Flat Backs On Iwb Holsters

[JeffChastain]

I was wondering how you guy about forming and boning the front of a holster, but leaving the back flat for a more comfortable carry? I'm sure you have to leave extra leather on the front piece to make this happen, but is there a formula to figure out how much bigger to cut the front piece? Thanks! I plan on starting to build mag holsters, and it seems like they'd be alot nicer OWB with a flat back.

[Dwight]

Yeah, Jeff, . . . the math formula that works best is very simple:

1. Make the back

2. Make a front that is atttached to the back along the sight channel area

3. Soak the whole thing in water

4. Mold the holster to the gun, keeping the back on the table to keep it flat

5. Let the holster dry.

6. Insert the firearm and mark the edge of the front, cut and bevel.

7. Mark the stitch lines on the front

8. Flatten out the front so you can draw around it and get a good pattern

9. Cement, stitch, edge, burnish, dye, finish, and sell your holster.

See, . . . only 9 mathmatical steps, . . . and while some may think this is a goofy way, . . . it works, . . . works well.

May God bless,

Dwight

[SooperJake]

Isn't a holster such as a Crossbreed just a flat backed holster? Why couldn't you make one like that only swap the kydex for some 10 oz veg, and vac mold the front leather first, then sew it to a backing piece?

It's probably already been done, but it just occurred to me to make it that way.

Jake

[Doc Savage]

Isn't a holster such as a Crossbreed just a flat backed holster? Why couldn't you make one like that only swap the kydex for some 10 oz veg, and vac mold the front leather first, then sew it to a backing piece?

It's probably already been done, but it just occurred to me to make it that way.

Jake

Close to what I did with my first holster. Made the flat back out of two pieces glued and sewn flesh to flesh. Then formed the leather top. Took my pattern, rather than halving the barrel height to determine size just used the full height. Used a wood board to clamp it all to while forming it, then after it dried, just stitched it to the back.

Robert

[JoelR]

My first was also a flat-backed holster. I vacuum formed it using a piece of hardboard for the backing. Makes finding the stitch profile easy. Just be sure to pull the stitches in about 1/8" more than you think so the holster has good retention.

[malabar]

I think my method is easier, but it does take some practice.

I cut the outside layer longer than the inside layer, because the outside layer will be the part that wraps completely around the gun. Getting the length right requires some experimenting, but it's typically twice the thickness of the gun (for autos). The extra material should be on the trigger side of the outside layer.

Apply a coat of cement to the ends of both the outside and inside layers and let dry. Align the top edge (the side adjacent to the gun's sights) of the layers and press together. The pieces are now joined on the side nearest the gun's sights. Insert the gun into the holster, and wrap the outside (longer) layer over the gun. Pull it down tight to form a tight fit around the gun, and press the cemented layers together.

You now have an unstitched and unformed shell of a holster. Cut and sand the edges square.

Now comes the tricky part -- creating the stitch line around the trigger guard side of the gun. I have a template of each gun made out of a rigid material for creating the stitch line. I insert the gun into holster, lay the template on top of it, and then index the template slightly away from the gun, and trace the stitch line down in white ink (assuming I'm working with black leather). I then cut the stitch line with a groover, and stitch.

tk