Any experience with rawhide?

[Slowhand Bob]

I am hoping to make a new pair of holsters soon and want to add an inernal stiffener.  I have had good luck doing this with steel in the past but would like to try something new. Has anyone successfully used damp rawhide between two layers of leather and wouldn't mind passing along some tips?  I remember Chuck Burrows saying recently that super glue works well on damp rawhide, any other tips out there that might apply to holster making?

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I made one with rawhide for a stiffener but the rawhide layer shrank more when it dried than both the outer layer and liner. The whole thing is fine but you can tell that it's a little 'loose in its skin'. I probably blew the gluing. One of the other pards here may be able to shed a little light there so you end up with a better end product than I did.

[KidTerico]

When I did mine I formed the holster with the raw hide in between the two layers of leather and clamped it for a few days and let the raw hide and leather dry and then cut to size. I uses gel contact cement to glue together and it work out good. Then sewed it . KT

[Angel_Eyes]

I cheat, I use very thin aluminium sheet! Sorry, no experience with rawhide.

[Slowhand Bob]

Same here angel Eyes, except I was using stainless and/or even galvanised early on.  Before that I was getting some pretty good results using hot water to size and mold the fast draw style holsters.  Eventually my pair did lose some the shaping that kept the grip tilted away from the body but only after several years of moderate use.  I think a couple of the biggest shops have now moved on to using kydex reinforcement inside of their competition holsters.