richardoldfield

I am not sure of what to recommend. I can tell you a Milt Sparks Summer Special will work. It is the one with the 1911 in it.



Ken L Null's UNS is another good choice:



Regards, Richard

ELCruisr

Just my two bits but I don't get too exited about slim, I get exited about comfort and secure carry. The thickness differences (within reason) are negligible when a rig is worn properly with proper clothing. It really doesn't seem to affect concealability that much. But a thin uncomfortable rig isn't going to get worn much. I base my holster choice on comfortable and secure.

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If you stand up and be counted, from time to time you may get yourself knocked down. But remember this: A man flattened by an opponent can get up again. A man flattened by conformity stays down for good. ~ Thomas J. Watson, Jr.

Mark Garrity

OK, let's clear up a few basic misconceptions.
Horsehide is not thinner than cowhide in general. I can get horsehide that is as thick as any cowhide. Leather thickness is guaged by the ounce; the thickness being what a square foot weighs.
A 7-8 oz. piece of leather commonly used for holster manufacture is about 7/64-1/8 inch in thickness. You can get cowhide or horsehide in 7-8 oz.
Horsehide is denser and stiffer than cowhide. Well, that's an incorrect general statement too. There are two versions of horsehide - hard-rolled and soft-rolled. Soft-rolled horsehide is buttery soft and more supple than well-oiled cowhide. Hard-rolled horsehide is what is generally used in holster manufacture, because it is denser and stiffer than cowhide of equal or lesser thickness; which has lead to the blanket statement that "horsehide is thinner." A 6 oz piece of horsehide will be denser and stiffer than an 8 oz piece of cowhide, so a thinner cut of horse can be used.
As far as working with horsehide, it is tougher on tools and dulls them quicker, and is a bit more difficult to detail mold. other than that there is little difference in working with the two. The main issue is selecting which part of the piece to work with.
Horse is not really any more expensive wholesale than cowhide.
Now there's an industry insider secret for you! The problem with horsehide is that there is a lot of waste and no consistency.
Cowhide is priced by the square foot for the piece of hide. And if you order a 7-8 oz. piece of cowhide from a quality tannery you can be assured it will be a uniform, consistent 7-8 oz. thickness over the entire hide; usually 20-25 square feet.
Horsehide is priced by the pound. The part of the horse used is a strip across the horse's back and butt; just above the rear legs. The strip of horsehide is about 3 feet long, 12-16 inches high in the center and tapering to about 6 inches high on the ends. The thickness is determined by the center, as there is absolutely no consistency in thickness to the strip. The ends are generally thinner, but lack stiffness, and usually have a lot of imperfections - hence the waste because the ends of the strip are basically useless.
Now back to the thinness issue. I said in the beginning that horsehide could be had in the same thicknesses as cowhide. That is true down to about 5-6 oz (5/64-3/32" thickness). that is the thinnest that horsehide is split down to and sold here in the U.S. Cowhide can be had as thin as less than 1 oz. (1/64" thickness) but it's useless in that weight for anything but linings, etc.
All this being said, Alex Nossar's IWBs (www.nossargunleather.com) are hands down the thinnest available. A Spark's Watch 6 is 6 oz horsehide. A Nossar IWB is half that thickness, appearing to be about 3-4 oz horsehide. The double thickness seam on a Nossar IWB is the thickness of the single leather sections on Spark's and other IWBs. And yet the Nossar is just as stiff if not stiffer.
Being in Peru he obviously has a source outside the U.S for his horsehide. I have conatcted the suppliers here in the U.S and none of them will sell it that thin. I have tried splitting it thinner on conventional splitting machinery and had it jam up the splitter or kick it out.

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QKShooter

Great informative post Mark.
I remember (many moons ago) when some holsters made of horsehide were way more than 2% more expensive than cow hide. I guess I am behind the times and not very horsehide aware these days.
Are the prices closer now because horshide has increased in popularity?
I personally like "cow" more as holster leather than that hard rolled horsehide that you've talked about.
I think the cowhide conforms more naturally to the body or at least quicker.

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Liberty/Tyranny
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PaulG

If you're into Kydex you might want to look at a C-Tac.

I have one for my full size 1911 and it is much thinner than the Blade Tech I used to use and very comfortable.

T. Kanaley

Now for the less winded response. Sorry, Mark, I couldn't resist!

If a person was to show up at our shop wearing their usual cover garment and agree to be blindfolded whilst I attach a IWB holster to that person of whatever thickness I choose. I can almost guarantee that person wouldn't be able to tell the difference in comfort or concealment between one that is 8-9 oz vs one that is 5-6 oz just by looking at themselves in the mirror when I got through. Nobody that's serious about concealment is going to wear a cover garment so form fitting that a couple ounce difference in leather thickness is going to make a difference.

Nothing wrong with going with the thinnest holster possible, but the thin vs thinner debate, as it pertains to which conceals better, is way overblown IMO. Somehow, people managed to get by (without being made on a daily basis I might add) wearing Summer Special type holsters which are probably some of the thickest of the genre, for well over 30 years before the current thin rage took hold.

Go thin if it makes you feel more confident, but keep in mind that there are other considerations that play a far more important role in how well the weapon conceals on your person, than the thickness of the holster you choose to use. A thin holster (no matter who makes it) doesn't conceal worth a damn if you don't cover it up properly.

TK, out.

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Mark Garrity

Good response, Tony; and great point on concealment. You still have to hide the grip, etc.
Another maker and I were discussing this (he uses the same weight for alomost everything) and he said essentially the same thing. An ounce of leather being 1/64" thick, I doubt most people would be able to tell the difference netween a 6 oz IWB and an 8 oz IWB shoved down their pants.

__________________
"He who makes things with his hands is a laborer, he who makes things with his hands and his head is a craftsman, he who makes things with his hands, his head, and his heart is an artist."
www.garritysgunleather.com

Huzar

Thanks for the heads up. As soon as I know which 1911 I'm ending up with (I got it narrowed down to a 4" Kimber) I'll be giving him a call.

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California CCW board

Huzar

Isn't Kydex bad for the finish? I really don't care about the wear on my tupperware guns but when I pick up the 1911, it'll be waaaaaaaay more then any of my plastic toys and while I don't mind the wear and tear as its a tool and it serves its purpose I don't want to unnecessarily wear it out due to not caring for it.

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California CCW board

yellowv

Any holster will wear the finish. Kydex tends to wear in points where the gun contacts the holster while leather will cause more uniform wear. A stainless finish will hold up best in a holster.