I briefly mentioned in an earlier post in another thread that I have been experimenting using a few different techniques to attach a leather lining to a kydex holster that will be strong enough to withstand years of use. Of the few companies I found that provide these holsters, only 1 had stellar reviews. I researched for countless hours trying to find if somebody had found the trade secret that they use to bond the two materials together with the strength it would need for an EDC holster. The only useful information I found was the type of dense leather to use. I was originally going to go with a suede surface, but after reading about suede and less dense leathers trapping dirt and basically turning to sandpaper over time, I am going to steer clear. I found an extremely dense 4oz hide to work with now.
I'm not saying I've figured out exactly what the other companies are doing, but I most certainly found a solution. Using a medical equipment grade, UV light activated adhesive, prep work to the leather and kydex, and during specific times in the molding process I think I've finally found something that will hold up. Now that the ideas are flowing, and my first project will be lining a new holster for my recently acquired Ed Brown, I've got some work to do!
The picture attached was of a front side of a mold (un-sanded or shaped) of my Boberg. I lined the kydex with 4oz vegetable tanned leather, dyed, and contoured the edge. It has been setting all day under pressure with a UV light on it. I literally could not pull the leather off if I tried. Now, the process I went through on this one was so extensive that I truly believe it is overkill for a holster. I think I could dial it down some in order to take a significant amount of time out of the manufacturing process. But I now know the process to make a very strong bond between the two.
After I was satisfied with the bond, I then heated the Kydex and leather to 375 degrees, seeing if the heat would allow me to separate the materials. It wouldn't budge. I heated it again and put as many bends and curves into the ball of kydex and leather that I could get, and as you can see by the picture, all the edges are still holding perfectly. Pretty excited about the future now! Lots of possibilities to make things that would otherwise be unavailable.
-Adam
In this image, the leather is actually tearing from the tension of the curve. Thats a good sign to see. The bond is strong enough that the leather will tear before it breaks away from the Kydex.
