locally when I can and this is plenty local.

Thanks again.

Abraham, you are most welcome.

Please post a review when you try one out!

Love those local companies!

I have a P-3AT, pocket carry, I tried an Uncle Mike's, could not get the gun out without the holster, then a De Santis, could draw the gun, but the bottom of the holster ate my leg up.
I now have a Migl's, covers good, easy to draw and easy on my leg, so I shall stay with it, all were some sort of synthetic.