[JJNA]

I am sure the topic has been beaten to death many times over, but could someone provide an overview of positives and negatives of leather holsters versus kydex holsters?

Thank you all.

James
http://gunsandbutter.blogspot.com

[MikeIsaj]

Leather is old and old is better.

Seriously for what it's worth, I like leather mostly for the look and feel. Kydex is good and I would even wear kydex duty gear because it's easier to maintain and more forgiving of abuse. It's also cheaper than leather and more durable. Mostly I suspect it comes down to personel preference.

[JJNA]

To be more specific about it:

I have used leather holsters, but they are all belt holsters. With Kydex, I have used both belt and IWB.

For belt holsters, I find that Kydex is just as comfortable as leather, but easier to maintain and somewhat faster in presentation.

I guess I am wondering aloud whether leather IWB holsters are any more comfortable for most folks than Kydex IWB holsters. Does anyone have an opinion?

I have been looking at Alessi Talon Plus. Any advice on that?

Thanks.

James
http://gunsandbutter.blogspot.com

[OF]

I've always worn IWB holsters. I started on leather, maybe a couple years, then switched to kydex for many years, and then have very recently switched back to leather.

Originally, I was trying to figure out what the merits were of leather vs. kydex and decided on kydex, only buying/examining kydex equpiment from that point on.

Now, I buy a holster based solely on it's individual merits as a unique piece, not on the material. The Milt Sparks Versa-Max II brought me back to leather, not because it's leather, but because after trying one I knew the Versa-Max II is what I wanted, and it just happens to be made out of leather.

That said, my experience has been, generally (remeber these are generalizations):

Speed: Kydex is faster to draw from, this is less of an issue IWB than it is OWB, I find.

Comfort: Kydex, in a well-made holster, is not any less comfortable than leather. Comfort depends on the make/model's fit to you and overall craftsmanship much moreso than material (this surprised me, I assumed leather would be more comfortable - not true).

Dangers: Kydex holsters, when improperly made or fitted can lock a gun like it's in a vice and you can't get it out. Foreign materials in the hoster can also lock it up, this is better or worse depending on the design. IWB designs that lock the trigger guard tend to be worse in this respect, in my experience. Especially so if they are adjustable for tension. Tighten the belt too far, tuck a sweatshirt into your pants and the gun can become locked in the holster due to the material protruding far enough through the trigger guard that the holster can't expand far enough to release the gun. This is one reason I like KyTac gear - it's more of a 'whole-gun' retention than just a bump holding it in at the trigger guard.

Finish Wear: Kydex is hell on gun finishes. I've heard people say it's easier, but that's not my experience.

Cost: Kydex holsters tend to be less expensive for a comparable quality holster than leather.

On/Off: There are some kydex designs out there that you can put on/off with one hand in a heartbeat, but are rock-solid on the belt (KyTac Braveheart, for instance). This is hard to find in a leather holster. My VM-II is about as good in this respect as I could hope for. Not as fast or easy on/off as clip-on kydex is, but still very reasonable and useful. I can get it off with one hand, no problem. Putting it on is a bit more of a pain, but not that big a deal. (NOTE: I only wear clip-on type holsters for IWB, I have little experience with IWB thread-on holsters)

Longevity: Kydex holsters can break. The kydex becomes weak at a stress point and then just tears. Leather doesn't tend to do this with the same ease that kydex does. So I find that you have to be more careful with kydex than leather. This is also an issue that will be design-specific.

Myself, I've landed on leather for daily-carry IWB (Sparks VM-II), kydex for OWB (KyTac SooperHooper) and kydex for mag pouches (CompTac) (The exception to my 'don't look at material' advice is mag pouches: I think kydex is far superior when it comes to mag pouches - I've yet to try a leather pouch that held a candle to even a reasonably well-made kydex pouch). But I recommend holster shopping based on an individual holster's fit and construction for you, and not making a decision on material first and then only looking at holsters that are made from that material. It's too limiting.

Recommendations (my personal favorites):

Leather: Milt Sparks, Lou Alessi

Kydex: KyTac, Comp-Tac

- Gabe

[OF]

PS: Re: Alessi Talon Plus: I've had a couple Talon Plus' for different guns. Great holster. Great workmanship (of course - Lou is an artisan).

Complaints:

- Single-point of attachment. I no longer buy holsters that attach to the belt at only one spot, the gun shifts around too much. I like attachment points spaced on the belt. The stability can't be beat. The gun being stable like that really aids in concealment. Being in the same place all the time, you get used to its position and when you're used to the position, you start to forget about the gun. Like wearing a watch. At first it's really noticeable, but eventually you forget you have it on. If the gun moves around on your waist, you have a harder time getting used to its 'feel'.

- Designed to clip to pants directly (not the belt). I always clipped mine to my belt, but Lou told me the design was made to clip to the pants under the belt. While this aids in concealment and adds versatility, the belt is where the weight needs to be.

I think the Talon Plus makes a good 'alternate' holster for certain circumstances, but I can't recommend it for a daily-carry primary holster. It really shines for a smaller, lighter gun that goes on/off many times a day and needs to be concealed under a light garment.

