Lifespan of Kydex Gear

[Gewehr3]

I have found CCC mag pouches and a holster to crack around 4 years. My Milt Sparks leather goods still going strong at 20 plus years.

[orionz06]

Here is a list of some things that can shorten the life pulled from something longer I was working on:


Thickness: Most folks are now using 0.080" or thicker. The allure of playing with 0.060" is there and for many it may be the way to quickly get the look they desire without learning how to get there otherwise. Thankfully this is far less common. The only times folks really use this stuff now is to save a buck and I'd bet that our community isn't in that crowd.

Heat: Sometimes there will be hot spots on the holster from forming or secondary forming with a heat gun, these spots can cause issues as they may be a little more brittle. Typically your pancake holsters will have this near the folds and IWB's will see it around the trigger guard if the maker hasn't been able to get the correct retention dimple on the trigger guard and has to go back with a heat gun.

Sharp corners: Sharp corners from forming and sharp corners from trimming both create concern. There's a trend for some newer makers to smash their sight channels against a square dowel because they dig the looks but this changes how things flex and will potentially cut down on the lifespan. To contrast this a Dale Fricke holster with no great disruption in the body may last forever, plenty of users here have holsters that are older than some shooters now.

Cut marks: If the holster isn't finished well or if the firearm cuts into the shell it can be an issue. A little fine sandpaper does the trick for holsters chewed up due to racking with the rear sight and can resolve some manufacturing neglect. What can't be resolved is wear from abrasion to where the shell thins. I have a customer who has their holsters wear against the console of their cruiser. The holster thins and appears polished for how much it's worn through, and eventually cracks.

Grain: The sheets of plastic have an applied texture that will run a certain way. The texture has little peaks and valleys that need to be observed and oriented in a manner that doesn't place the thinner section the wrong way for bending. Back when kydex belt loops for pancakes were the only thing I had created a test fixture to see how much of a difference this made as I had my own holster, an Atomic Dog, and an RCS that had broken loops. I was able to determine that bending along the grain was far better than bending against it, similar to wood. This matters a great deal for sight channels on holsters that are trained with (worn and moved with while empty).

Flexing due to training vs flexing due to poor fit/design: A pancake that is too wide or worn too tight will bend the shells more than they need to be. A pancake that is too tight or even an IWB that is adjusted too tight will have to flex to overcome the retention and anyone who does any amount of dry fire will be adding "miles" to the shell. The trick is to find a holster that has decent retention characteristics and isn't excessively sized. A trick to see how things are is to try drawing with the belt just a little loose and then also with the belt just a little tighter and then tighter yet. If the retention is changing you're potentially creating some issues as your belt is bending the holster enough in a static position, well before moving around and training with it. If one tightens down adjustable retention too much they can also cut down the potential life of the holster.

WML vs non-WML: WML holsters have a light tunnel that is necessary, no way around it. This is a large chunk of plastic that is subject to the above mentioned flexing and issues can compound near the tunnel. For IWB's the tunnel flexing will cause more concerns at the sight channel. A few posters here have some rough finished prototypes of mine that have developed cracks from this. 3

Atachment induced wear: This matters most with the ever popular plastic clips as when folks remove them they can bend them a great deal beyond whats needed and in short order can crack the holster. A holster maker friend has had customers break shells within weeks. In some cases it can be a design issue but on other cases the user may just be pulling the tab well beyond what's needed to clear the belt, in this case the customer provided video showed that it was user error. Holster #3, with some change to how they used it resolved it. The metal clips I like to use and the RCS Eidolon attachments that are bottom mount won't impart much force into the holster, the attachments themselves are being flexed. Better yet, most of your favorite holsters can take these attachments outta the box anyway.


With all that there are some things that can't be corrected but there are still a few things that the user can keep an eye on and can manage on their own to help. Scratches from racking the slide and front sight nicks can be taken care of easily. Being mindful of belt tension and how tight the retention is helps as well. If you've decided to use the plastic clips or overhooks taking a small amount of time to thread the belt to remove it may help. Grain, overheating, and by chance a shell that's too thin can't be resolved but that doesn't mean they're gonna blow up instantly either. Just like not all 1911's jam and all that this is just a list of best practices that I've found, discussed with other makers, and have tested a lot on my own. I don't know of anyone else who's actually gone outta their way to break holsters before putting things out there.

[ST911]

Here is a list of some things that can shorten the life pulled from something longer I was working on:

Precisely what I was looking for, thank you.