............by not putting the dern gun in a holster to begin with?

Reason im asking is because after a few delays (not on my part) I finally got my LTC card in and will eventually get around to carrying one of my guns-settled on a .1911 .45 for now. Im in no hurry to go out in public and carry but its nice to know im fully legal to do so if I so shall please.

Anyway, one of our good friends here is going to make me a nice holster and a fine price and when he's done-hopefully he'll show off his work of art so the rest of ya can see what his gimpy hands can manufacture.

We are keeping it simple--not because of price-sake-just because I cant think of anything fancy-schmancy to put on it.

If y'all are willing? show off yer carry holsters and maybe that'll give me ideas in the future for giving our friend a bit more business.

Im a leather-ONLY person-don't want that other stuff-though not against it.

Oh and, one of the delays was due to the fact that they got my eyes color wrong-which got fixed-then got my hair color wrong-which will remain unfixed as I already reported it to a few Law-types-and they said it didnt matter. Matter unless--I have brown hair and the I.D. said I have white hair etc.

Don't worry about it. Holster wear is earned. Just don't carry a collector piece.

You might try lining the holster with felt. For me I don't worry about getting holster wear on my daily carry. It isn't for show anyway. As long as it goes bang when needed then I am fine with some holster wear. Safe queens aren't usually carry guns either.

Its a new Auto-Ordnance .45-and Wayne's going to insert some softer leather inside. I just dont want to give any wear on it-unless earned. But many thanks for the reply.

Yes, I would not want eye color to be incorrect but hair color does change so it is less important.

I don't have a lot of holster pictures despite having a lot of holsters so here are two - I use the Dave Workman with my 686+ 4" but I don't even own a Python - I have several of those, no clue where I got them from. Have to get them to a Python guy some day.

If you carry a gun in a holster for any length of time you run the risk of holster wear. If that bothers you then you should not carry an all time favorite, collectible gun in your holster. But a carry gun is designed to be carried. In my world the wear it gets, from whatever, is honest wear and of little importance.

Long term storage should NOT be in leather, obviously, but guns routinely carried, well, they get removed from time to time for other reasons, like cleaning, so they don't get into trouble from long term metal to leather contact.

When you get to your house you can remove the gun from the holster to avoid additional wear. I usually store my carry guns in their holsters. Again, I don't worry about the holster wear.

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	Dave Workman 686.jpg (144.8 KB, 59 views)

Not much you can do to prevent it. Smooth side of the leather against the gun rather than the unfinished side helps..

Unfinished side can catch dirt and stuff and act as an abrasive.

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Eccentric old coot

I was also thinking in that line-or even corduroy as ive had a Walther P-38 holster from WW2-that had it as lining.

That's what I was thinking. The only real collectable handgun I have is my early-made WWII Walther P-38-and its "retired'. The rest are all modern. Ive multiples of my Auto-Ordnances, my Rough Riders and soon will of my Cimmarron "1873 Custers, so I guess it wouldnt "kill" me-to have some-I just hate changing condition of anything I get new. I have a Baretta I also may start carrying-that one I dont mind if it gets wear-but have no leather for it yet.

BTW--those any nicely done holsters...

Any holster use is going to cause some wear.

Probably the best way to minimize wear is to make sure the holster fits the gun properly. If there's any kind of wiggle room the gun's finish will wear faster.

Smooth leather on the inside will help, either as a lining or in a rough-out holster, as will cleaning out the inside of the holster regularly. The problem with soft linings, like suede or rough leather, is that they can trap dirt, which can wear on the gun's finish, and can absorb moisture, which can lead to corrosion.

Another option that I've never tried but have heard helps is to apply a wax coating to your gun. Holster friction will wear on the wax and offer some protection to the gun's finish. Rennaissance Wax is probably the most recommended one I've seen.

I use a Side Guard Holsters Quick Clip IWB holster. It's a simple design, but well-made. Smooth-side leather on the inside. I clean it out periodically and let it air out overnight.

