Stitch Line, Can't Get It Right

[LeatherWerks]

I'm new at leather working but the last two holsters I have attempted to make have come out way too tight. So tight I can't get the gun in the holster. I've been using the following formula. After I lay out a holster pattern, I measure the width of the gun and add the thickness of one layer of leather.(half of the gun width plus the thickness of one layer of leather) I use this measurement to place my stitch line on the leather. In most cases, after sewing, the holster is too tight to even get the gun into the holster. Even after I wet the leather, I still come up short. Is there a formula that works more often than not?

Thanks,

Steve

[Tree Reaper]

The only formula I know of is adding 3/4" between the tracing line on the trigger guard and end of barrel to outside of leather.

When my pattern was complete I would insert the gun to double check it.

[Dwight]

Whenever I do a weapon for the first time, . . . it is never glued or sewn until I do a "trial"fitting. The holster is made, . . . with a little "extra" on the outside, . . . then wet down enough to do some molding, . . . and the gun is molded into the holster exactly where it will sit when the job is done.

The weapon is then very gingerly extracted so the molding is not messed up, . . . and the holster is hung out to dry.

After it dries, . . . I can clamshell the thing together with the weapon inside, . . . see where the glue line needs to be, . . . and determine the proper stitch line.

This has never failed me yet, . . . when I have done it right.

May God bless,

Dwight

[LeatherWerks]

Whenever I do a weapon for the first time, . . . it is never glued or sewn until I do a "trial"fitting. The holster is made, . . . with a little "extra" on the outside, . . . then wet down enough to do some molding, . . . and the gun is molded into the holster exactly where it will sit when the job is done.

The weapon is then very gingerly extracted so the molding is not messed up, . . . and the holster is hung out to dry.

After it dries, . . . I can clamshell the thing together with the weapon inside, . . . see where the glue line needs to be, . . . and determine the proper stitch line.

This has never failed me yet, . . . when I have done it right.

May God bless,

Dwight

Dwight, I'll give your method a try. Thanks for your help.

Steve

[RobDude30]

I'm far from an expert, but I use Dwight's method almost exclusively for new designs as well and it has worked for me. I make mainly pancake style holsters with a molded front and a flat back. IMHO, the flat back makes the holster more comfortable to wear and leaves a little room for stretching if the holster happens to be too tight upon initial fit.

[Blazin]

Curious as to if you guys use plastic copies of your pistols or some other method? I'd like to wet-form a holster for my pistol but I'm worried about having it in contact with wet leather and the finish.

[Dwight]

Blazin, . . . uhhhh, . . . yes to both questions.

Yes, . . . I use blue guns, . . . and some hand crafted wooden ones too.

My 1911's and my SAA and Cold Det Spec would all come out and enmasse attack me if I used a blue gun for them.

They enjoy the squeeze I put on em when I'm forming a brand new holster around em, . . . at least I always thought they did anyway.

Seriously, . . . the only real danger is in using a press, . . . you could hurt some firearms with a hydraulic holster press. If I'm using the press, . . . no real guns, . . . period.

Othewise, . . . I just wipe em down when I'm done with my old trusty wash cloth that's been oiled.

May God bless,

Dwight

[katsass]

I'm new at leather working but the last two holsters I have attempted to make have come out way too tight. So tight I can't get the gun in the holster. I've been using the following formula. After I lay out a holster pattern, I measure the width of the gun and add the thickness of one layer of leather.(half of the gun width plus the thickness of one layer of leather) I use this measurement to place my stitch line on the leather. In most cases, after sewing, the holster is too tight to even get the gun into the holster. Even after I wet the leather, I still come up short. Is there a formula that works more often than not?

Thanks,

Steve

FWIW from the old grump; I usually lay my shooter with the sights centered on the crease line of a cheap manila folder, lay it over on it's side and make a trace of the gun in pencil. I then determine the max width of the shooter in the area above the trigger guard (diameter of the cylinder on a wheelgun) and divide that in half. I add the thickness of the leather being used to that figure and make my stitch line that distance from my outline drawing. I ensure that I keep to that distance pretty closely at the front of the trigger guard and frame of the gun. Some guns like the Ruger Super Blackhawk have such a massive frame that I will add a bit to the measurement, but I don't make too many of those and most holsters don't need that addition. On a speed rig (such as for the 'Iron Challenge') I will make the rig a little closer then add a fairly thick welt such as the one pictured. This has worked for me for more years than I care to think about. Of course some have said that I'm so old that when I was born, the Dead Sea was only a little bit sick, Mike

P.S. I just stuff the shooter down in a plastic freezer bag when wet molding a holster --- no moisture touches the gun, but I still wipe it down with an oiled rag afterwords.

Edited January 11, 2012 by katsass