Kydex® and Leather Information
Kydex® Colors
See below for Kydex® colors used by Exarchy Holster Co. We use high quality Kydex® T with P1 Haircell texture. We use both 0.08" and 0.06" Kydex®, however, most of our holsters use 0.08" Kydex®, unless noted or required for the use case. We often have limited run colors and patterns throughout the year. Please contact us if you have a special request.
Kydex® and Leather Options
See below for leather finish and Kydex® color options. All leather is 10-12 ounce steer hide or 7-9 ounce horsehide. Horse hide is a denser grain leather which makes it a little more moisture resistant. Horse hide is also considered a premium/luxury leather. Saddle tan is only available in steer hide. Tan Antique and Natural Horse are only available in horse hide. All other colors can be made with either steer hide or horse hide. We typically recommend horsehide for all inside the waistband holsters. If you've never had a horsehide holster, try one today!
Premium Leather Choices
We often get asked what type of leather we recommend. The answer is we don't, typically. We use only the highest quality vegetable tanned hides made by US tanneries using century old techniques.
Our Cowhide
All of our cowhides (steers, technically) come from Hermann Oak Leather Co. Hermann Oak produces some of the nicest quality steer hides in America. The leather looks amazing, cuts beautifully, and finishes like no other leather in the world. Hermann Oak has stood by their tanning process since 1881 and every holster maker making high-quality products uses Hermann Oak leather. We work directly with Hermann Oak to select the very best vegetable tanned hides. We use only 10/12 ounce steer hide with a buffed and sanded back (flesh side).
Our Horsehide
All of our horse hides come from Horween Leather Co. Horween is the only US-based horse hide tannery. Horween produces some of the most sought after horse hides in the world and have been tanning leather since 1905. We use the "butt" which comes in strips that range between 7-9 ounces in weight. Horsehide is a denser leather fiber so it will have the same (or more) stiffness when new than our 10/12 ounce steer hide. Because of horsehide's different grain structure, it tends to be a little more water resistant. We typically recommend horse to those living in high humidity climates or those that perspire heavily. In my option, nothing looks nicer than our "natural" horsehide.
Our Hand-Dyed Process
When it comes to dyeing leather, we only use Fiebing's Pro Dye on our hand-dyed products. Depending on the color of holster you order, the holster model, or the gun, different characteristics may be desired for your leather. We select the leather, hand-cut to shape, and then begin the finishing process. We prep the leather for dye and then hand-rub the dye into the leather, bringing out the natural beauty with deep, rich colors. The process differs somewhat between cowhide and horsehide, but is roughly the same. For solid colors (non-antiqued finishes) in horsehide, the best way to achieve a consistent color is to airbrush the dye. We don't want to hide the natural characteristics of the leather, but this has proven to be best for solid colors like black and dark brown. The lighter the pigment of dye, the more natural beauty shows through. After several coats of dye, the holster gets placed on drying racks to absorb all of the pigment. Once dry, we buff the leather with a soft cloth, then apply a leather conditioner and sealer which further enhances the beauty of the leather. Black tends to be the most popular color choice for our holsters, but antique finishes really bring out the natural beauty of the leather.