High-Performance Concealment Gear for Professionals

Materials

Leather:
Brommeland holsters are made from a select premium cowhide that is sourced from only the finest vegetable tanners in North America. The only material used is a narrow strip along the animal’s spine that runs from the rump to just behind the shoulder. The entire neck, shoulder and bottom 18 + inches of the hide is discarded. A hide that starts out approximately 20-25 square feet in size is cropped down to approx. 8 - 10 square feet BEFORE I even begin to cut holsters. More than half of every hide that enters my shop will never be used to make any Brommeland belt, holster or mag pouch. While this is a very expensive way to make our products, it is the only way to insure that your Brommeland equipment will mold up firmly and provide years and years of excellent service - something that we've become known for in our 30+ years of handcrafting high performance concealment gear.

John Doe

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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. We do not compromise by using any lessor materials - ever.

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 covering flaws in design, workmanship or materials. Thus far, I’ve made something in the range of 30-40,000 holsters. I’ve had to replace less than a dozen of them. A few were for broken belt clips (a component that I do not make), and another that 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).

We've also had to replace a few holsters due to defective materials resulting in the holster having a shorter than normal service life. However, we have never had a single report of any Brommeland product failing to perform in combat - ever.

Care and Feeding

Holster Break In

Carefully unload the weapon and wrap it with 2 layers of wax paper (with the wax to the outside), and seat it fully into the holster. Let it sit overnight. Next, work the weapon in and out of the holster a few dozen times. Remove the paper and try it. If it is still too tight, then repeat the process with 3 layers of wax paper. Continue until you get it close to the desired fit (be sure not to overdo it - it is rather difficult to un-stretch leather). Discard the paper and do a few dozen practice draws. The holster should now be sufficiently broken in to allow you to wear it and finalize the break in process. This is done by repeatedly drawing the weapon while the holster is actually being worn. Be advised that a properly broken-in holster should retain the weapon during vigorous physical activity, yet still release the firearm for a smooth draw.

Do not apply oil of any kind to any Brommeland product.

Holster Care and Maintenance

To remove light dirt, simply use a slightly damp (nearly dry) soft cloth to wipe down your holster. If dirt is severe (such as sweat build up on an IWB) then a small amount of saddle soap on a damp cloth will be helpful. (Be sure to wipe off the saddle soap residue with a damp cloth when finished.)

To moisturize leather, the only products I recommend are Lexol Conditioner, (Do not use Lexol Cleaner or Lexol Neetsfoot Formula) or Propert’s Leather Balm. (Both of which can be found at western boot stores or shoe repair shops.) Simply apply a small amount (a few drops at most) with a soft cloth and rub it in. Wipe off any excess and you’re finished. This should not be required very often - once or twice a year should be sufficient under conditions of normal use.

Never apply shoe polish or oil of any kind to any Brommeland product.