BigIron

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!

A stiff wire bristle brush also works well. I prefer the ones with the stainless steel bristles. You can find them with the welding supplies, and occasionally in the paint centers. Marc

My projects use more of the male end of the snap so I always end up with excess female ends! My loss is your gain. If you are running short of female ends, they are yours. I have a bag of about 50 +/- of the nickle plated steel. I think they are from Tandy, but could also be from Hide Crafter. Send me a PM if you're interested. Marc

Hello Everyone, I am a new member living in Fort Worth, Texas. I happened upon this site while cruising the net for some ideas for a pan seat I am doing for a friends motorcycle, and I'm really impressed. I've been leatherworking for 5 years, and do it on the side as a hobby. I started because I wanted a custom holster and have always preferred DIY to buying. I'd say 95% of what I've learned has come from Stohlman's books and trial/error, but I've also had some great pointers from the good folks at Hide Crafter here in Fort Worth. I've been very fortunate to have a great network of friends that have spread the word so I always have something I need to make for somebody. The bulk of my projects are holsters and puches for reenactors and costumers. In addition to the leatherwork, I also really enjoy custom fabricating metal buckles. I look forward to being a part of the group! Marc P.S. For your amusement, I've attached a pic of a holster I made a few years back.