Made my first kydex holster!

[Slow Hand]

I've heard Kydex doesn't cause holster wear.. True or False?

I would say false, personally. Any holster will wear on a gun eventually. Most finish wear caused by leather holsters is caused by a poor fitting design. If a gun rides in a loose fitting holster, it is constantly rocking back and forth and will wear on the finish. Same could be true with kydex. Kydex holsters, by design, fit very snug to the pistol, so it should eliminate part of that problem. They will however cause more wear in the draw stroke due to the tight fit. Most metal finishes are much tougher than kydex and it will take quite a bit of use before wear becomes an issue, though. I have heard one thing I watch out for with kydex is that dirt and grit can become imbedded in the holster and that will cause accelerated wear on a guns finish. Good thing about kydex is that if you know it has gotten grubby, you can have at it with soap and water and an old toothbrush and clean it out much better than a leather holster.

 

[Slow Hand]

Working on an IWB for my Glock 19 with a TLR3. Just need to dye the leather belt loop black to match but that will have to wait until we get home.

 

[db1959]

Maybe I missed it but where do you get your supplies?

Nice looking holsters you made!

 

[Slow Hand]

KnifeKits.com : Designer Knife Kits - Knife Making Supplies - Knife Making Tools

I'm sure there are other things you may need to make holsters but they have supplied everything hit experience so far!!

 

[ItIsWhatItIs]

I have a kydex iwb and I love it. GenoTac out of Louisville made it for me and its great. Comfortable, tuckable, great concealment, and great draw.

 

[Slow Hand]

Here's a set up I made for an old freind in Ohio earlier this week:

Looking forward to him getting it to see how he likes it.

 

[karoozin]

You did an amazing job, and no shiny areas from overheating! looks good!

 

[Slow Hand]

Spent a little time playing today...

This is still fun!

 

[7.62asprin]

Looks cool.

 

[jacob.white27]

I recently got into making kydex holsters as well and already getting guys wanting them...It is a fantastic hobby for me

 

[Slow Hand]

Kydex isn't just for Glocks!!

3" Taurus .22 magnum. Should be a good holster for range and field carry and seemed to conceal pretty well, too.

 

[BravoMike]

Slow Hand, your holsters look great!

I have been wanting to make a kydex holster as well and was hoping you could answer a few questions. What tools do I need that are specific to making a kydex holster? Second, I have an M&P, should I buy a bluegun or is there no risk in melting/deforming the polymer? Also, I like the pancake style. How do you cut those holes and how do you mold them to fit a thick gun belt?

 

[Slow Hand]

Slow Hand, your holsters look great!

I have been wanting to make a kydex holster as well and was hoping you could answer a few questions. What tools do I need that are specific to making a kydex holster? Second, I have an M&P, should I buy a bluegun or is there no risk in melting/deforming the polymer? Also, I like the pancake style. How do you cut those holes and how do you mold them to fit a thick gun belt?

First, thanks for the kind words!

The main 'kydex specific' tool is a press. I made mine out of some plywood, a section of piano hinge and a 2x4. Mine is 12" square and has four layers of Armaflex sheet insulation (like the black foam pipe insulation but in sheet form).

Basically I figure out what size kydex I'll need and cut it with a razor knife. Put it in the oven at 350 degrees for a minute or less. If it gets too hot, it will start to smell and the kydex will roll up at the edges. You want it basically like a piece of bologna. For a pancake, put one piece down on the press, set the item where you want it and put the other piece of kydex on top. Close the press and clamp it shut for a couple of minutes to cool. Take the gun and kydex out after it has cooled and look it over. Decide where you want rivets and belt loops. Take one half of the holster and drill out two rivet holes. I then put the gun between the two pieces of kydex to line it up and mark the holes. Drill them out and rivet the holster together. Guess I should mention the rivets and setting tool now (available from knifekits.com along with everything else); you will need them as well. Those two rivets will lock the pieces together and will allow you to lay out the rest of your holes and drill through both pieces at the same time, insuring they line up.

For the integral belt loops, I drill holes top and bottom and then connect them with a coping saw. Use a file and sandpaper to smooth the slot out. after I finish shaping the holster and smoothing it all out, I heat the loop sections up with a heat gun and insert a steel bar I have and flex them back a bit.

So far, I've used the actual item to form the kydex and have had great luck. It only warms the item up a bit, from heat transfer because you are not actually putting your gun, or mags or whatever in the oven. I have heard some guys use a heat gun and form the kydex by hand. I guess it works, but it seems like it would take forever and still not come out with a great finished product. There are some other tricks I have learned after making quite a few holsters now. If you are near the West side of Indy, get ahold of me. You are welcome to come over and see the process in person

 

[Slow Hand]

Some fun little projects lately... Picked up a Leatherman Fuse without a sheath. No problem!

A freind wanted a belt slide style hater for his Glock 19 with a Chrimson Trace trigger guard flashlight. Took a little creativity but it seemed to work out pretty well...

 

[lonehoosier]

You should think about hosting a kydex work shop.

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...shop_sunday_december_2_2012_a.html?highlight=

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...shop_sunday_december_2_2012_a.html?highlight=

 

[Slow Hand]

Another fun project that took some thinking...

 

[kyotekilr]

I just picked up a kydex g19 holster from slow hand over the weekend. It is very professionally done, looks great, comfortable and affordable. I would highly recommend his work. In fact, I am getting ready to pm him about a g22 holster right now. So if you are in the market check him out

 

[Slow Hand]

Wow, realized it has been a looong time since I've put anything new up. Here are a few recent projects

Glock 19 with an RMR and weaponlight





M&P 9 with an RMR, weaponlight and a threaded barrel in Carbon Fiber with Raven soft loops



M&P 9 holster with a TLR-1 and double mag pouch in Multicam








This is a competition holster I made for a young man's Glock 19 using a Tek Lok belt loop system








Here's a nice knife sheath for a big ole' Busse







A simple little IWB for a Shield with a clip





Some horizontal carry Knife sheaths

 

[Slow Hand]

Some other fun ones...

Ruger SR9c with a cool patriotic theme








A couple of purple ones for a J frame Smith







And, some more milticam!

 

[rhino]

You're doing some excellent work, sir!