KYDEX was the brainchild of Rohm and Haas Company, a Philadelphia-based materials manufacturer working in the aircraft interior business. In the late ’60s, a range of industries realized that KYDEX sheets could be manipulated into almost any shape by applying heat and molding the material around forms.
The group of KYDEX materials is a line of thermoplastic acrylic-polyvinyl chlorides manufactured by Sekisui SPI. It has a wide variety of applications, including aircraft bulkheads, firearm holsters, sheaths, and knives.
In military and tactical respect, KYDEX is in use for a variety of weapons, magazines,s and equipment holsters. These holsters are virtually maintenance-free, if a KYDEX holster gets dirty or dusty, you wash it off and wipe it down. KYDEX holsters are ready to use right away; they don’t have a “break-in” period - like old-school leather holsters - They will maintain the desired shape over a lifetime of use.
Owners of KYDEX holsters get a reliable and secure re-holstering experience (some models emit an audible “click” when the handgun is replaced properly). They are not temperature or moisture sensitive, can take a beating, and still perform well.
The thickness, grain, and ability to withstand temperature determine the sheet’s grade. KYDEX T and KYDEX 100 are the most popular materials used by companies making gun holsters and knife sheaths. These are known in the business as “The Gold Standard for Thermoforming.” They are super tough and durable. Both arrive at the holster or sheath maker’s shop in a proprietary “alloy sheet.” These materials offer excellent formability, rigidity, break, and chemical resistance and can withstand high temperatures.
To create a KYDEX holster, makers heat a sheet of plastic, mold it around a form, cut off the excess material and polish the finished holster. It’s a slower, more labor-intensive process that requires considerable expertise and quality control. For example, the KYDEX has to be heated to a precise temperature and cooled properly, otherwise, the plastic may weaken and lose many of its benefits.
All the KYDEX sheets you can buy on our webshop are the original KYDEX T plastic, from which we proudly make our own gun and magazine holsters. Since we're working with the best materials, we offer our customers the best materials.