I think Wayne's going to line it with some pig skin? so hopefully that will be of great help. I looked at some at Academy and Wally World yesterday-neither place had anything desirable. WW-stuff felt like rough cheapo-plastic-which is off my list. Anything at Academy was just too expensive for what it was.

I never thought of the wax angle, and thank you. Is there any such thing as -a wax-wipes? like Rem-wipes?

There is a local gun show this weekend and ill be looking for products for things like this.

I don't think so. Like I said, it's not something I've used before. If you do a search of the forums I'm sure you'll come up with plenty of threads on the specifics of how to apply it. It's been discussed many times. Check in this forum or the gunsmithing forum.

The less you draw and re-holster, the less wear to the handgun, but isn't proficiency more important than appearance?

Thanks. I can't speak to the black one but Dave Workman made the brown one a couple of years ago for my 686. Dave is probably still on this Forum but he isn't very active. He writes for some gun magazines and he is the inventor of the "Workman" made by Mitch Rosen and often copied by other holster makers.

Inside the Waistband Holsters | Mitch Rosen Extraordinary Gunleather

(c) Mitch Rosen 2017

Many of the responses skirt around an actual reply to your query. For some reason it is little known that the purpose of detailed hand moulding, aka boning, is to eliminate holster wear. Retention is a secondary bonus. So, look for a holster that is precisely moulded enough that you can recognise the pistol from the outside, when it's empty. :-)

The concept has always been to eliminate the high spots of the pistol, especially revolvers, rubbing inside the holster. I had to explain this to Tony at Sparks, something an 'immersed' maker would have known.

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

Unless you plan to holster/unholster at least twice a day it doesn't matter. You will get wear anyway. It's like asking how to drive without wearing your tires. Can't! Accept it! Move on!

I'd worry more about proficiency then perfect appearance

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

Under no circumstances would I have a holster lined with felt, corderoy, suede or any soft material.

Not only do these materials gather abrasive material and produce abrasions, but they tend to bind and catch on your pistol's high points and interfere with drawing and holstering your pistol.

The only proper lining is leather, smooth side facing the inside of the holster.

Keep in mind that your holster is part of a system.

You should practice extensively with your presentation from the leather (drawing your pistol from the leather). This will inevitably produce wear on the high points of your pistol.

If you can't live with that, leave your pistol at home in a drawer.

As has been said, smooth leather inside, and a perfect fit, both help to
protect finish from wear. A good polymer finish like Wilson's Armor Tuff,
or Karl Sokol's Mountain Tuff will protect your finish through a lot of draws
and re-holsters as well as frequent carry.
Karl finished my 1911 Colt Gold Cup 10 or 15 years ago. I don't see any
wear on it. The holster is by David Keith, here on the forum as keith44spl.
There are others who can give you smooth leather inside, but I happened
to have this picture handy.
BTW the knife is a Case.

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In Omnia Paratus

I made my own for my 1911, and Star Super. I used 7/8 ounce latigo, and then the finished holster was immersed in hot wax. After it absorbed enough hot wax the gun was inserted into the holster with a plastic bag. When finished the holster is formed to the gun, and the gun will get very little wear against the waxed leather. At first use their is some wax on the gun, but that goes away with time. The waxed holster prevents leather salts from corroding the steel. It is also not affected by wet weather, the holster does not retain moisture to cause problems from the wet leather, and salts that then leach onto the gun.

Ringo,
If holster wear bothers you that much, put that pistol
with your other collectables and get a stainless steel pistol.
They will still wear but it's not as noticeable.

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CSM, U S Army(Ret) 1963-1990

Whatever lining your holster has, friction will eventually wear the finish of your 1911. It can be minimized by keeping the holster lining as clean as possible. Residue from a dirty gun acts like sandpaper.

Back when I was on the job, I knew of several folks who used to give their holsters lining a spray with silicone. They claimed it reduced friction and finish wear, and made for a smoother draw, I never tried it, but it seems like it might work?

