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Kydex, put simply, is a thermoplastic sheet which can be molded to form-fit nearly any shape. It comes in various colors, and is used to make custom holsters for firearms, knives, axes, and other tools & gear. One needs only to heat the sheet until soft, place it over or around the item to be contained, and press it all between a foam sandwich until cool.
I make all my own holsters and a few for friends and colleagues.
Here's a rundown of the most basic style: the clamshell...
Kydex holsters have a huge tactical advantage over conventional holsters in that they are self-retaining. Meaning that the perfect fit of the molded holster, and its inherent spring compression are what provide retention of the weapon. While the gun can be drawn swiftly and easily, anything other than an intentional and directionally accurate pull is very unlikely to dislodge it from the holster.
First off, we'll cover tools and sh*t:
*razor knife
*oven/heat gun
*foam padding (medium stiff)
*large, flat, stiff object (book, board, etc.)
*saw/sander/grinder
*drill
*Kydex sheet
*sharpie marker
Okay...I'm making a new rig for my CCW piece. It's a small, stainless/polymer 9mm auto, which is nice and thin/light, so this'll just be a simple, single slot "clamshell" style belt rig.
First, make certain the weapon is SAFE! Remove the mag and clear the chamber. Lay out your tools & materials.
Next, unless you're gonna be using an entire sheet at once, mock up your rig and cut what you're gonna need out of your sheet. Make sure you have plenty of overlap. I generally like my carry holsters to be speed-draws, so I opt for the tactical cover. For this style I only want the gun to fit into the holster far enough to cover the trigger guard. NEVER build a holster which leaves the trigger exposed to incidental contact, especially on a DAO auto, which is generally carried 4Lbs from BANG (chambered, cocked and ready to fire).
Use a straight edge to DEEPLY score one side of the sheet w/a razor and snap it along the score. Then double check your work piece against the object you're molding.
Now get your pressing materials together. I usually use a hinged press in the workshop, but I'm making this on the floor of my garage, so I'll give you the caveman method: Some mattress foam from an old crib bed, a 13" tile for my top press and the concrete floor for my bottom press (my big ass will provide clamping pressure).
If you're using an oven, preheat to about 275-300 and throw your Kydex in for about 3 minutes. If it's uber soft and flimsy when you pull it out, it's ready to go, and the race is on...you gotta move FAST.
For this rig, hold the pistol level and drape the sheet over it, centered and positioned properly. Then lay the whole mess down flat on your bottom press, cover with the top foam, hard backer (tile here), and get on top 'n' mash the hell out of the whole thing. Keep pressure applied for about 2 minutes, then extract your shiznit from the press.
I couldn't take photos here 'cause I was planted on hands and knees on top of a damn 1sq ft tile for two minutes, so use your imagination here xD.
Anyway, if you did anything right at all, you might come up with something like this:
Now, pick up your saw, grinder or whatever and shape up the rig. Knock off the sharp edges with a fine sandpaper or just draw a razor at an angle, whatever suits you. I also cut this holster bikini style (muzzle exposed), and carved out the single belt slot with my dremel tool.
I think that covers the basics. For a simple clamshell, at least. Paddle holsters and adjustable clips take a bit more work (and $material$), so I usually stick to monolithic designs like this for my own stuff, but if anyone needs tips for more complex rigs, just ask...
I make all my own holsters and a few for friends and colleagues.
Here's a rundown of the most basic style: the clamshell...
Kydex holsters have a huge tactical advantage over conventional holsters in that they are self-retaining. Meaning that the perfect fit of the molded holster, and its inherent spring compression are what provide retention of the weapon. While the gun can be drawn swiftly and easily, anything other than an intentional and directionally accurate pull is very unlikely to dislodge it from the holster.
First off, we'll cover tools and sh*t:
*razor knife
*oven/heat gun
*foam padding (medium stiff)
*large, flat, stiff object (book, board, etc.)
*saw/sander/grinder
*drill
*Kydex sheet
*sharpie marker
Okay...I'm making a new rig for my CCW piece. It's a small, stainless/polymer 9mm auto, which is nice and thin/light, so this'll just be a simple, single slot "clamshell" style belt rig.
First, make certain the weapon is SAFE! Remove the mag and clear the chamber. Lay out your tools & materials.
Next, unless you're gonna be using an entire sheet at once, mock up your rig and cut what you're gonna need out of your sheet. Make sure you have plenty of overlap. I generally like my carry holsters to be speed-draws, so I opt for the tactical cover. For this style I only want the gun to fit into the holster far enough to cover the trigger guard. NEVER build a holster which leaves the trigger exposed to incidental contact, especially on a DAO auto, which is generally carried 4Lbs from BANG (chambered, cocked and ready to fire).
Use a straight edge to DEEPLY score one side of the sheet w/a razor and snap it along the score. Then double check your work piece against the object you're molding.
Now get your pressing materials together. I usually use a hinged press in the workshop, but I'm making this on the floor of my garage, so I'll give you the caveman method: Some mattress foam from an old crib bed, a 13" tile for my top press and the concrete floor for my bottom press (my big ass will provide clamping pressure).
If you're using an oven, preheat to about 275-300 and throw your Kydex in for about 3 minutes. If it's uber soft and flimsy when you pull it out, it's ready to go, and the race is on...you gotta move FAST.
For this rig, hold the pistol level and drape the sheet over it, centered and positioned properly. Then lay the whole mess down flat on your bottom press, cover with the top foam, hard backer (tile here), and get on top 'n' mash the hell out of the whole thing. Keep pressure applied for about 2 minutes, then extract your shiznit from the press.
I couldn't take photos here 'cause I was planted on hands and knees on top of a damn 1sq ft tile for two minutes, so use your imagination here xD.
Anyway, if you did anything right at all, you might come up with something like this:
Now, pick up your saw, grinder or whatever and shape up the rig. Knock off the sharp edges with a fine sandpaper or just draw a razor at an angle, whatever suits you. I also cut this holster bikini style (muzzle exposed), and carved out the single belt slot with my dremel tool.
I think that covers the basics. For a simple clamshell, at least. Paddle holsters and adjustable clips take a bit more work (and $material$), so I usually stick to monolithic designs like this for my own stuff, but if anyone needs tips for more complex rigs, just ask...
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