Making a kydex holster is simple to describe and hard to do well: heat a sheet of kydex until it is soft, press it over the gun in a foam press until it cools, trim it, finish the edges, drill it, and add hardware. Every step has a way to go wrong that you will feel on your hip. This guide walks through the process, what separates a good holster from a garage one, and how we build ours.
What you need
- .080-inch kydex sheet
- A foam press: two blocks of dense foam in a frame with clamps or a hinge
- A heat gun or a toaster oven that reaches 300 to 330°F
- The gun, or a blue-gun replica of it
- A band saw or jigsaw, a belt sander, a drill, a countersink
- Eyelets and an eyelet press, retention screws, a clip
The process
- Cut the blank. A rectangle a couple of inches bigger than the gun in every direction, one for each half if you are making a two-piece, or one sheet folded for a taco style.
- Heat it evenly to about 300°F until it droops and goes glossy. Too hot and it bubbles; too cool and it will not take detail.
- Press it. Lay the gun on the bottom foam, drape the kydex, close the press hard, and hold until cool, about five minutes. This is where the click comes from: the foam forces the kydex around the trigger guard.
- Trim. Cut the outline: full trigger guard coverage, a sweat shield up the slide, an open muzzle or a closed one.
- Finish the edges. Sand the cut edges smooth and round them. This is the step that most homemade holsters skip and the one you feel most.
- Drill and rivet. Eyelets along the seam, spaced so retention screws can pull the halves together, and so a claw can mount.
- Add the clip and set retention.
What separates a good one
The mold has to be tight with no excess kydex, or the holster is bulky and the retention is mushy. The edges have to be finished. The sweat shield has to run the full slide. The retention screws have to be where a claw can go. And the cant has to be adjustable, because nobody carries at the angle you guessed. None of it is a secret; all of it takes time per holster.
How we do it
Every Clip & Carry sheath and holster is molded from .08-inch kydex, handmade in the U.S.A. by military veterans, with adjustable retention and a lifetime guarantee. Each is molded to one model with no excess material, edges folded, full-length sweat shield, a 20-degree adjustable clip, and claw-ready screw spacing. See the Glock 19 IWB or the whole collection.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature do you mold kydex at?
About 300 to 330°F.
Can I use my real gun as the mold?
Yes, unloaded and with tape over the sights. A blue gun is easier.
How thick should the kydex be?
.080 inch for holsters.
Why does my homemade holster not click?
The press was not tight enough or the kydex was not hot enough to form around the trigger guard.
Is it cheaper to make one?
Not after the press, tools and hardware. It is a good hobby, not a savings.
The bottom line
Heat, press, trim, finish, rivet. Finish the edges. Or buy one that was, molded to your gun.
Related reading
How to cut, heat and mold kydex
How to make a kydex sheath
What is kydex?