Larry

Congrats on starting to carry. As stated by several, a properly fitted holster, and make sure you don't have sand in the holster is about all you can do. Personally, I like honest holster wear on a gun. Currently working on a "redneck French boarder" on this one.

Almost all my leather holsters are made by Jason Winnie.

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When I get a new holster and the fit is very tight I usually give
it a blast of silicone and it does let the gun slide in & out easier.

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In Omnia Paratus

Here are some of my favorites:
GALCO Concealable, Havana, Unlined, with Kimber Ultra CDP, 3" .45 ACP.
[IMG][/IMG]
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GALCO Concealable, Black, Unlined, with Kimber Super Carry Ultra, 3" .45 ACP.
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[IMG][/IMG]
GALCO Concealable, Black, Unlined, with Kimber Super Carry Ultra+, 3" .45 ACP.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
GALCO Combat Master, Tan, Unlined, with Kimber Pro CDP, 4" .45 ACP.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]

Note: All of these holsters are unlined; I can't see where carrying has really put a lot of wear on the finish. The first gun in this series, the Ultra CDP has been carried on an almost daily basis for going on seventeen years now. Also, please note, all of these holsters are left handed. That's the way I roll.

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Dave Brown
SWCA #3279

[QUOTE=the ringo kid;139784099]I never thought of the wax angle, and thank you. Is there any such thing as -a wax-wipes? like Rem-wipes?

I just keep a soft rag in a can on Johnson's paste wax--several,in fact, since I also wipe down hand tools and table saw tables, etc., every time they are used.

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de minimus non curat lex

Here's what a soft lined holster will do to your gun. I will admit that carrying it for 13 years and drawing it 10 times before going on duty everyday of those 13 years may have had something to do with it.

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Eccentric old coot

It doesn't matter what your holster is lined with or made out of. Holster wear comes from dust in the air that settles on the inside of your holster, essentially forming a very fine sandpaper. Leather, felt, kydex, etc are all much more soft than any compound that serves as firearm coating.. Extremely fine silicon and quartz however, are not.

Nothing wrong with leather linings, for finish wear. They are a nullity, in fact, vs a modern holster made of cowhide or horsehide without lining because the flesh side is always finished smoothly by the tanner. Yesterday I received a 50 year old Bucheimer and its flesh side is smooth as. I only line my holsters because every customer requests it.

"Right on" about soft leather holsters. 50 years ago we makers began the shift to deep moulding with hot- air drying to harden the leather for best release and least wear on the finish -- yet I still see forum posts asking how to soften their holster, as if it were a baseball glove (which does need to flex).

Most holster buyers know only what they've heard. And some makers, too. But the really experienced makers understand both the history, and the science: line it if you like, demand high definition moulding with a stiff construction (best when hot-air dryed but few makers will tell you what they do for fear of losing your business).

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

Any handgun I own has been in and out of a holster except the target 44's and 38's.
Why would anyone care on a handgun that is for protection if it has some wear?
Just think of the men who used there revolver as a hammer if needed on a fence post....
A tool is to be used, not held as something to be looked at and admired..

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

Two things.

First, as some her have touched on, it isn’t necessarily the leather or kydex that really wears a finish as much as it is the dirt or dust that gets trapped in the holster. Holster fit plays a part as well. These are a couple of reasons that I prefer to use kydex. They are formed to fit the gun properly and I can wash them in the kitchen sink with warm, soapy water and they’re good to go.

Second, one reason I prefer to carry a polymer pistol (Glock is my preference but an M&P, XD, Sig P320, etc. would work) is because they are a dime a dozen, have no soul or character, and are easily replaceable. Not only do I not care much if they get a little wear but in the unfortunate event I ever had to use it and if it ended up locked away as evidence during an investigation then I wouldn’t be totally heartbroken. I guess what I mean is it’s easier to see a $450 Glock being used as a tool than your favorite, blued $1,000 1911.

