I just acquired a new cz75b and am planning to take my CHL course soon. I was wondering what the differences were between holster materials; ie leather vs various synthetics.

What are the advantages of each. I was looking at some and was surprised at the price. I like the look of leather, but not so much as to spend $80 on one. Are synthetic materials generally cheaper? If so, are there disadvantages?

Thanks in advance.

In a survival situation, you can eat your holster if it is leather!

The synthetics will deteriorate over time, depending on use and exposure.

One thing you will see here repeated often, you get what you pay for.

My holsters range from Uncle Mike's to Milt Sparks.

The UM's are in the pants and are OK for my needs but they do shift and I have had them slip out of my waistband. (tight pants + short pistol + love handles)

The MS is an external high ride that Velcros to its' belt to hold position. Adjustable tension set to allow me to stand on my head with no slip of the 1911 it holds. Don't do that a lot these days, but in my youth…

Overall the MS is worth the $125 I paid for it 30 years ago! (belt still fits too, but I am using the last hole now)

Thanks for your help. I guess I'll have to be spending some more money.

Another point is that leather tends to be less harsh on the guns finish so you will get somewhat less wear.

Myself, I like good leather nearly as much as I like good guns.  I've carried in everything from $10 nylon cheapies to my current crop of custom holsters, and I much prefer good leather.  Don't judge leather holsters by the typical stuff you find in the gunstores (ie - galco, desantis).  A good custom holster is only marginally more expensive but much nicer.

The real drawback of good leather is less the cost than the typical long wait times.  12-24 weeks is not unheard of.  

As for practical pro's and con's - the only real reason I can think to go with leather is they seem to be easier on finishes.    I find them to be more comfortable also, but that may be my bias showing.  

whether leather or kydex, the material is pretty cheap either way. What you are paying for is the quality of the work. If it was my decision on a holster I would get Galco for leather and Bladetech for kydex