"Hard" Lined Holsters

[JazzBass]

Many fast draw and competition holsters are lined with steel between the layers of leather, or (since CFDA prohibits steel liners), rawhide. I've also heard of Kydex being used.

I have a rather radical "skeletonized" design for a holster that will absolutely need some form of hard liner.

Does anyone have experience doing these types of rigs?
This is a design that requires those skills, just to "prototype" it, to see if it works as designed. Any suggestions as to the procedure, will be greatly appreciated!

[immiketoo]

If you already have a pattern, adding a steel insert should be relatively easy to adjust.  I use galvanized steel in mine because its firm, thin and malleable.  Kydex is a pita but doable if you have the skills.  Usually, you just add a stiffener between leather layers, but if you wanted to , you could build the whole rig in metal and cover with leather.

[JazzBass]

Thanks, Mike, Maybe I'm overthinking this, having never tried it before.

32 minutes ago, immiketoo said:

If you already have a pattern, adding a steel insert should be relatively easy to adjust.  I use galvanized steel in mine because its firm, thin and malleable.  Kydex is a pita but doable if you have the skills.  Usually, you just add a stiffener between leather layers, but if you wanted to , you could build the whole rig in metal and cover with leather.

Yes...but how?
Assuming steel, is it generally glued inside the layers while flat, then formed?
If the liner is formed first, then covered, does one use damp ,mouldable leather, or dry, finished leather?
I worry about being able to cover a pre-shaped insert smoothly, using contact cement that sticks rather permanently, when covering complex shapes.

Again, I may be overthinking it - guess I should just "wing it" and learn from the mistakes. (gee...what a concept!)

[Dwight]

If you take the rawhide and get it right real good sopping wet, . . . it can be molded, . . . then dried, . . . a piece of veggie tan can then be wet down, . . . molded to the rawhide, . . . and when it dries, . . . contact cemented to the rawhide.

I had a knife sheath a couple years back I did that to, . . . only didn't use veggie tan, . . . used suede, . . . if I say so myself, it was brilliant and worked like a charm.  Guy who got it was happy as a squirrel in a bucket full of nuts.

That rawhide will make one stiff holster.  Also, . . . force dry the veggie tan at about 135 F, . . . and it will harden it up as well.

The hardest holster I ever made was a pancake made out of 4 layers of 6/7 veggie tan, . . . 2 layers (flesh to flesh) made the back, . . . and 2 layers (flesh to flesh) made the front.  Once molded and dried, . . . I think you could knock a guy out with it if you threw it like a frisbee.

The knife sheath is below:

May God bless,

Dwight

[immiketoo]

6 hours ago, JazzBass said:

Thanks, Mike, Maybe I'm overthinking this, having never tried it before.

Yes...but how?
Assuming steel, is it generally glued inside the layers while flat, then formed?
If the liner is formed first, then covered, does one use damp ,mouldable leather, or dry, finished leather?
I worry about being able to cover a pre-shaped insert smoothly, using contact cement that sticks rather permanently, when covering complex shapes.

Again, I may be overthinking it - guess I should just "wing it" and learn from the mistakes. (gee...what a concept!)

With the galvanized steel, you would most likely be looking at an avenger style holster or one that is folded at the sight channel.  The reason steel is nice is that's malleable.  You can lay it flat, carve your leather, stitch it inside and then curve it to the shape you want already tooled and stitched.  The glue and stitch line will keep it in place.  It is a process of exploration for you and there is only one way to do it.  Prototyping and as you said, to wing it.  IT doesn't change the overall design much, but it opens a lot of doors.

2 hours ago, Dwight said:

If you take the rawhide and get it right real good sopping wet, . . . it can be molded, . . . then dried, . . . a piece of veggie tan can then be wet down, . . . molded to the rawhide, . . . and when it dries, . . . contact cemented to the rawhide.

I had a knife sheath a couple years back I did that to, . . . only didn't use veggie tan, . . . used suede, . . . if I say so myself, it was brilliant and worked like a charm.  Guy who got it was happy as a squirrel in a bucket full of nuts.

That rawhide will make one stiff holster.  Also, . . . force dry the veggie tan at about 135 F, . . . and it will harden it up as well.

The hardest holster I ever made was a pancake made out of 4 layers of 6/7 veggie tan, . . . 2 layers (flesh to flesh) made the back, . . . and 2 layers (flesh to flesh) made the front.  Once molded and dried, . . . I think you could knock a guy out with it if you threw it like a frisbee.

The knife sheath is below:

May God bless,

Dwight

Have to agree with Dwight here, 4 layers of molded veg tan can be very solid, and it will take a lot of abuse.  I hadn't thought about rawhide.  Good call!

[JazzBass]

@Dwight Thanks for the tips on rawhide as well. I knew that there could be issues with different drying times with veg, so what you said makes a lot of sense - mold and dry the rawhide, then mold the leather to it.

@immiketoo Thanks for the clearer explanation on using steel.

I'll just have to experiment to see which materials work better on my somewhat crazy idea for the design.