Where can I get some decent holster leather?

[jgradyc]

My current homemade IWB holster is far more comfortable than any other holster I've worn so I'm going to make a couple more for myself and one of my friends. 

 

I'm going to make them with Kydex and leather.  I'm going to use chocolate brown leather and black carbon fiber kydex. That should be a nice look.  I'm buying two sets of screws. I'm going to try golden brass screws, first. I think it will look pretty sharp and definitely different. If it looks tacky, it's easy enough to switch to black screws.

 

I'm trying to track down all the various parts. www.KnifeKits.com has everything I want, but they're out of the leather color I was looking for.  

 

Where can I get some decent dark brown leather? I do NOT want heavy, stiff leather, but I don't want it floppy soft either.  Almost all the IWB commercial holsters are too stiff for my taste.

 

Suggestions?

[gregintenn]

Have you looked at Tandy Leather in Antioch?

[jgradyc]

I didn't know it existed. I'll try to get by there in the next couple of weeks. It's too far to make a special trip just for a couple of pieces of leather. 

Edited May 26, 2015 by jgradyc

[MacGyver]

There's a good vendor on Amazon called Dangerous Threads that sells a lot of leather scraps that are of good quality.  While their physical shop is out on White Bridge Road, I often find it easier to just order it on Amazon Prime and have it in hand in two days.

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_dp_s_web_2617941011?ie=UTF8&field-brandtextbin=Dangerous+Threads&node=2617941011

[JPS]

 The Tandy store on Nolensville Pike has either moved or gone out of business...

[MacGyver]

 The Tandy store on Nolensville Pike has either moved or gone out of business...

They've moved over to Donelson Rd. by the airport.  It's a much bigger, nicer store.  Same weird staff though :)

[china coaster]

  I have been able to find some good sized scraps at Hobby Lobby in Hermitage  plus they usually have bags of leather strips to use for tie downs and lace.

[Dolomite_supafly]

A couple of tips. I try to use extremely lightweight leather. Then I wash it using hot water and Dawn soap. I will do the wash, rinse, repeat cycle 2-3 times. What this does is make the leather very Kydex like. It sounds and is as stiff as Kydex.

 

I also use a vacuum sealer for food to mold my leather. Just make sure to vacuum seal the gun first so you don't end up with a bunch of moisture in the gun.

[gregintenn]

I didn't know it existed. I'll try to get by there in the next couple of weeks. It's too far to make a special trip just for a couple of pieces of leather. 

No it isn't. You'll want to look around while your there, and ask some questions as well.

[R1100R]

Tandy has moved over to Harding,  across the street from Sam's Club.

 

 

405 Harding Industrial Dr.
Nashville, TN 37211
USA

[MacGyver]

No it isn't. You'll want to look around while your there, and ask some questions as well.

Yep, it's worth stopping in. Unlike their sister company Radio Shack - which just went out of business - I've never left Tandy Leather without learning something I didn't know when I walked in.

[jgradyc]

A couple of tips. I try to use extremely lightweight leather. Then I wash it using hot water and Dawn soap. I will do the wash, rinse, repeat cycle 2-3 times. What this does is make the leather very Kydex like. It sounds and is as stiff as Kydex.

 

I also use a vacuum sealer for food to mold my leather. Just make sure to vacuum seal the gun first so you don't end up with a bunch of moisture in the gun.

I had never considered a leather holster. They were always too thick. This sounds interesting.  How light is "extremely lightweight leather?" Is it in the 5-6 oz range? I honestly don't even know what 5-6 oz or 8-9 oz even means when it comes to leather. I assume there are YouTube videos on how to do this, right? 

 

EDIT: Oops, I misspoke. I meant I never considered leather for an IWB holster. Wouldn't the molded leather get sweaty and soft when worn IWB?

Edited May 26, 2015 by jgradyc

[jgradyc]

There's a good vendor on Amazon called Dangerous Threads that sells a lot of leather scraps that are of good quality.  While their physical shop is out on White Bridge Road, I often find it easier to just order it on Amazon Prime and have it in hand in two days.

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_dp_s_web_2617941011?ie=UTF8&field-brandtextbin=Dangerous+Threads&node=2617941011

Thanks. I go down White Bridge almost every Saturday, so I'll check this place out. 

[BigK]

I had never considered a leather holster. They were always too thick. This sounds interesting.  How light is "extremely lightweight leather?" Is it in the 5-6 oz range? I honestly don't even know what 5-6 oz or 8-9 oz even means when it comes to leather. I assume there are YouTube videos on how to do this, right? 

 

EDIT: Oops, I misspoke. I meant I never considered leather for an IWB holster. Wouldn't the molded leather get sweaty and soft when worn IWB?

 

I've made a bunch of those kydex/leather hybrid IWB holsters. I only used 5-6 oz leather once, because I had a Chicago screw holding a clip pop through the leather on me. I was able to fix it by using a wide hard rubber washer. Luckily it was a freebie for a friend at work and not for a paying customer. He specifically asked for thinner leather, so I tried it. Won't waste my time with leather that thin again for that style of holster. Hardware, like screws, puts too much stress on the fibers.

[mmirob]

Most leather holstermakers use 7/8oz veg tanned leather.  You really dont want chrome tanned (garment leather) against a firearm.  It will corrode steel.

[Guest PCH&T LLC]

Blue gun store has leather and pre cut leather backers. They can stitch with various colors and stains.

[Dolomite_supafly]

The leather I use is not much thicker than kydex.

I mold the leather, front and back, with a curvature to fit around the body. I let the two halves dry separately for 2-3 days. Then I trim off the excess leather. Then I spray adhesive on both sides of the leather then vacuum it again. I leave it vacuum sealed overnight to ensure a tight bond between the two pieces. Then I mark, punch and hand sew the two halves together. And finally I seal the leather completely and in five years of constant wear the leather is still stiff.

Everyone has there own way of doing things. No one way is the right or wrong way.