What Weight Leather For Holsters?

[shug]

I have been using 7_8oz leather for my holsters but am wondering if i should use a heavier hide?i would appreciate viewpoints on this,also,is the term roughout just the flesh side on the outside of the holster and what is the benefit of this?thanks.

[snubbyfan]

Generally I use 9-10 ounce for holsters depends on what it's for.

This holster's 9-10 ounce. The reinforcement piece is 7-8 ounce and the retention strap's 9-10 ounce.

7-8 ounce rough side out for this pocket holster.

That's to help it stay in the pocket when the gun's drawn.

[Dwight]

I have been using 7_8oz leather for my holsters but am wondering if i should use a heavier hide?i would appreciate viewpoints on this,also,is the term roughout just the flesh side on the outside of the holster and what is the benefit of this?thanks.

I have been using 7_8oz leather for my holsters but am wondering if i should use a heavier hide?i would appreciate viewpoints on this,also,is the term roughout just the flesh side on the outside of the holster and what is the benefit of this?thanks.

One of my favorite IWB holsters for a full size 1911 is 4/5 oz.

The only ones I make that are over 9 oz thick, . . . are all two layers, . . . made John Bianchi style.

I find that the treatment of the leather is far more important than how much skin is there.

As for roughout, . . . it is generally used to keep the holster outside from being too slick and moving around, . . . to look like a spaghetti western cowboy, . . . or in some cases, to be a bit more gentle on the weapon. The hair side will not absorb oil, grit and grime like the flesh side will do, . . . becoming an inadvertent sanding machine, . . . working on your weapon's finish.

May God bless,

Dwight

[mlapaglia]

Rough out is also what you make when you cut a left hand pattern and you need a right hand holster. Ask me how I know

[Boriqua]

Rough out is also what you make when you cut a left hand pattern and you need a right hand holster. Ask me how I know

That is REALLY funny!! So true

To the OP .. You kind of have to base it to some degree on the gun you are making the holster for. When I started I always used 9/10. Its really thick ... terrible to try and bone and breaking it in can be a bear. I then discovered that putting a sub in a 9/10 oz holster made the holster heavier than the gun. In general I use 8/9 oz for most of my pancake holsters for your most common 4-5 inch guns but I will go heavier or lighter depending on the gun I am making the holster for. I just finished a holster for an 8 inch ruger redhawk and I used 6/7 oz lined with 4/5 oz. I did a Rami and used 6/7 only. But like I said ..8/9 has been my go to for most unlined work for the last 3 years.

8/9 ounce for 1911

9/10 on the twins because of the extra length

6/7 for this little cz

and 6/7 laminated to 4/5 for this beast. It was hard to hold up with one hand so I wanted it built ford tough

Edited November 9, 2015 by Boriqua

[JLSleather]

I use quite a bit of 7/8. 6/7 for a pocket holster (or even 5/6 on a bitty one), and 8/9 or heavier for some larger models.

And the comment about rough outs really IS funny I would of course never do that, and tha's my story an im stickin to it.

[chiefjason]

I use 8-9 sides. But I'll cut the holsters for smaller guns lower on the side to use the thinner leather too. Larger guns get cut from the spine. Particularly the back side of the holster.

[druid]

I used 14 oz on this one:

I had that leather laying around from another project and decided I'd try it. It's a bit of a beast to mold and even worse to stitch. I had to drill the stitching holes because my awl is too thick and makes a gargantuan hole when you try to get through the other side.

This leather would take tooling/carving very well but since it's actually a personal concealment holster, I'm fine with it being plain.

[joli]

Hello Gentlemen. May I rephrase the question of the original poster?

What leather thickness would you masters use for IWB Holsters?

What leather thickness would you use for OWB Holsters?

(Photos grabbed online.)