Concealed Carry Holsters

If you are shopping for a holster of most any type, I"m sure you will see that gun holsters pretty much are made from one fo two main materials:

• Leather
• Kydex

Both materials have their own set of pros and cons:

Leather - Leather the oldest holste material currently being used. Leather isn't too difficult to work with, but the price flucuates based on availability. Treated leather is somewhat water resistant, but now waterproof. Leather can and will absorb water over time. It can also retain water and may begin to smell.

Kydex - Kydex is a thermoplastic material that has become increasing popular in the holster industry. Some holster manufacturers only work in kydex while others work only in leather. Kydex is very durable and impact resistant. However, it's not unbreakable as it can and will break. Kydex is completely waterproof and resistant to most every chemical. The biggest enemy of kydex is excessive heat as it can become soft and lose it's form.

There are a number of rumors on the internet that kydex "scratches" a gun finish. This isn't exactly true. If hard debris like sand or grit were to be trapped inside the holster interior, it could potential scratch the weapon finish as the foreign material would be trapped between the holstered weapon and the holster interior. Kydex does retain a holster differently than leather and longterm, repeated draws from a kydex holster can and may cause wear at the contact points where the holster retains the weapons. Those points are the front of the muzzle and trigger guard area.

Either material works well for gun holsters, so it really comes down to personal preferences.