mouth reinforcement question

[Bronson]

When you are making a wrap-around style holster with a reinforced mouth do you:

A: Stitch the reinforcement in place before folding the holster over

or

B: Fold the holster over and then stitch the reinforcement on.

I ask because the last time I tried it I stitched it in place first, wet the fold area and folded it around. It worked ok but there was some bunching at the fold on the interior of the holster.

If you fold before stitching how much do you add to the length of your reinforcing piece pattern to compensate for the bend? The thickness of the leather? Twice the thickness of the leather? Or do you just wait until it's folded and add whatever is needed for the reinforcement to wrap around and sit in the right place?

Is any of this making sense?

Thanks,

Bronson

Edited November 19, 2009 by Bronson

[Mike Craw]

Hey Bronson!

The short answer is "C" All of the above...

I've had decent luck both ways. A lot depends on the size of the firearm you're building the holster for, the thickness and temper of the leather you're using, all kinds of variables. If you decide to bend or fold first, I'd suggest you take some off-cuts of the leather you're using, dampen two strips, bend the first around your gun/form and then bend the second around and on top of that one. Make marks across the edges of both strips on either side of the gun/form and then, when you straighten them both out, the additional length of the one on top will give you a pretty accurate sense of the additional lenght of the reinforcing strip you will need.

Now, did THAT make any sense??? I hope it helps.

Mike

[Tac]

I use technique "B". I fold the holster (not glue or sew closed), glue on the support band around the fold, then sew it on. Once this is done, I sew the holster seam and go from there.

It works for me.... but I do not end up with bunching or wrinkling in my support bands or the holster this way.

Your milage may vary.

-Tac

[Denster]

I mark the center line on the flesh side of the support band then take a french skiver and take off few thousandths over about 1 inch then glue stitch wet and fold. Gets rid of most if not all of the bunching.

[troop]

When you are making a wrap-around style holster with a reinforced mouth do you:

A: Stitch the reinforcement in place before folding the holster over

or

B: Fold the holster over and then stitch the reinforcement on.

I ask because the last time I tried it I stitched it in place first, wet the fold area and folded it around. It worked ok but there was some bunching at the fold on the interior of the holster.

If you fold before stitching how much do you add to the length of your reinforcing piece pattern to compensate for the bend? The thickness of the leather? Twice the thickness of the leather? Or do you just wait until it's folded and add whatever is needed for the reinforcement to wrap around and sit in the right place?

Is any of this making sense?

Thanks,

Bronson

is what i do is lay the holster cutout flat and place the support piece on top, making it fit exactly to the flat holster. (no conpensation for the bend) then i glue and sew it. once that is done i fold it over and glue and sew the holster together. it will feel hard to fold because the support piece wants to force the holster back open due to the lack of trying to compensate for the bend with the suppoort piece. but this is the purpose of the support piece, to keep the holster from wanting to collapse when drawing the gun. i have not had any problems with bunching at the fold this way.

Tony

[Bronson]

Thanks for the quick replies. You've given me some good ideas.

Bronson