For a lot of people, the felt lining does more harm than good, because it tends to RETAIN dirt and other small abrasive particles that would fall on down to the bottom of the holster if the inside surface was somewhat glazed and smooth.

It is but I want to try to maintain as much as possible too. Its a thing with me as a collector even though I don't intend on this gun to be a collectors item. I am the same way with books, Militaria etx.

Makes good sense, and I'm confident Wayne has made enough to be good on these. I'm hoping to have funds a few months after, to get him to make at least two more holsters for me-for an 1873 SAA Revolver-then my Baretta. I would like the Baretta to be the main carry gun-just wanted the 1911 as the first though. :-))

I guess its a good thing I have two of these-one ill keep mint, same goes for the others. Scratch the above on only two more holsters-I think ill ask Wayne to make me three more in the future. two for revolvers of diff calibers-and two for magazine-fed.

Carry a SS 1911.. shows less.

Its not a big prob, and it'll be lined with soft leather. The material idea stemmed from an original WWII German Walther P-38 holster I had that was issued to their border police-which was corduroy material. The thing that I always thought of on material-is that I figured it would soak up too much oil from the gun itself-not thinking the gun could catch on the material.

Thank you for the above-as well as the photo of his nice work of art.

Thanks and-it does bother me but not enough not to use one of my Auto Ordnance 1911s. Ill just use the one I like the least-whose finish isn't exactly what I liked-but still not bad. I have two of everything I want holsters for-except for my Baretta.

Thank you Larry, and I will be asking questions about that at the gun shw this week end. There are always several "experts"/dealers there hawking the stuff.

Thank you, and that little bit of wear wouldn't upset me. I guess if it eventually did, I could always get it coated....

Heh heh, glad I have two of each so-it'll be easier to get over my collectors mint attitude. Ive had it ever since collecting comic books, Militaria and the like.

What is Kydex BTW? I'm not hip to non-collectors terminology.

Can't, all I have are two A.O. 1911 A-1s. Next on the list when affordable-are two Thompsons (marked Thompson) then probably Rock Island.

I traded for a SS Kimber. The original owner took what looked like a hand held grinder to the slide. I sanded it flat with oil and up to 600 grit, then brushed it one direction with 220.

Came out great and I don't care about how I handle it. I can always touch it up.

Oh, and the trade deal cost me $470. Man's gotta do what it takes.

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I traded for a SS Kimber. The original owner took what looked like a hand held grinder to the slide. I sanded it flat with oil and up to 600 grit, then brushed it one direction with 220.

Came out great and I don't care about how I handle it. I can always touch it up.

Oh, and the trade deal cost me $470. Man's gotta a do what it takes.

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I was told a long time ago by a old family friend that was a LEO .
Carry what ever you want, that you shoot well, works always, and most important, You can afford to lose, Because even in a justified shooting, it's going in to evidence till the investigation is all over, They don't wipe down with oil and keep it a nice gun rug, it's going in a box,maybe with a case number written on it with a electronic engraver. Seen it happen , It's going away for a long time and in some places them won't return it without a Judges order,so now you have to get a Lawyer to start that,and we all know they don't come cheap. just carry a gun that you can treat like a hammer in your toolbox.

That's where tupperware guns come into play.. Not much of a loss if the cops leave it laying in evidence for a couple of years.

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Eccentric old coot

get some leather lube from al rosin it conditions and no staining

Not sure if you’re being serious or if you’re ribbing me for being a non-collector or whatever. Either way I’ll answer just in case.

Kydex is basically plastic. I know you mentioned in your original post that you were a “leather only” kind of a guy and I totally get the appreciation for a quality leather holster. Personally, I’ve really gone away from leather because I find the kydex stuff easier to maintain, retains the handgun better, and should outlast a leather holster. While I have dozens of kydex holsters that I’ve purchased, here are a couple that I’ve made for myself.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2017...fff7a0895a.png

I really like that J holster.

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597