GeorgiaGlocker

Can anyone tell me the big difference if there is any in a holster?

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Ben Hennessy

The holster that I own are cowhide. What I am told that horsehide is stiffer and more rugged. They are made to last longer. They are also more expensive. You have to pay for what you get. I hope this helps and is not the wrong info.

Redneck Repairs

Horsehide will be both thinner and typicaly stiffer . also way more expensive , part of the cost is the material and part is the pains the holster maker has to go thro to bone it ect... Its a difficult material , but ounce for ounce a stronger one .

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nativebrave

I have a horsehide Galco RG IWB . I love this holster! It's actually
my second one. They are stronger and thinner which works
best for me.

cockedlocked01

I believe that horsehide stands up better to moisture, uh good old sweat. And because of that, they're usually not dyed because they don't absorb the color as easily.

Obviously, someone very skilled can bone & color them well (Look at Nossar's work). But it takes more work & skill.

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ltc-usa

My Kramer horsehide holsters are dyed burgandy but horsehide does not take the color as evenly as cowhide. I like them, they are more moisture resistant and very thin. They may be a little stiff for some folks.

Redneck Repairs

Horsehide is trouble , and many wont pay for that trouble . Once it is done tho it is a more long lasting than cowhide imho . Many makers tho are just too busy to mess with it as it is somewhat an " exotic leather " They have all they can do to stay up with demand as it is . If you truely want it many will do it , but consider it as a " cost plus " option . In the long run even at a slightly inflated cost it may well be a better choice than cowhide . But when you find a guy to work it , be prepaired to pay extra for it ... not only the materials cost more but depending on his experiance he may well have 1/3 more time and possibly a failed attempt or two to get it out the door to you . This is the reason only some makers offer any exotic leather , be it horsehide or a fine snake skin overlay to make a bbq holster .

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Gary Brommeland

Howdy!
The following is copied from my website, in the "Materials" section:

A lot has been said about horsehide as a holster material, and there are several very competent holstermakers using it in their products. However, I’d like to point out something: have you ever examined a really worn out holster? More often than not, it is the stitching that gives out, way before the leather does. One of the beautiful qualities of premium cowhide is that it moulds up very firmly, yet is still fairly flexible. It is also just soft enough to allow the stitching to be pulled tight below the surface, where it is protected from abrasion. Horsehide is so hard that the thread sits on the surface of the holster where it is easily damaged. For this reason, I believe that a holster properly constructed from a premium cowhide is actually going to last longer than a comparable one made of horsehide. The other consideration that favors the use of cowhide is the issue of comfort. A holster’s job is to act as the “interface” between a block of steel and the human body. A holster made from cowhide will “break - in” and soften up just enough to mould itself to the contours of your body, which greatly enhances the level of comfort. Horsehide is almost as hard as Kydex when it is new, and will remain so for a very long time. The only solution is to oil it, which makes it too soft to properly support the weapon and makes an oily mess on your clothing. In the defense of horsehide, I will say this: The available supply of truly premium cowhide is rapidly dwindling. If it becomes unavailable, I will certainly employ horsehide rather than use a poor quality cowhide.


This is my opinion, but other equally qualified folks may not agree with it...

Redneck Repairs

Thanks for the post gary , You as you should explained everything well . The only horsehide i have owned is an alissi pancake for a smith auto , it was an awsomely durable holster . I can only give an opinion in line with my experiances .. and on reflection horsehide is as you say closer to kydex than the leather we typicaly think of . Personaly with my limited experiance i think its an awsome material to make a holster from , but then again I dammed shure wont pay for your time to make every holster i use from it lol .

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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 .
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torrejon224

I have several horsehide holsters made by Ales Nossar from Peru and they are certainly the thinnest, most comfortable rigs I won and they are also highly detailed. Maybe there is a difference between South American materials and what is used here but I for one totally disagree with Garys post.