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Concealed Carry Holsters, Equipment and Accessories Questions, answers and discussions regarding equipment specific to concealed carry.

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  #1  
Old 03-08-2018, 1:20 PM
Chewy65 Chewy65 is offline
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Default Leather or Kydex

What are the advantages and disadvantages of polymer (kydex or other polymer) holsters compared with leather for IWB and/or AIWB?
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Old 03-08-2018, 1:38 PM
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Kydex stays open so it makes reholstering much easier and safer. Leather feels better against the skin and is more forgiving as it molds to your body and gun. All Kydex or all leather tend to be smaller footprint, but that does mean that the load on the belt and pressure on the body is concentrated. A combination leather backing with Kydex outer spreads the load over a larger area.


I can't stand AIWB so in my opinion, no material is best, let alone appropriate.
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Old 03-08-2018, 1:56 PM
CAL.BAR CAL.BAR is offline
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Started with Kydex for out of waistband carry. Kydex doesn't mold to you or give. Tends to be less comfortable. Went with a Kramer Custom horse hide holster. Much better.
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Old 03-08-2018, 5:03 PM
TRPMIKE TRPMIKE is offline
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I used both. For quick trips I carry my 1911 in a kydex holster. For longer days, I carry it inside my Milt Sparks holster which is definitely a LOT more comfortable. I tried the hybrid holsters before but didn’t like them as much.
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  #5  
Old 03-08-2018, 5:19 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chewy65 View Post
What are the advantages and disadvantages of polymer (kydex or other polymer) holsters compared with leather for IWB and/or AIWB?
Chewy it all depends. Kydex is Kydex only in terms of the manufacture. Most "plastic" holsters are made of one of three materials in the U.S. Kydex, Boltron, or Holstex. In South America Sintra. Leather varies massively and it is often reflected in price. Cowhide is common and there are several grades, each impacts comfort and durability. Horse hide is popular. Of course things like Gator are used with luxury builds.

Kydex can be very comfortable, what is missed by many builders is the texture of the kydex selected makes a big difference even though you wouldn't think a little drag on your underwear and outerwear would make a difference. The shaping, curvature and mounting systems (clips, loops, etc.) make a big difference as well.

Leather usually feels good against the skin but not always, and it can be harder to re-holster as it collapses unless you have a high end $200+ leather holster that has a kydex inner form that is covered by leather and suede inside. This works well for nickle and chrome finish guns, but is very expensive.

Kydex requires minimal care. Wipe the inside of the holster out once per month, and tighten screws as needed. It's easier to design in adjust-ability with a Kydex holster.

Leather requires care, and can negatively impact older blued guns with moisture. Unless the manufacture puts a barrier between the leather against your body and the gun, sweat can seep through to the finish. Leather absorbs moisture in humid areas. Sweat doesn't dry out enough. If your in dry areas not a problem. If you have had a well used leather baseball glove you have an idea. Wear, dirt and sweat absorption. Leather also contracts and expands, and it can be felt, it will often loosen with age which may or may not be good. Sight changes can be a problem as a channel is seldom created for them, and larger or sharper sights will drag.

Retention of a kydex holster without level two retention is usually better with Kydex than leather.

You can adjust most kydex to your draw, so if you have arthritis or carpal tunnel you can minimize the risk of pain, or if your going to climbing mount Whitney you can tighten it down. Not much you can do with leather.

There are hybrids, and there are leather pads that can be put on full kydex holster if desired.

Do you have either type of holster, is there something you don't quite like because there are techniques for patching those issue.
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Old 03-08-2018, 6:53 PM
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L84CABO L84CABO is offline
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Leather
Some say leather wears less on the finish. However leather tends to wear on the entire surfaces of the gun and kydex usually hit's the contact points. Much can vary, however, depending on the holster.

Leather is usually considered more elegant

Leather has to be broken in...think several hundred presentations...or more

Leather is usually considered more comfortable next to the skin for IWB carry...but it can be hot and make you sweat

Leather is more susceptible to the elements and can hold sweat/moisture which could lead to rust

Leather holsters are usually less adjustable than kydex (generally speaking)



Kydex

Usually considered "faster" than leather. Good to go out of the box, does not need to be broken in.

