Gun holsters of today are available in a number of different materials. In the last 15 or so years ago, the holster making industry has changed as leather was about the only material used for holsters. Now holster makers are using leather, a thermoplastic called kydex, ballistic nylon, and a few other synthetic materials.
For the most part, leather and kydex dominate the gun holster market from a material standpoint. Ballistic nylon is plentiful, but is typically found on more budget minded holster lines. Nylon has a number of good properties, but lacks many of the properties that are found in in leather and kydex.
Leather – Leather is basically divided into two different types – cowhide and horsehide.
Cowhide – Like the name implies, cowhide comes from male and female cows. Cowhide is also fairly plentiful and, generally, not all that expensive. However, when cowhide becomes less available, the price rises to reflect availability. For example, a couple of years ago, Great Britain was hit by the “Mad cow” disease and a substantial number of cows were either killed or had to be destroyed. This impacted the cowhide supply from Great Britain, which caused the overall price of cowhide to increase quite a bit. Cowhide is durable, fairly easy for a leather craftsman to work with, and takes dye pretty well.
Horsehide – As the name implies, horsehide comes from male and female horses. Compared to cowhide, horsehide tends to be more dense and durable. Horsehide is also much more water resistant than cowhide. Horsehide does have some drawbacks compared to cowhide. Horsehide tends to be a little more expensive (although, like cowhide, horsehide prices can fluctuate based on demand and availability), and tougher to work with than cowhide. Since horsehide is so dense, it can be more difficult to mold and may not take dye very well. The dye issue is one of the reasons that you typically see horsehide holsters and belts offered in either a natural color or black.
Kydex – Kydex is a high strength plastic within a family of thermoplastic materials like ABS plastic, etc. Kydex is significantly stronger than some of it’s thermoplastic cousins and has a number of excellent qualities that make it a favorite for gun holsters. Kydex is very strong and durable. It’s also waterproof, lighter than leather (in most cases), and quicker on the draw (due to less friction during the draw).
There a few other materials such as exotic skins, various synthetic materials, and other forms of thermoplastics that are used for gun holsters, but leather and kydex tend to be the most popular in this day and age.
So what’s the best holster material for you? I’d suggest evaluating your needs and then seeing what’s available in the market. If you are looking for a competition holster, then kydex might by a good choice. If you are looking for a concealed carry holster, either material would work. If you are looking for a general use holster where security or retention is needed, then you may want to stick with leather. Once you’ve throughly taken a look at your needs, the choice of materials becomes a much easier decision.
