A lot has been said about horsehide as a holster material, and there are several very competent holstermakers using it in their products. However, I’d like to point out something: have you ever examined a really worn out holster? More often than not, it is the stitching that gives out, way before the leather does. One of the beautiful qualities of premium cowhide is that it molds up very firmly, yet is still fairly flexible. It is also just soft enough to allow the stitching to be pulled tight below the surface, where it is protected from abrasion. Horsehide is so hard that the thread sits on the surface of the holster where it is easily damaged. For this reason, I believe that a holster properly constructed from a premium cowhide is actually going to last longer than a comparable one made of horsehide. The other consideration that favors the use of cowhide is the issue of comfort. A holster’s job is to act as the “interface” between a block of steel and the human body. A holster made from cowhide will “break - in” and soften up just enough to mold itself to the contours of your body, which greatly enhances the level of comfort. Horsehide is almost as hard as Kydex when it is new, and will remain so for a very long time. The only solution is to oil it, which makes it too soft to properly support the weapon and makes an oily mess on your clothing. In the defense of horsehide, I will say this: The available supply of truly premium cowhide is rapidly dwindling. If it becomes unavailable, I will certainly employ horsehide rather than use a poor quality cowhide.

Thread:
I will ONLY use a #346 polyester bond thread in my products. The #277 that is more commonly used is just too light, in my opinion. It is certainly strong enough when new, but lacks any “reserve” strength for the wear and abrasion that will happen to any holster with use. Larger diameter thread does not pull down below the leather’s surface and is therefore subject to abrasion. I believe that # 346 is the perfect balance. I utilize polyester because of it’s strength and near total resistance to UV light, sweat, chemicals, and rot.

Hardware:
All hardware used in Brommeland products is solid brass, except for those instances where steel is used for additional strength (such as mouthband reinforcements). These are galvanized to prevent corrosion. Please Note: One of the primary features that set Brommeland holsters apart from others is the fact that we buff the steel mouthband reinforcement plates to a glass - like smoothness. This prevents the steel from eating away at the leather and GREATLY increases the service life of your holster.

Finish:
 All Brommeland products are dipped in an acrylic compound to completely seal the leather, inside and out, behind belt loops - even the individual stitching holes. This makes a nice, “dry” finish that won’t leave an oil stain on your clothing and has a high degree of moisture resistance. We do not use any lacquer - it dries out the leather and will have a tendency to check, crack or peel over time.
All Brommeland products are available in black only at this time. This is for two reasons: First, in the event that your cover garment inadvertently rides up a bit or a gust of wind blows open your jacket, a bystander may get a brief glimpse of your holster. Most people seem to mentally dismiss something black on your belt as being a cell phone or pager. Other colors, however, are more prone to catch the eye and make people ask: "what was that on your belt" ? Secondly, each color requires a distinctly different process to make. Because this is a small shop, the switching back and forth between colors really slowed things down. The result was our customers having to wait far too long for their orders. Since about 75% of our clients prefer black anyway, it seemed like a good idea to just make that our standard color and have our customers wait as little time as possible to get their stuff.
A brown color option is in the works for the future, but is not available at this time.
 

The bottom line with any piece of equipment is this: Performance. All the hype and BS go out the window when the time comes that you actually need your leather to function. I make each and every piece that leaves my shop like I am making it for myself, and all Brommeland products come with a lifetime warranty. Thus far, I’ve made something in the range of 15,000 to 20,000 holsters. I’ve had to replace 2 of them. One was for a defective belt clip (a component that I do not make), and the other was not actually defective. One of my customers carries a tricked - out 1911 and is an absolute fanatic about training. (He’s a dignitary protection specialist). After doing over a THOUSAND practice draws a week, he wore the stitching out on his MAX - CON II after about a year and a half. So, I gave him a new one on the house. (You’ve just got to admire someone who’s that dedicated to training).