Beltslide Holster For Kahr PM45

[Randyc]

I built this beltslide holster for my Kahr PM45 yesterday. It's made from 6/7 oz. Hermann Oak cowhide. I think this weight leather is much easier to wet form and detail bone as compared to the 8/9 oz, leather I had used for my last Glock holster. I liked the way the natural color looked and decided to leave it natural. I finished this one with Tan Kote to protect the leather. I'll wear this one next weekend to check for comfort and fitment. In the meantime, I want to clean up the belt slits a bit, then this one should be good to go. All comments are welcome.

Thanks Randy

Edited December 17, 2008 by Randyc

[MikePatterson]

Nice holster I really like the cant. Moulding looks good. Super choice in weapon I wear a PM9 16 hrs. a day very easy carry weapon.

Later Mike

[WaG35]

That is very nice Randy. I agree, I like the natural too.

Edited December 17, 2008 by WaG35

[CodeJockey]

Do you think the 6/7 oz leather will be as comfortable as the 8/9 oz leather? I'm about to attempt my first holster, and I can't decide what weight to go with.

[Randyc]

Do you think the 6/7 oz leather will be as comfortable as the 8/9 oz leather? I'm about to attempt my first holster, and I can't decide what weight to go with.

The Kahr PM series are polymar framed pistols, so their light compared to steel frame pistols. The 6/7 oz. leather has also worked out well for my pocket holsters and S&W J Frame airweight pistols. I like the molding capabilities of the 6/7 oz. for lighter pistols. I'm going to try the lighter weight leather in a full size government .45 and see how that goes.

If anyone else cares to interject their opinions, please feel free.

Randy

[dbusarow]

I've been using 6/7 oz for all my holsters so far and don't see any reason to go heavier. As far as comfort, the thinner the better in my mind. I carried a 5" 1911 for several days trying out my first 1911 pancake and it felt as good as the G19 I normally carry.

Dan

[TwinOaks]

...but you sewed it up BACKWARDS!!! It's supposed to be on the OTHER side

Seriously...that's a very nice looking rig. Is the leather that color naturally or have you done something to it?

[Randyc]

...but you sewed it up BACKWARDS!!! It's supposed to be on the OTHER side

Seriously...that's a very nice looking rig. Is the leather that color naturally or have you done something to it?

Being a southpaw, building left handed holsters comes pretty easy for me. Now, I really have to strain the left side of my brain to plan out a right handed holster.

All I used on that one was Tan-Kote. My over jealous boning and probably too wet of leather resulted in the dark spots inside the trigger guard and ejection port. Those dark spots are really highlighted with my below average photography skills. I'm trying to get away from black, black, and more black holsters. I haven't had much luck with the Fieblings tan, light and medium brown dies straight out of the bottle, but I've been able to make a nice shade of tan by mixing Fieblings light brown with alcohol. In working with natural or tan, I've learned to keep my hands and work area clean which is probably a good thing.

Here's another shot of my Glock beltslide finished in my own shade of tan. This one's has become my favorite daily on duty holser

[Lobo]

Beautiful workmanship, sir. Your execution of this piece demonstrates top notch skills.

You asked for comments, so I will comment only on the basic design of the holster. I like to keep the area around the pistol grip as open as possible so the a proper "shooting grip" can be achieved during the draw. Otherwise, the pistol will require shifting in the hand prior to use. I have attached a photo of my basic pancake style with the Kahr P40 in it to show what I mean.

By lowering the line of the holster at the rear belt slot area we can allow the hand better access to the pistol grip during the draw.

My holster is made from 8-9 oz shoulder which, as you have noted, does not mold as easily as the 6-7 oz leather. But the second photo shows that my holster is tightly fitted enough that the fully-loaded P40 will not fall out when held upside down. Even though the molding does not show as clearly on the outside of the leather, the leather is molded to the pistol on the inside of the holster.

As always, my opinions are free and worth every penny!

Again, excellent job.

[Randyc]

Lobo

Thanks for your comments and kind words. My 8/9 oz. leather holsters are boned close enough to retain the loaded pistol when the holster is held upside down. By experimenting with 6/7 oz. leather, I hope to achieve the "jumps out at you" detail boning demonstrated by Bruce Gibson, Jeff (Boomstick), Shorts and other makers on this forum.

Randy

[Shorts]

Randy, that color you've mixed up with the browns is beautiful.

I'm with Mike, you sewed it all backwards

For the boning, it'll come the more you do it. It's almost like a catch 22 - to get crisp lines you'll need to use a rounded flat edge, like a butter knife shaped smooth piece of plastic/acrylic/antler/metal etc. But when you're first boning with leather you do your darndest not to scratch it with anything and use rounded smooth tools to work. To get the marks all in the right place, you'll have to go to a finer-edged instrument....like the precision butter knife

Here's my shank..err, boning tool. I formed it out of a strip of acrylic