how well do the do it yourself kydex holsters work

[Bobby1243]

How well do the do it yourself kydex holsters work

[Captains1911]

Umm, that would completely depend on how well you do it....

[alex0535]

Agree with the above statement.

Purchase more material than you need for one so you can make another one if your first doesn't come out quite right. Final quality will depend entirely upon your own craftsmanship.

[X_shooter]

Kydex is extremely easy to work with after a little practice. There are many options you can create. Try to make one you think you will like. I have made a couple for my hybridholster and it was fairly easy and it works well.

[tomrkba]

Mine work well. The key is to refine the design until it's solid. Take a look at photos of popular holster designs and duplicate them. You may have to make several before you get it right. I include tips in the tutorial below:

Pictoral Guide to Making a Kydex Holster

[AK103K]

It is really pretty easy to work with, but you do need some basic tools. If you go on YouTube, there are a lot of videos that will give you an idea of what youre in for.

I found this tutorial helpful too. I got into it mostly for making sheaths, but it really all applies to everything.....

http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/sh...hp?tid/794008/



For me, these would be the basics tool wise. A lot of the stuff can be found around the house...

Oven (I just use the oven in the kitchen)

Foam lined press. You can buy one or make your own.

A couple of "C" and/or quick release clamps.

Heat gun and/or pencil torch

Drill

Belt sander

Sharp knife

Square

Gloves

Rivet tool, rivets and/or Chicago screws

I get most of my kydex, rivets, accessories from here.....

http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/index.php

This was my first attempt at a holster. I wanted something different for my Seecamp and finally settled on this.



Couple of knife sheaths....







It starts to get addictive

Single round holder for my Ruger #3's sling...

[Slotback]

I have a friend who made me several kydex holsters. I use them with confidence.

[LewSchiller]

Unless you want to get into Kydex as a hobby or a business wouldn't it make more sense to buy one from a local Kydex Holster maker ?

[ThinkFastKydex]

I agree with Lew. Not because I am a kydex company and I want your business but because I was in the same boat. I have and still share tips and tricks with many people making their own gear. The one thing I tell anyone who is thinking about starting it up is that the material to DIY is very affordable but the tools and other equipment, not so much. When I started out making holsters for myself, I quickly realized the basic tools would not suffice for long. It is quite an investment and I spent quite a bit on inferior tools and equipment at the begninng thinking they would be useful for at least a couple of months. I was wrong. I have since been through 3 cheap toaster ovens, a couple of drills, 2 rotary tools, and about a dozen cheap bar clamps before I realized it was time to take the plunge and buy quality equipment. I am lucky enough that my business has been successful to allow me the luxury of purchasing these tools but with the influx in "pop up" kydex companies, it is seeming to get harder and harder to make a decent profit when your just starting so that you can purchase the neccessary equipment. If you are looking for a holster or 3, save up the money and buy from a maker. If you are dead set on making it a business or you have 50 guns that need holsters, then you should consider investing in quality tools so that you dont spend unnecessary time and money on stuff that will break or not with stand the abuse it goes through in the holster making process. If you have questions either way, whether its about getting started in the Kydex scene or to place an order, feel free to contact me.

[Sixer]

If you're even a little bit handy... you should have no problem cranking out a fully functional Kydex holster. So get to it! And post pics