Question about lining a holster

[DJole]

A friend of mine wants me to make a Hand of God holster for his period-style revolver. 

He would like it to be lined, to protect the metal from scratches and such.

You folks out there who are experienced holster makers, what materials would you use to line it?

[Dwight]

Generally speaking . . . I cut a mirror image of the outside . . . glue the two together . . . they become the holster . . . both pieces from the same cow . . . same hide . . . usually right next to each other.

Suede liners tend to pick up oil and grease from the gun . . . then grit and dust from the air . . . become sandpaper inside the holster.  Don't use suede.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Daffy]

I like non chrome tanned pigskin, flesh to flesh glued. Not a fan of suede for the same reasons as above.

[JLSleather]

Use FIRM leather, cowhide works, or I really like veg tanned goat (which is very tight grained and firm).  That said, here's a bit longer discussion on that ...

"back in the day", chrome tanned leather was avoided because of the reaction of chemicals used in the tanning and the finishes on guns (specifically blued guns).  Both of those have changed over a couple of decades, so maybe not such an issue.

As for 'suede', the underside of leather - as in grain removed - is "suede" leather.  So any unlined holster is "suede" on the inside (consider the term "rough out", and maybe clear that up for ya  ).  But again, at one point most "suede" sold was chrome-tanned, so... same as above.  Only difference is that some STILL think that "suede" means chrome tanned.

So there's a couple thoughts for food.

To answer the specific question, I often use holster/tooling leather on both inside and out.  Like if I wanted a 9/10 oz holster, I might well use 4/5 oz inside and out, from the same hide.  This is sort of accepted weight for the type of holster you want to make - many of mine are a bit lighter... more like double 3/4 or 4/5 lined with 3/4.  One thought (note) here -- it's fairly common to see people using the softer or less cosmetic parts of a hide for the inside.  WHile this seems "economical", I do not recommend it.  In fact, I generally don't use belly leather at all.

Are you TOOLING this holster?  Are you adding hardware to it?  These might also affect the weight of leather(s) you choose.  So then --  

the first pics show a TOOLED holster (Ruger Redhawk in this case) which was a 7/8 cowhide outer, tooled, lined with a 2/3 goat ... maybe you can see the difference in the grain here.

The second pic more acurately shows the finished color... seems the chrome finish made my camera adjust

 

 

The black blue dummy was done with two layers of 4/5, since the design was not detailed and she wanted it black inside and out so I used drum dyed black cowhide (W/C skirting leather).  The Glock holster done the same way, only using 4 oz leather for both leathers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one, for a 686 S/W, got a 6/7 outer with a 2/3 lining since the only reason for the liner was to cover the inside of the metal snap to prevent  marring the gun finish.

 

And the Glock 27 holster was done with 4/5  for the carving, lined with 3 oz to end up right around 8 oz total (if I remember right, it was just under 8 oz).  Again, this had thumb break hardware the gun wanted covered.

Edited February 25, 2023 by JLSleather