May stand up to the elements better

Kydex is usually more adjustable and has more features...like wings and claws for AIWB, levels of retention, mounting options, etc.

Kydex retains it's shape and stays open after the draw. But many leather holsters will too if they're made that way

Some people find kydex uncomfortable next to the skin for IWB

Kydex is usually cheaper than leather but prices on holsters in general can vary widely

Kydex won't stretch with age like leather sometimes can


Keep in mind that most AIWB holsters are kydex. I suspect this is because features like wings and claws really excel in the AIWB position and it's easier/cheaper to add these features to a kydex holster than a leather one.

I greatly prefer kydex over leather but it's a very personal thing. YMMV.
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  #7  
Old 03-09-2018, 9:28 AM
Chewy65 Chewy65 is offline
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Thanks everyone for the information. I was delighted with the quality of the responses and now see why plastic holsters are so popular. Unlike a buddy of mine with expensive leather holsters and a nice and somewhat expensive collection of guns, I have to be a bit more careful with my money.

I already have an Alien Gear 3.0 Cloak Tuck, which I believe is what is called a hybrid holster, and it does the job pretty well for my P229. (The biggest gripe I have with it is specific to Sigs with a decocker. When holstering it wants to catch on the faux leather backer, which is a problem I trained around. For me, it isn't much of a problem. For a LEO I can see where it could be, since it would make one hand holstering difficult.) But I may get something smaller for edc and for that the AG 3.0 may be overkill.

I am developing arthritis in both hands. Fortunately, not so much my strong hand. It is painful to even reach into my pocket with the other.

Last edited by Chewy65; 03-09-2018 at 9:31 AM..
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  #8  
Old 03-09-2018, 10:04 AM
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I will only add that IME, you can buy well made Kydex inexpensively; while inexpensive leather tends to be crap. I use Kydex for aiwb carry of a CW9 and find it comfortable in all conditions. The CW9 is pretty small as is the holster I have for it. Not sure something like a Glock 19 sized gun would be as comfortable.
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  #9  
Old 03-09-2018, 10:24 AM
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Call me a fanboi or whatever, but I love my Crossbreed Super Tuck Horsehide. Wearing well and comfortable. Definitely molding my shape and gun. Just some baby powder once a month to stop squeaking of the clips.
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  #10  
Old 03-09-2018, 3:10 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chewy65 View Post
Thanks everyone for the information. I was delighted with the quality of the responses and now see why plastic holsters are so popular. Unlike a buddy of mine with expensive leather holsters and a nice and somewhat expensive collection of guns, I have to be a bit more careful with my money.

I already have an Alien Gear 3.0 Cloak Tuck, which I believe is what is called a hybrid holster, and it does the job pretty well for my P229. (The biggest gripe I have with it is specific to Sigs with a decocker. When holstering it wants to catch on the faux leather backer, which is a problem I trained around. For me, it isn't much of a problem. For a LEO I can see where it could be, since it would make one hand holstering difficult.) But I may get something smaller for edc and for that the AG 3.0 may be overkill.

I am developing arthritis in both hands. Fortunately, not so much my strong hand. It is painful to even reach into my pocket with the other.
Chewy65, where are you located?
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  #11  
Old 04-06-2018, 7:56 AM
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I am using a OWB Kydex Holster and I'm very happy with it so far. It Keep the gun tight and secure.

Last edited by Prada; 04-07-2018 at 5:47 AM..
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  #12  
Old 04-06-2018, 8:37 AM
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triplestack3 triplestack3 is offline
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I went kydex and never looked back.

I started off with leather holsters. While leather holsters are comfortable, they soak up sweat and retain moisture. I found that this caused the slide on my carry gun to rust up. When I switched to another carry gun, I stuck with leather and didn't have rusting issues, but I found that reholstering was difficult and the leather would give in ways that I didn't like.

When I switched to kydex, there were no moisture issues, no reholstering issues, and I am pretty sure the holster is going to last forever. The tradeoff is that it's not quite as comfortable as leather, but it doesnt mean that it's not acceptable. I find the tradeoff to be worth it.
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