- Gabe

[Serpico]

Have you ever seen Kydex shoes? Nuff said.
And re: the talon, I agree 100 percent...I tried it for my P7 but it wasn't stable enough....for an aluminum snubbie, it should do the trick...I too feel the belt should the support the gun, not go over the clip...but I do own Lou's CQC/S and it rocks as an OWB holster....

[JJNA]

GRD:

Thank you for the advice.

Serpico:Have you ever seen Kydex shoes? Nuff said.Guns aren't feet.

[LiquidTension]

You might want to look at the CompTac C-TAC. It's mostly kydex, but the span between the holster and the clips is leather. It looks like this would give you the flexibility of leather with the benefits of kydex. I'm considering one of these as my next holster, as my FIST leather is garbage. I'm not really concerned with the finish of my carry gun - I knew it was going to get messed up much more than my other guns because it rides in a holster 18hrs/day.

[JJNA]

I have a Comp-Tac C-TAC for Kahr K9 already. I haven't used it though. For IWB, I mostly use a Comp-Tac Pro Undercover for Glock 19, which feels comfortable enough (but I was wondering whether a leather IWB holster would be even more comfortable).

I hear so many good things about Lou Alessi's workmanship, I am considering trying one of his holsters, perhaps a Talon Plus, perhaps CQC/S or even his ankle holster (for the K9 or a Ruger SP101).

[OF]

Do the CQC/S instead of the Talon Plus.

- Gabe

[JJNA]

Thanks again for the advice. I might just try that. I also hear Alessi makes good belts, in which I am interested.

R&F Holsters seem to carry Alessi holsters, but not belts. Do I need to contact Mr. Alessi directly for belts?

[OF]

Never bought a belt from Lou, but he's easy enough to talk to. You could also consider a belt from Rafter-S: raftersgunleather.com Very high quality and very reasonable prices.

I wear mine every day (the standard black cowhide belt 1.5").

- Gabe

[JJNA]

Wow. Those are really reasonable prices, particularly if the quality is as high as you say. I might check them out. Thanks for the recommendation.

Do you have any experience with Tucker Gun Leather out of Texas by any chance?

[OF]

Not personally, but their reputation is very solid. Tucker's 'The Answer' holster is on my short list of things I want to try real real bad. :)

- Gabe

[Serpico]

Leather doesn't break

http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=134777

[JJNA]

'Tis true. I did break the top of the clip of my Comp-Tac Undercover. I think I might have bent it a bit more than I should've.

Comp-Tac customer service was simply amazing -- within a few days, my replacement was back. I am now much more careful with IWB Kydex holsters that utilize clips, but it is hard to do with thick belts (hence I've been trying different mechanisms on my C-TAC).

But leather isn't exactly maintenance free, is it?

[OF]

But leather isn't exactly maintenance free, is it?My VMII is maintenance free, so far. All I do is wear it.

- Gabe

[gbourne]

I just broke my Blade-Tech IWB yesterday. The part that seperates the rear sight from your side. I talked to Carla at the company and she said it would take "about a week to replace it". I sent the holster back USPS Express Mail. It carried a 30 day guarantee. The holster is slightly less than 1 year old.

[JJNA]

Leather soaks up moisture, including sweat, does it not?

[Bartholomew Roberts]

But leather isn't exactly maintenance free, is it?

Well, not exactly maintenance free but I've been wearing a Sparks VM2 for 5 years and haven't done any maintenance on it yet... that's close enough for me.

[dairycreek]

The question of whether kydex or leather is "better" is spurious. Neither is "better" in every case. Quality kydex will give excellent service as will quality leather. Each has strengths and weaknesses. Any important choice requires that an individual assessment of strenths and weaknesses be made before the choice. To say, before the fact, that one is better or worse makes no sense at all.

[JJNA]

Each has strengths and weaknesses.What, in your view, are those strengths and weaknesses?

[Harlie]

Stability, ease of draw, one hand reholster, retention, comfort, durability, last and not least is personal preference. Mines Kydex UCH IWB 1911 (Blade-Tech) so far, with a Fist for the P-40, threw away the retaining devices and use Velcro, which allows for infinite adjustments in all aspects. Hooks (stick-on) on holster and loops (sew-on) on pants. All waking hours carry with full comfort, stability, reliable retention and used for all competitions. Leather, I've found, very expensive and hard to find the correct one first, second try, so Kydex. Each of us have different goals and ideas how to achieve them.

[rockstar.esq]

I have been shopping around for something to carry my PT92 IWB and so far Kydex has been the only option that doesn't cost half as much as a new gun! Plus I don't understand why people who carry concealed are so obsessed with pretty holsters! Pride of ownership I guess. Kydex is and has been used for the toes of hiking boots for some time! Although I agree with the comment "guns aren't feet". Well put. I was interested to see that none of the kydex folks mentioned noise as a deterrent in buying/ using Kydex. Does that mean it's quiet enough that it's not an issue or do you figure the little "snick" sound will get drowned out by the BOOM?!?

[HighVelocity]

I am not a fan of the Kydex. I've tried a couple of IWB designs and I just couldn't get comfortable with them.
A high quality leather IWB holster like the Milt Sparks VMII or Executive companion wears really nice. Kydex is cold and hard but leather is warm and forgiving. :cool:

[gbourne]

I received my replacement holster from Blade-Tech. It only took about a week, Just like The company said.