Most gun owners who quit carrying daily blame the holster. The fit was off. It printed. It wasn’t comfortable enough to wear all day. A holster that fights you is a holster that stays in the drawer.
Custom Kydex holsters fix that problem. They are heat-molded to your exact firearm. They hold their shape through Texas summers and everyday use. At Lead Heads in Saginaw, you get a custom Kydex holster fitted to your gun — not a guess at it.
Before you order, you likely have questions. Does Kydex scratch your finish? Is leather actually better? Do you need to break it in? These are the right questions to ask. This guide covers all of them.
We’ll walk through how Kydex works, how it compares to leather and Boltaron, and what to look for when choosing a custom fit.
On This Page
- What Makes Kydex Different
- Does Kydex Damage Gun Finish?
- Kydex vs. Leather
- Kydex vs. Boltaron
- Do You Need to Break In a Kydex Holster?
- Who Makes the Best Custom Kydex Holsters
Quick Answer: Does Kydex damage gun finish?
Kydex does not damage gun finish when the holster fits correctly and stays clean. The real risk is dirt and grit trapped between the holster and the slide. A custom-molded holster limits movement against the gun’s surface. Less movement means less abrasion.
Guns with softer finishes — like Cerakote over bare aluminum or older blued steel — may show wear faster with any holster. Guns with Nitride or Tenifer finishes hold up well through daily carry.
Clean your holster regularly. Check for trapped grit after range trips or time outside. At Lead Heads, the most finish wear we see is on guns carried in loose, generic holsters — not properly fitted Kydex.
→ Visit us in Saginaw to get fitted today | Ask about custom holster availability
What Makes Kydex Different from Other Holster Materials
Kydex is a rigid thermoplastic. It’s heated until soft, then pressed against a form built around a specific firearm. When it cools, it holds that gun’s exact shape.
This is not a universal-fit material. Every holster is built for one firearm model. That means consistent retention and a precise fit from the first draw.
Kydex has been used in military and law enforcement for decades before the civilian carry market adopted it. The reasons are practical — it’s waterproof, it doesn’t absorb sweat, and it won’t soften or stretch over time.
- Waterproof — won’t soak up moisture or body oils
- Consistent — retention stays the same in heat or cold
- Precise — formed to your slide, trigger guard, and rail
Does Kydex Damage Gun Finish?
Kydex itself is not the problem. Grit and debris that collect inside the holster are the real source of abrasion. A clean, properly fitted Kydex holster causes no more finish wear than any other rigid holster.
The finishes most likely to show wear over time:
- Soft Cerakote applied over bare aluminum
- Older blued steel
- Anodized aluminum frames
Guns with Nitride, Tenifer, or QPQ finishes hold up well — even with daily carry and regular re-holstering.
Custom-fitted Kydex reduces holster-to-gun movement. Less play means less rubbing. That matters most if you carry every day.
At Lead Heads, customers with Nitride-finished guns rarely report visible wear, even after a year of daily carry. The difference almost always comes back to fit.
Check the inside of your holster after range trips. Trapped grit is what causes finish damage — not the Kydex itself.
→ Visit us in Saginaw to get fitted today
Kydex vs. Leather — Which Is Better for Your Gun?
Neither material wins in every situation. The right choice depends on how you carry, where you live, and what your body needs.
Leather forms to your body over time. Some carriers prefer that feel after the break-in period. Kydex is consistent from day one — the shape and retention don’t change.
Leather absorbs sweat and body oils. Over time, that moisture can cause corrosion on metal surfaces — especially on guns carried IWB without a sweat guard. Kydex absorbs nothing.
Kydex also makes re-holstering safer. The mouth stays open. You can re-holster one-handed without collapsing the opening.
| Kydex | Leather | |
|---|---|---|
| Retention consistency | Stays the same | Changes over time |
| Moisture resistance | Fully resistant | Absorbs sweat and oils |
| Break-in period | Minimal | Can take weeks |
| Re-holstering | One-handed, reliable | Requires attention |
| TX heat performance | Stable | Can soften or stretch |
In Saginaw and across the Fort Worth area, summer heat and humidity push a lot of daily carriers toward Kydex. Leather holsters that felt fine in March can lose their shape by July.
Kydex vs. Boltaron — Is There a Real Difference?
Boltaron is a thermoplastic similar to Kydex. It uses the same forming process. Both materials are used by quality holster makers, and both produce solid results.
The main technical difference: Boltaron is slightly more flexible at low temperatures. Kydex can stiffen in very cold conditions. For most gun owners in North Texas, that distinction rarely matters.
What matters more than the material name is the quality of the mold and the maker’s process. A well-formed Kydex holster will outperform a sloppy Boltaron one every time — and the reverse is also true.
If you’re comparing two holsters and one uses Kydex while the other uses Boltaron, ask about mold quality and hardware before you ask about the material.
| Kydex | Boltaron | |
|---|---|---|
| Forming process | Heat-molded | Heat-molded |
| Cold temp flexibility | Can stiffen | Slightly more flexible |
| Retention quality | Mold-dependent | Mold-dependent |
| Market availability | Widely available | Growing availability |
Do You Need to Break In a Kydex Holster?
Kydex does not need a break-in period the way leather does. There’s no conditioning, stretching, or waiting for it to loosen up on its own.
New Kydex holsters sometimes ship slightly tighter than the final retention feel. That’s normal. The first 50–100 draws will naturally settle the fit. After that, it holds steady.
Most quality Kydex holsters include tension screws. You can dial in retention without special tools. Start at the factory setting, run some draws, and adjust from there.
3 steps to dial in retention on a new Kydex holster:
- Draw the gun 50 times at the factory retention setting
- Test for the feel you want — firm but not a two-handed pull
- Adjust the tension screw a quarter-turn at a time until it’s right
At Lead Heads, we run a draw-test with every customer before they leave the shop. Retention should feel secure without requiring a fight to clear.
Who Makes the Best Custom Kydex Holsters — and What to Look For
Well-known national brands like PHLster, Tenicor, Vedder, Tier 1 Concealed, and Werkz are widely respected in the carry community. Each has a strong record for mold quality and hardware.
But national brands build for common configurations. If you run a weapon light, a red dot, or carry an uncommon firearm, a local maker gives you something a catalog order cannot — a fit tested in person against your actual gun.
Before you order any custom Kydex holster, ask these five questions:
- What thickness Kydex do you use?
- Is the mold made for my exact gun model?
- Can retention be adjusted after I receive it?
- Do you offer a warranty or re-tune on the mold?
- Can you fit my light or optic?
At Lead Heads in Saginaw, we fit holsters to the specific gun you bring in — not a CAD approximation of one. That means we can account for your carry position, accessories, and wear patterns before the holster leaves the shop.
Working with a local shop also means faster turnaround and someone you can call when something needs adjustment.
The right holster is the one you actually carry. Kydex holds its shape, resists moisture, and needs no break-in period. A custom-fitted holster protects your gun’s finish better than a loose generic one ever will. At Lead Heads in Saginaw, we build holsters for the specific gun in your hand — not the most common version of it.
See our hours and location → Visit us at Lead Heads — 1029 N Saginaw Blvd F6, Saginaw, TX 76179 Ask about custom Kydex holster availability →