What's important to you in a holster ?

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Meplat 308

Meplat 308

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I've made a few leather belts, knife sheaths & holsters in the past and now that I've retired I'm looking to make more for fun & profit. What do you look for in your particular carry style ? (open or concealed) Please no debate on either style of carry. This thread is about construction & features.

Construction:
Preferred leather ?
Suede side in or lined ?
Steel or kydex stiffeners ?
Reinforced open top ?

Features:
Forward cant, no cant or crossdraw ?
Belt slots, sized to your belt or one size fits all ?
Sweat guard &/or retention strap ?

Finish:
Contrasting leather (snake/sharkskin) insert ?
Smooth molded finish ?
Stamped design ?
Carved design ?

I miss anything ?
 
I prefer leather, but probably have more kydex holsters, so they're fine too.

I like to have a trailing loop, such as on a pancake or a Nelson #1 Professional (Avenger style). This brings the grip closer to the body.

In general, I don't care for sweat shields, though I do see their place on IWB holster, but even then they need to be relatively short extending no farther than the back of the slide. I'm primarily a 1911 shooter, and expect to get a full firing grip while the gun is holstered. This means I need to get to the thumb safety, or at least right next to it.
 
I use standard old school thumb break holsters. I do not want to have any impediments drawing. Retention is observation and my brain.
 
I like horsehide , reinforced top , unlined , forward cant , slots that fit my belt , sweat shield on both IWB and OWB and high ride if it's OWB , I like all the finishes .
 
I sweat. A lot. So something to keep my weapon dry from myself is incredibly important. So a water proof nylon or horsehide leather is a must. The horsehide does a great job blocking sweat off my firearm, compared to cow hide. I have completely turned down holster ideas because they use cow hide or "top grain leather" whatever that is.

Through trial and error, I like a forward cant when carrying on my strong side. FBI or 15 degree cant works for me. If the holster is adjustable, to get it ideal that is even better.

I am a big fan of modularity. If I change carry firearms, I like being able to change the kydex shell on my holster for a different firearm. Instead of dumping $100+ on a new holster, I can spend 20 on a new kydex without having to break in a new leather backing.
 
kennydale-albums-glock-picture193322-gladius-g17.jpg


This is an Appalachian Concealment "Gladius" It is an AIWB specific holster. What makes it AIWB is not just a ZERO CANT.. There are slight indentations in the Kydex, that make the Holster hug your body. Some really good AIWB Holsters also use FOAM PADS and WING CLAWS to make the holster hug close to your body. The firearm is my G17 gen 4.
 
I'm sorry, but the thread title, "Whats' important to you IN a holster"...well, a gun helps. :) Sorry, I know, bad.
Leather, stiffened/ reinforced open top, lined, straps, IWB, sweat shield that won't bleed through in AZ summers AND covers enough of the back of the gun that the mag release and hammer don't get rusted too. Finish, fancy markings, not really important on a working holster, just look professional. Now if you're talking a barbecue gun rig, that's different.
 
For 3 o'clock and rearward I like leather, 2 slots with a forward cant, and sweat shield for OWB and IWB. Oddly enough, for AIWB, I like cheap Uncle Mike's style holsters. They are just so much more comfortable to me.
 
Leather: Choice of vertical and forward cant. Simple thumb break design.
lined.

Kydex; Only applies in my tastes for concealment of small revolvers and pistols. many out there and I have two that are excellence.

Synthetic fabric: Only ones I have are Bianchi M-12s which work with a variety of service size pistols. They are an excellent open carry holster that are high quality and protect the pistol very well. Complaint; I wish someone(s) would start making quality fabric holsters with simple thumb break. Lots of cheap ones like the Uncle Mikes variety, but no quality ones made specifically for each pistol or revolver.
 
Thanks guys, I'm taking notes, going to start making holsters soon. Mostly for fun, hopefully a little profit too.
 
Features never trump function. A holster which holds up well, secures and protects the handgun, and rides comfortably will be more successful than a holster which has fancy stitching, carving, or exotic hide inlays.

If you decide to make holsters from leather, learn first how to select your cuts. Only one thing in leather working irks me more than seeing a holster done on a poor selection of cut, as it destroys the physical integrity and aesthetic appearance of the holster all in one fatal swoop - no amount of talent or skill in dying, stitching, molding, or any other craftsmanship can make up for a poor choice in the leather cut. The one thing which irks me more than a poor cut choice for holsters is the same poor choice, but for a belt. Neck creases and belly stretch have no place in a belt - I only cut belts from ONE part of the hide, all else can be used for something else, and never for a belt.
 
This pretty well outlines my ideas in a holster, modified Tom Threepersons holsters from Graveyard Jack Gunleather:



Dark color leather. Dark colors seem to sort of blend in and seem less visible. Forward cant, open toe, no retention straps or loops, exposed trigger area.

For more strenuous use:



Secure snap fastener, with long enough tail to tuck back behind belt if desired.

Don Hume open top for a Model 19 S&W:



Height is important to me, especially with a longer barreled gun. At my age I can't draw a long barrel gun high enough to clear leather.

