-
If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership The benefits pay for the membership many times over.
Kydex versus Leather
- Thread starter BigAl23
- Start date
Dennis in MA
NES Member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2007
- Messages
- 38,239
- Likes
- 33,157
Kydex is far easier to clean. Both plastic and leather are not as strong as steel so, by themselves, they won't do much. It's grit that you'll get in there that'll do the damage.
Varmint
NES Member
If you're worried about it, a few companies make kydex holsters which are bonded to leather, so only leather touches the gun, but the shape is kept by the kydex. Garrett Industries makes them, I think there's a few others. I like it also cause it's quieter.
On the cheap side, my Sig P226 Safariland holster has a felt lining for the same purpose. I think it will wear off with heavy use but is ok so far (i've probably drawn/reholstered a couple hundred times).
greencobra
NES Member
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2011
- Messages
- 27,220
- Likes
- 26,716
i've changed my carry holsters to kydex from leather just because the leather was collapsing when i withdrew the gun and then trying to reholster was a bitch. you know, from the belt tention. i have no stainless carry guns but the leather was wearing smooth spots on the polymer frames but leaving the metal slide intact and the kydex leaves the polymer alone and is attacking the finishes on the spots where it rubs. this isn't an overnight thing but happening over years. i could see a brushed stainless gun getting bright spots over time with either material. not sure how a polished finish would react.
Varmint
NES Member
Sensible people will not tell others what they should and shouldn't like.
Varmint
NES Member
LOL, well said.
Mesatchornug
NES Member
If we're starting down eastern philosophical roads, we can embrace wabi-sabi; in short that used things, showing wear, are more beautiful precisely because they are worn. Here we can take pride in knowing that every new pistol is the same off the line, but only yours has the wear patterns that come the life you've shared with it - the ding from the time you dropped it in a training session, the slight holster-wear on the corners, the polish your thumb has put on the grip up by the safety...
you know, #battleworn
![[troll]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/016.gif "Troll [troll]")
Kydex will scratch the stainless slide, which is just cosmetic.
The reality is that if you put a gun in a holster, it will show wear. Embrace it. A worn gun is a loved gun. I've got a box full of expensive, custom leather holsters. I use kydex and hybrid kydex/leather holsters almost exclusively.
What is important is how the holster functions and how comfortable it is. The fact that it causes some wear on the gun is completely unimportant to me.
Last edited:
That's to be expected from cheap holsters. I've been ccw'g daily in a Milt Sparks VMII for 8 years now. No change in the holster and can reholster every time with only the gun hand. You pay once, cry once. BTW, it is horsehide, which is tougher than cow leather.
If it's a carry gun you should give zero ****s. Guns that actually get used will receive wear.
I have fairly expensive 1911. On the rare occasion that I carry it, it rides in Kydex, and zero ****s are given about whether or not it would get marked.
If I wasn't wiling to get wear, I would leave the gun in the safe.
-Mike
I have a Wilson Combat 1911 that was my IDPA gun. In and out of a Kydex holster thousands of times. The slide finish shows lots of wear as a result. I don't care.
Asaltweapon
NES Member
I have guns that I don't care about wear but I wouldn't hammer a box of nails with them either. I bought shotgun that if I lost a paddle on my canoe I'd use it as paddle. I would not do that with my other shotguns. I have pistols I care a great deal about and will not even needlessly rotate the cylinder on them.
In the end they are only tools but a Starrett solid steel square doesn't get used when framing a porch and a framing square isn't used in a machine shop and my Snap On tools are not stored on my boat.
I have both holsters and use Kydex for IWB and leather for OWB.
In the end they are only tools but a Starrett solid steel square doesn't get used when framing a porch and a framing square isn't used in a machine shop and my Snap On tools are not stored on my boat.
I have both holsters and use Kydex for IWB and leather for OWB.
Last edited:
