bowzette
Member
Does kydex cause wear marks or mar the finish of stainless steel finish? Is is more harmful to SS finish than leather?
Kydex Question
- Thread starter bowzette
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THE PILGRIM
Member
Never used it with guns, have used kydex knife sheaths.
It will scratch some pretty hard knife stainless.
It will scratch some pretty hard knife stainless.
I have found that my crossbreed supertuck with kydex wears much more on my SS finish than my leather holsters. If you're worried about your finish, consider a quality leather holster with a soft leather lining. Garrett industries makes a holster called silent thunder and it's kydex that has a leather lining on the inside.
Kydex will cause more wear than leather of course but I wouldn't worry if your gun is stainless. It would wear a coated gun more but hardly enough to be concerned about unless you're re-holstering many times a day. The benefit of Kydex above other materials is that it will hold the pistol very tightly and securely in place without the need for straps or locks to release the firearm. Some leathers can be molded to achieve a similar result but then they are very stiff and almost Kydex like.
adams484
Member
I make holsters with both and here is a run down on gun wear...
First of all yes Kydex will wear harder on a gun's finish. Leather will wear on it too. Think about it, leather strop barber's razor.
With that said let me give some advice and maybe dispel some misconceptions about holstering a gun. First of all if you have a safe queen DON'T CARRY IT REGULARLY in any holster.
I suggest to most of my customers that have very expensive handguns that they only carry them for special occasions or suffer the consequences. It is best for daily carry to carry an old beater that is reliable but something you are not going to have a fit if it gets scratched.
With that said another thing I see is suede lined holsters. All suede is chromium tanned and under the right conditions the chrome metal from the tanning process will react with the finish of a gun. This is more a problem with a blued gun in high humidity than other finishes and stainless or nickel is less likely to be affected.
For most of my western holsters I line the inside with veg tanned leather so the inside of the holster has a finished side of the leather against the gun. I do this mostly for appearance but I believe a smoother surface will less likely attract dust, dirt, and other abrasives. Remember that a barbers strop is usually rubbed down with a jeweler's rouge to get it to sharpen. With that said the best thing you can do is to keep your holsters clean inside by blowing out any accumulated dust or dirt.
There is no perfect material that I have found that will absolutely guarantee no wear on a gun's finish if it is carried daily. Besides that you will be bumping the gun into to stuff and rubbing it against things no matter what you do when carrying it on your belt.
A shoulder holster is probably the best option for carrying in a protected way. But as far as linings and materials go just plain cow hide will be your best option.
I have heard that horse hide is better as far as gun wear goes but I cannot speak from experience as I haven't run a side by side comparison under controlled conditions. Remember that a lot of what you hear is just stuff that someone has convinced themselves to believe in without any real proof.
Moral of this story is if you can't stand a scratch on your gun then don't carry it unless you are willing to have it refinished from time to time.
BTW: It is not that much work to take some wet or dry 800 through 1500 paper and polish out a stainless gun unless it is bead blasted then ... well get a bead blaster and a compressor...
First of all yes Kydex will wear harder on a gun's finish. Leather will wear on it too. Think about it, leather strop barber's razor.
With that said let me give some advice and maybe dispel some misconceptions about holstering a gun. First of all if you have a safe queen DON'T CARRY IT REGULARLY in any holster.
I suggest to most of my customers that have very expensive handguns that they only carry them for special occasions or suffer the consequences. It is best for daily carry to carry an old beater that is reliable but something you are not going to have a fit if it gets scratched.
With that said another thing I see is suede lined holsters. All suede is chromium tanned and under the right conditions the chrome metal from the tanning process will react with the finish of a gun. This is more a problem with a blued gun in high humidity than other finishes and stainless or nickel is less likely to be affected.
For most of my western holsters I line the inside with veg tanned leather so the inside of the holster has a finished side of the leather against the gun. I do this mostly for appearance but I believe a smoother surface will less likely attract dust, dirt, and other abrasives. Remember that a barbers strop is usually rubbed down with a jeweler's rouge to get it to sharpen. With that said the best thing you can do is to keep your holsters clean inside by blowing out any accumulated dust or dirt.
There is no perfect material that I have found that will absolutely guarantee no wear on a gun's finish if it is carried daily. Besides that you will be bumping the gun into to stuff and rubbing it against things no matter what you do when carrying it on your belt.
A shoulder holster is probably the best option for carrying in a protected way. But as far as linings and materials go just plain cow hide will be your best option.
I have heard that horse hide is better as far as gun wear goes but I cannot speak from experience as I haven't run a side by side comparison under controlled conditions. Remember that a lot of what you hear is just stuff that someone has convinced themselves to believe in without any real proof.
Moral of this story is if you can't stand a scratch on your gun then don't carry it unless you are willing to have it refinished from time to time.
BTW: It is not that much work to take some wet or dry 800 through 1500 paper and polish out a stainless gun unless it is bead blasted then ... well get a bead blaster and a compressor...
Thanks Jason. I just bought what has been a safe queen-a 65-6 3" barrel that came from the S&W Custom shop in late 90s or around 2000. It has very few rounds through it. The trigger is the best I've felt on a revolver. I bought it with the intent to carry and shoot and not keep it as a safe queen. I'm 69 what do I need with a safe queen. And then after such bold statements I start getting second thoughts 
. Leather lined holster seems the way to go.
. Leather lined holster seems the way to go.PastureOfMuppets
Member
All holsters will wear. The idea it will wear more than leather is a myth.
All the tiny particles that build inside a leather holster ends up like an incredibly fine sandpaper.
Kydex, while easily kept clean will mark in smaller spots where the retention is - most noticeably around the bottom of the trigger guard. Leather will wear all over but lesser than that.
Bottom line, if you don't want holster wear, keep it in the safe...
All the tiny particles that build inside a leather holster ends up like an incredibly fine sandpaper.
Kydex, while easily kept clean will mark in smaller spots where the retention is - most noticeably around the bottom of the trigger guard. Leather will wear all over but lesser than that.
Bottom line, if you don't want holster wear, keep it in the safe...
adams484
Member
Sounds like you got it pegged bowzette...
Yep you can't take it with you when you go so what the heck ... carry it. S&W triggers even off the production line have been the very best I have ever had and when you need accuracy in an amped up moment well ... heck you will be glad you have the gun you love the most by your side.
And most importantly you can always have it refinished. But when you have a gun that has provenance or historical patina then I really would have second thoughts to carrying it. But it sounds like yours was built to shoot not sit on some shelf with candles and incense in some shrine to manhood and after 60 your done with proving that anyway.
It is your gun and your choice but they are guns and usually not the crown jewels. Put it in a good holster and keep it blown out with compressed air to remove the dust and dirt and that is the best you can do.
Good luck and enjoy having it with you.
Yep you can't take it with you when you go so what the heck ... carry it. S&W triggers even off the production line have been the very best I have ever had and when you need accuracy in an amped up moment well ... heck you will be glad you have the gun you love the most by your side.
And most importantly you can always have it refinished. But when you have a gun that has provenance or historical patina then I really would have second thoughts to carrying it. But it sounds like yours was built to shoot not sit on some shelf with candles and incense in some shrine to manhood and after 60 your done with proving that anyway.
It is your gun and your choice but they are guns and usually not the crown jewels. Put it in a good holster and keep it blown out with compressed air to remove the dust and dirt and that is the best you can do.
Good luck and enjoy having it with you.
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rock n roll kid
Member
well ....
in yesteryear i had a safariland suade lined holster for a stainless ruger revolver i owned . fair amount of use with no problems .
i now have a elpaso sadderly suade lined holster for a s&w per. center 1911 .... not much use to this date , but unless there is something adverse that takes place , i trust their judgement on using this type of lining .... i would assume they KNOW what protects by now ..!
also have a kramer horsehide holster for an other 1911 that has metalife chromeium ss finish on it . the rig/gun has had quite i bit of use over several years with negative effect on gun or holster .
i believe part of the no or minimum effect on the equipment is credited to the ultra hard custom finish i put on the gun , the rest is the super hard slick horeside .
just my 02 & i hope it helps a tad
in yesteryear i had a safariland suade lined holster for a stainless ruger revolver i owned . fair amount of use with no problems .
i now have a elpaso sadderly suade lined holster for a s&w per. center 1911 .... not much use to this date , but unless there is something adverse that takes place , i trust their judgement on using this type of lining .... i would assume they KNOW what protects by now ..!
also have a kramer horsehide holster for an other 1911 that has metalife chromeium ss finish on it . the rig/gun has had quite i bit of use over several years with negative effect on gun or holster .
i believe part of the no or minimum effect on the equipment is credited to the ultra hard custom finish i put on the gun , the rest is the super hard slick horeside .
just my 02 & i hope it helps a tad
I feel leather causes less wear but kydex is much easier to reholster. That is why these guys have so much business.
Holsters - Garrett Industries, LLC
Holsters - Garrett Industries, LLC
I feel leather causes less wear but kydex is much easier to reholster. That is why these guys have so much business.
Holsters - Garrett Industries, LLC
Interesting and not that far from me
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