Concealed Carry Holsters

For a number of years there has been a bit of an on-going debate involving whether or not horsehide made a better holster material than cowhide?

If you read through some info online, you'll see there are mixed opinions on the topic. Here's my .02 worth of opinion on the topic:

I've had the pleasure of owning and using both horsehide and cowhide holsters. There are very holster makers who specialize in horsehide any more. Greg Kramer of Kramer Leather, is probably the best known horsehide holster maker. While there are others who do make holsters from horsehide, Kramer was one of the early pioneers to focus on horse as a holster material.

Horsehide is denser than cowhide making it harder to work with and more difficult to dye. That same denseness also makes horse nearly waterproof versus cowhide that is water resistant. Horsehide is harder to get and therefore, more expensive than cowhide.

I have some Kramer horsehide holsters that are over 15 years old and have been worn quite a bit. I honestly think, I could clean up most of those holsters with some good polish and sell them on Ebay for close to what I paid for them 15 + years ago. This is due to the fact that horsehide is extremely durable. Much more durable than cowhide, in my humble opinion.

All things being equal, I would take a horsehide holster over it's brother in cowhide most anytime. Unfortunately, there aren't that many opportunities left to do that and it becomes a budget issue. While cowhide works great as long as it's taken care of, horsehide is a better choice if it's available at a reasonable price.

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.

Taking care of a leather holster is really very simple, but it seems to be the most common reason that holsters go bad. Leather is an organic material and it does neet just a bit of care to make it last.

The easiest way to take care of a leather holster is to apply a nice coat of paste wax or neutral colored show polish to it at least twice a year. This provides the leather with just the right amount of moisture and coats it in a protective layer of wax. Once the wax turns a hazy color, simply buff it off with a clean cloth ot horsehair brush.

Be wary of leather cleaners and leather treaments as they contain chemicals designed to soften leather. This will ruin a good holster quicker than anything else. One or two coats of a "cleaner" and the holster will stop retaining it's form. Stay away from Mink oil, Neatsfoot oil, and saddle soap as they all contain a leather softening agent.

If you aren't sure about what to use, stick with good old fashion paste show wax. It works great and is very inexpensive.