Horsehide ?

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walkinghorse

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You see posts about how strong and durable horsehide is for holsters.
How does that work, cause when still on the horse, it sure isn't durable! 😞
Seems to tear awfully easy on just about everything while still on the horse! 😥
Don't know about mulehide, and haven't heard about a mule hide holster?
The mules I have been around look like they have the same hide as a horse?
 
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Horses are cute. I would only use horsehide if it were from a horse that died of natural causes.
 
The really tough horsehide is found back in the rear.
It's called Cordovan.
It don't take to dying and is only found in a few colors.
Mostly used to make men's shoes, not sure about holsters.
Real cordovan and cordovan colored shoes are worn by one particular branch of the US Military.
Way back when, I had a pair of Cordovans.
Only worn when in the Mufti, I wasn't in that Branch.

Shell cordovan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
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I cannot answer to why this is so, but my holster maker has ceased offering horsehide due to what he calls inferior quality. I do know that in our region of Texas the ban on horse slaughter facilities has not been good for horses.

The lack of a humane place to dispose of old and unwanted horses has led to increased cases of neglect. Some folks who can no longer support a horse have gone so far as to just turn them out. Sadly, the report of finding starving horses appears on the DFW TV news outlets with disturbing regularity.

As far as I know, I have never consumed horse meat, but I'm afraid the effort to end horse slaughter has resulted in more suffering, not less.
 
Supposedly the most durable leather commercially available is ostrich leather.
 
A dozen or so years ago I bought an outfit made of Horsehide Leather from Kramer Leather Co. It is for my CCW M60-7 and gets used every week - at least a few times per week. I have a few pics and as you can see it STILL looks new! It has not been "babied" and the only thing I have ever done to it was to give it a polish with some good ole' Kiwi Shoe Polish (maybe once every 3 or 4 years).

It has proven to be the toughest, most durable holster, ammo carrier and belt I have ever owned - no exceptions!!

For CCW I would never but another Cowhide holster. The combo you see here ran me about $300 bucks - give or take, and while certainly not cheap I'd order one again in a heart beat if I decided to change CCW guns.

When I originally heard about Horsehide I was skeptical but after 12 or so years I am a TRUE believer in the stuff. Not only is this product incredible but Kramer Leather is TOP TOP NOTCH! :D
 

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Milt Sparks covers the difference, in detail, in his FAQ's. Below are a few excerpts.
One of the more notable properties of horsehide is its natural ability to repel moisture. This is due to the dense cell structure of the hide thus limiting its porosity. This natural ability to repel moisture makes it very useful for certain applications, particularly for use inside the waistband.

Unlike with cowhide, horsehides non-porous nature reduces its ability to fully absorb the casing solution during the forming process, making it much more difficult to get good crisp detail of the weapon when molding around the gun.


On the durability issue there has been much BS circulating on the mythical wear characteristics of horsehide. I will not argue that a well made horsehide holster will give you many years and possibly a lifetime of good service, but with proper care a good cowhide holster will last just as long.
Click to expand...
Questions | Milt Sparks Holsters

I own a few of his products, both CH & HH and they're all top notch.
 
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JayFramer said:
Horses are cute. I would only use horsehide if it were from a horse that died of natural causes.
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That's an admirable sentiment, but unfortunately, there isn't usually any way to tell how the horse died.

STCM(SW) said:
What difference does that make???
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Some people prefer that animals not be killed just so someone can have a fancy holster. I feel the same way about alligator, croc, ostrich, and kangaroo, just to mention four animals that come immediately to mind.
 
walkinghorse said:
You see posts about how strong and durable horsehide is for holsters.
How does that work, cause when still on the horse, it sure isn't durable! ��
Seems to tear awfully easy on just about everything while still on the horse! ��
Don't know about mulehide, and haven't heard about a mule hide holster?
The mules I have been around look like they have the same hide as a horse?
Click to expand...

Now that's funny...cause horse hide ain't all that tough on the wearer....;):D

I don't know what we're gonna do for tanned horse hide now
that canners have been shut down here in the states. I guess it
could be imported from Canada to just cover the baseball manufactures.

Mule hide makes good saddle horn wraps for pasture dally roping.

Is this thread about horse hide or holsters?

For holsters...it's jest stiff.


.
 
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WATCHDOG said:
Some people prefer that animals not be killed just so someone can have a fancy holster. I feel the same way about alligator, croc, ostrich, and kangaroo, just to mention four animals that come immediately to mind.
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Cattle and horses and ostrich, for example, are not killed for their hides. Cattle are killed for their meat and the hide is a leftover, sold for very little to tanners as a form of recycling. Horses are not raised for meat, but do go to knackers at the end of their lifespans. Horsehide has a limited market, the shells are tiny and expensive, no one is raising or killing horses for their leather.

Ostrich are farmed only for their meat, too. And kangaroo are not farmed ever, but instead are killed as pests that otherwise would decimate farming here in Australia.

None of these animals are killed so that someone can have a holster, fancy or otherwise.
 
From what I understand horsehide helps repel perspiration better. I own two horsehide holsters and have to say that my cowhide holsters have outlasted them.
 
Tom S. said:
Back in the 60's and 70's, I made a lot of money raising nauguas. Then the car makers quit using their hides and I was left with a bunch of them. Fortunately they don't eat much or live long. :D
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I never knew naugas could be domesticated, I've only seen the ferral ones. I guess it makes sense, though. Purina use to sell Nauga Chow in the supermarket.

Bill
 
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