How to make a Kydex holster Picture Tutorial

**whiterabbit05** · 10-17-10, 23:57

Very cool!

**SmokeJumper** · 10-17-10, 23:58

Impressive and informative thread, a keeper for a sticky for sure! Great work and pics from those that showed off their homegrown kydex, I think you guys could be in a new line of work.

**glamisrnr** · 10-18-10, 02:39

if you dont mind my asking, where have you found the best place to purchase kydex from?

**macnamara** · 10-18-10, 08:56

Awesome work, thank you!

I'll be bookmarking this for when I mess around with some Kydex.

One request, I see the holster for pistol with weapon light. Any plans for a tutorial on that?

**Rezarf2** · 10-18-10, 09:50

Originally Posted by catofadiferntskn

Impressive!

What do you use on the holsters with lights attached? Its clear there this something there around the trigger guard.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by macnamara

Awesome work, thank you!

One request, I see the holster for pistol with weapon light. Any plans for a tutorial on that?

All you have to do is create a "channel" out of any stiff heat resistant material in a shape that clears the light on both sides and tape it to the gun. Some guys split a dowel down the middle (1-1.5") and then bolt it through the trigger guard. I don't like the unecessary bump that the bolt head leaves so I have a different method... but I can't give away all my secrets!

Originally Posted by glamisrnr

if you dont mind my asking, where have you found the best place to purchase kydex from?

Search your local yellow pages for "plastic" find any supply house and they can get it. For small sections (a gun or two) knifekits can't be beat.

**Steve S.** · 10-18-10, 12:32

Originally Posted by Hmac

It was interesting to note that buying an entire kydex holster/sheath production setup, including press, rivet tools, kydex and parts, etc, is not that much more expensive than buying a ready-made kydex holster and mag pouch.

Yea it is. Don't let this tutorial fool you. I have a friend/local guy who is moving from making kydex holsters from a local level to launching a public website. After seeing his workshop, you need bandsaws, high end dremels, belt sanders, hand sanders, drill presses, arbor presses, dies, punches, convectional ovens, sanding drums, etc.

PRG Godfather put it well. The amount of time that goes into each kydex holster prevents it from being profitable to most people. Without proper dedication and the right set of tools and well trained workers, it just isn't worth the time. After seeing first hand the time and required equipment to keep the time managable, it's no piece of cake. Plus there are the little things that make certain holsters nice. An example would be my friend, Steve, uses a 500lbs press and makes sure to countersink all the drill holes so they are clean. And an arbor press custom drilled for the dies is needed when selling because one busted rivet can ruin the whole project. Getting a split rivet out is nearly impossible according to him without scratching the holster in the process. He also said that the 2 piece pancake style is much more labor intensive than the foldover design that many custom kydex makers do.

Anyways he does good work. Last I talked to him he was negotiating blue gun rates and websites to take it public, but I know he has a Beretta92/96 (no rail) and the M&P9/40 on hand because he made me holsters & mag holsters for those two models without needing my gun. I know he makes PMag/GI mag carriers as well, and last I heard was perfecting the M&P 15-22 mag carrier. I don't have a digital camera to upload the pics of the gear, so you may need to ask Steve if he has any pics on file.

His name is Steve and his email is personalsecuritysystems@gmail.com if anyone is interested. He makes 2 piece pancake styles like the one here and Raven, not the foldover design you see at gunshows that most kydex makers do.

Like I said, I know he has the 92 and fullsize M&P on hand, but not sure what else or if he got the blue guns. Great guy, fair prices, and told me he would refund me if I contacted him within a week if I didn't like the holsters. The lack of a lead time didn't hurt either.

**Hmac** · 10-18-10, 13:03

Originally Posted by Beretta96fs

Yea it is. Don't let this tutorial fool you. I have a friend/local guy who is moving from making kydex holsters from a local level to launching a public website. After seeing his workshop, you need bandsaws, high end dremels, belt sanders, hand sanders, drill presses, arbor presses, dies, punches, convectional ovens, sanding drums, etc.

Yeh, I have all that stuff, even the oven. The tutorial didn't fool me. Years of building and flying R/C model airplanes has accumulated quite an array of such tools.

However, profit isn't the point. Time isn't the point either. If I were to make the $150-or-so investment in a little holster-making corner of the workshop, it would be on the basis of another work-with-the-hands hobby, and to make tactical stuff for me and the boys that isn't readily available elsewhere.

**Steve S.** · 10-18-10, 13:31

Originally Posted by Hmac

Yeh, I have all that stuff, even the oven. The tutorial didn't fool me. Years of building and flying R/C model airplanes has accumulated quite an array of such tools.

However, profit isn't the point. Time isn't the point either. If I were to make the $150-or-so investment in a little holster-making corner of the workshop, it would be on the basis of another work-with-the-hands hobby, and to make tactical stuff for me and the boys that isn't readily available elsewhere.

Haha, my bad. I went back and read my post and I kind of sounded like a dick. Definately not my intention. I was considering making my own Kydex stuff until I met this guy and seen what a PITA it can be. I also seen some of the stuff one of the guys he was training had made. His exact words were "be prepared to mess a few up when you first get into kydex".

I gotta say it still looks fun and I'm still considering giving it a shot for making oddball stuff. That's the biggest perk of kydex I think. When I had went to that shop, I had seen them messing with making an iPhone holster, which I thought was the best thing ever. And I don't even own an iPhone!

But my hat is off for those who do make the jump into kydex, more so for those who sell it, and its off the most for those who figured out how to speed up the process and actually make a few bucks off of it.

I really wish I had a digital camera to show one piece of gear I bought that really impressed me. It's a stippled PMAG w/ ranger plate and desert camo mag carrier. Steve sold it as a package (the "ultimate mag carrier" he called it) and it's just awesome. I find myself wanting to go to Best Buy. If anyone knows of a good digital camera in the $100-200 range, send me a PM.