Redneck Repairs

Torre There is a differance in the tanning proceedures from south of america and usa and north .. Down there for one thing they can use chemical processes that no longer are avalable up here . Point is ( imho ) horsehide is a denser , normaly thinner material that takes experiance to work with . Hell i have two pair of elkhide chaps , one pair is butter soft and get used as " costume " chaps when i ride in parades ect.. but i would not trust them to actualy hold up , the other pair is stiff as hell but you couldnt cut them with the famous ginsu knife . Both elk I killed , but they went to different tanners using different methods . Gary is right as far as that goes .. and every year good " cow " leather gets harder to find .

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Mark Garrity

I've addressed this before on other forums, and probably here too, but here goes again.
There are alot of myths about horsehide. First off, it is NOT thinner than cowhide. I can get horsehide that is 10-12 oz., as thick as the thickest saddle-skirting cowhide. Horsehide is denser than cow, with more tensile strength. What that means is that a thinner cut of horse can be used for the same application as a thicker cut of cow, hence the misconception that horse is "thinner" in and of itself. There are also two types of horsehide, hard-rolled and soft-rolled. Soft-rolled horsehide is, as the name implies, buttery soft; so any claims touting firmness go out the window; but I doubt you'd ever see it used for a holster application.
Horsehide is also not much more expensive than cowhide, especially at currently inflated cowhide prices. I do not charge any more for a horsehide holster. The price difference lies in the fact that horsehide is sold in strips that average about 3 feet long, six inches on the edges with a swell of about 12-16 inches in the middle. These strips are not concistent thickness throughout, with the ends much softer and thinner. So there is alot of waste, which is why some makers charge a premuim. Horsehide is sold by the pound. Cowhide is priced by the square foot; but I personally don't see much square foot price difference in what I pay for horsehide when I break it down. It's pure marketing on some makers parts. But you'll never see a piece of horsehide as large as a tanned cowhide side.
As to application, I don't see a lot of difference overall between really good quality cowhide and horsehide as far as basic holster construction is concerned. I keep some on hand for those that request it, and I use it for certain holster applications where I think it shines. All of my mouthbands, such as on my Changeling IWB, are horsehide, to keep it thin but stiff. I like using it for IWB straps because it doesn't soften as readily as cowhide with prolonged used. And I use it for my compact mag-pouches and horizontal mag-pouches, to keep the back of the pouch flat and stiff and the cowhide front contoured and molded. All of this unadvertised usage.
As to degree of difficulty in working, I personally don't find it much more difficult. It cuts smoothly, and is no more difficult to sew. As to the thread abrasion issue Gary cited; I cut a stitch groove in everything anyway, so all my stitches are laying at or below the surface regardless of the material used. Since it is denser and less porous than cow it is actually easier to get a glass-smooth bevel edge on it, since the fibers are more compressed. As to being more difficult to mold, you just need to wet it longer, and let the initial pressure mold in the press do the work. I'll then lightly sponge wet it before detail hand-molding it; a process you don't have to do with cow. So yes, it is slightly more water resitant, but most all maker's finished cowhide holsters are treated with a clear acrylic which also offers water resistance, so that pretty much negates any perceived benefit there.
I will agree that Alex Nossar's holsters are the thinnest I have seen (3-4 oz) and very impressive work at that. I have split hard-rolled horsehide that thin and it is still not as stiff as his final product. So there is more to what he's doing than just the fact that he's using horsehide.

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Redneck Repairs

Well now that our forum experts are chiming inn , its time for me to " stfu" before i embarass myself further lol . Thanks guys for taking the time out of your day to explain stuff to us who dont deal with leather issues tho .

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Make sure you get full value out of today , Do something worthwhile, because what you do today will cost you one day off the rest of your life .
We only begin to understand folks after we stop and think .

Criminals are looking for victims, not opponents.

GeorgiaGlocker

Thanks everyone for your replys. Your input has helped a great deal.

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JimmyC4

I always thought this response to the question from Milt Sparks website was pretty informative:

What is the difference between cowhide and horsehide?

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. Also for the same reason horsehide tends not to absorb the dye and finishing materials as evenly making it in my opinion, somewhat inferior in that respect to good cowhide.

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.

Some of our holsters combine the use of both horsehide and cowhide, taking into advantage the desirable attributes of each material. So which material is better?? That is a personal preference issue. Where horsehide is available as an option, the choice is yours.

pogo2

I use both horsehide and cowhide holsters, and especially like the horsehide products of the Kramer company in Washington. One advantage of horsehide that has not been mentioned is that the stiffness of the material allows the holster mouth to stay open without some of the extra layers of leather or steel reinforcements one sometimes sees on cowhide holsters. This simplifies the holster design and reduces the thickness of the holster near the opening at its top.

The Kramer horsehide holster shown below with a S&W model 39 has this advantage - it is the OWB belt scabbard model, and does not close up when the gun is removed, so that reholstering is easy.

Glock 'em down

Nate over at UBG holsters is conjuring up a horsehide Yaqui slide - HIS FIRST! - for my Glock 22 as we speak.

He and I are both as giddy as a virgin on prom night!

pistola

I own one horse hide holster. It is a Vega N104. I love it. Light,tough,stiff,and it even looks good.

LoveLeather

All my rigs are cow except for this Del Fatti..I wanted the thinnest possible profile for my airweight...while still being rigid and holding the gun firmly....and since it is only as wide as the gun, it doesn't need to confrom to my body...but is still way comfortable....I also found it's not any harder to work with than leather...I just picked up the phone and instead of saying cow, I said horse.