On those Graveyard Jack holsters, I have the toe open, which lets lint, trash, and other debris fall through. On the other, the toe is closed except for a small drain hole for water to drain out. The stitched toe prevents dirt or leaves from entering should I sit down on a ground level stand.

Bob Wright
 
  • Stability on the belt (for consistent presentation)
  • Appropriate retention level for the purpose
  • Complete protection of the trigger
  • No projection or part that can enter the trigger guard on reholstering
  • Strong cant (IWB)
  • Snagless design (OWB)
  • Clean design and execution-quality work




Larry
EMP%20OWB%203.29.17_zps2vik7atc.jpg
 
I like a holster to feel like it's not there.
The gun can be inserted while the holster is in place, without looking at it or using my off hand.
The gun can be drawn smoothly and rapidly without the holster coming out with it.
The holster must stay stable, not rock back and forth or slide up and down.
And of course, the holster prevents anything from touching the trigger until I'm ready.

Beyond that, it's mostly cosmetics. I have leather and kydex, no preference as long as the above criteria are met.
 
Meplat 308 said:
I've made a few leather belts, knife sheaths & holsters in the past and now that I've retired I'm looking to make more for fun & profit. What do you look for in your particular carry style ? (open or concealed) Please no debate on either style of carry. This thread is about construction & features.

crossdraw ?
I miss anything ?
Click to expand...

OH, BACK THE TRUCK UP. Did you ask "crossdraw"?
YOU can GET a custom-maker to make you a crossdraw?
There are crossdraw holsters to be found, A N Y W H E R E?
I tried to get one of the best custom holster makers in the country
to make me a cross-draw. I was VERY specific with my explanation.
HE couldn't do it. W H E R E are these places, where you can get
crossdraw holsters? Because I must be using a different internet, than you-all.
 
My rules for holsters are below, in no particular order.

Holsters should:

1. Cover the trigger and prevent trigger manipulation.
2. Be stiff enough to eliminate the potential for part of the holster bending inward and possibly manipulating the trigger during reholstering.
3. Hold the gun firmly enough that it won't jar out or fall out of the holster during reasonable activities.
4. Be secure enough on the belt that they don't shift around significantly while being worn.
5. Not add significant bulk or weight to the gun.
6. Not cause unusual amounts of wear or damage to the firearm or clothing.
7. Not be noisy either during normal wear or when drawing the firearm.
8. Protect the firearm to the extent that is reasonable.
9. Be reasonably comfortable to wear.
10. Not manipulate any of the firearm's controls. (e.g. Safety, magazine release, slide stop, trigger.)

For example, the IWB holster I carry with most often has a single flaw that violates/infringes on two of those rules. Both belt-loops are placed at the point of maximum thickness on the holster. This means that they add thickness to the holster at the point of maximum thickness (which violates rule #5) AND that they are close together which reduces the stability of the gun/holster combo (which means that it's not doing as good a job of rule #4 as it could).

Because of rule #6 and #7 I'm not a fan of Kydex. In my experience it causes more wear to the firearm than leather and it is noisier too.

Rule #3 means I'm not a fan of holsters that are made to fit a range of gun models.

Rule #2 means I'm not a fan of most cloth/fabric holsters unless they have an internal stiffening material of some sort.

Rule #4 means I'm not a fan of one size of belt loops/belt slots. I want the loops/slots to fit the belt I'm using tightly so that the holster doesn't slide on the belt once it's in place.

Forward cant, strong side carry works best for me.
 
Danoobie said:
OH, BACK THE TRUCK UP. Did you ask "crossdraw"?
<snip for brevity>
Click to expand...

OK obviously YOU want a crossdraw holster. :neener:

What I've learned so far is different folks want mostly different features.
The single most important common feature mentioned is a sweat shield. Doesn't mean I'm putting one on every holster I intend to make but certainly as an option. Stability on one's belt obviously in important but everybody wears belts of varying widths and thicknesses. (Let's not turn this into a belt thread, OK?)

One thing I've noticed over the years about my own trousers is the size of the belt loops varies according to style and the manufacturer, belt loop size, type (tunnel style as on 5.11 or the thinner conventional width found on jeans) and placement also tends to vary. All of these factors and many others affect the stability of any given holster.

Thanks for the input.
 
Meplat 308 said:
OK obviously YOU want a crossdraw holster.
Click to expand...

Yes, I do, but, judging from the retail market availability, if it is any indicator, the demand for real crossdraw holsters
is EXTREMELY SLIM. BUT if I had to guess, I'd say the average manufacturer is so busy imitating, or outright
copying what their competition is doing that they are too busy to notice WHAT the public is asking for.

Thanks, Stoky but try clearing leather, on a crossdraw, with a 20 degree cant. Or
maybe I should rephrase, and say "can't"...

IMO, JohnK covers most of the basics nicely.
 
Last edited:
I want it to cover the trigger. Not is a non starter for me.
I want it to be molded tight enough so the gun doesn't come out when it's turned upside down.
IMO, 7oz is the minimum weight leather that should be used. 8 or 9 is better, as is shoulder cuts.
I'm ambivalent about retention straps. If they're used they should have a provision for stowing the strap in an "off" position.
 
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