Tyree904 Report post Posted March 23, 2011 Hi All, First post. Been lurking for a few weeks (and learning a ton) but I have a question at this point. In the construction of a pancake holster do you cut the front and back panels of leather the same size or is the front portion just a bit bigger? A snug fit is desired and no type of thumb break or retention system will be used. Any input will be gratefully received. The leather weight is 6/7 and the gun is a ruger revolver with a 4" barrel. TR Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dwight Report post Posted March 23, 2011 Tyree, . . . your question, . . . is similar to the one "Is the glass half full, . . . or half empty?" The pancake holster can and is made both ways, . . . by serious holster makers, . . . and beginners alike. Personally, . . . I make my back virtually flat, . . . it is more comfortable to me like that. If you PM me a regular email address, . . . I'll send you my "pattern", . . . it's about a meg, . . . can't get it through here. May God bless, Dwight Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
katsass Report post Posted March 23, 2011 Hi All, First post. Been lurking for a few weeks (and learning a ton) but I have a question at this point. In the construction of a pancake holster do you cut the front and back panels of leather the same size or is the front portion just a bit bigger? A snug fit is desired and no type of thumb break or retention system will be used. Any input will be gratefully received. The leather weight is 6/7 and the gun is a ruger revolver with a 4" barrel. TR TR, when I make pancakes I make them with basically identical front and rear panels..........just mirror images of one another. Others do it with a slightly larger front. Both work. Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
particle Report post Posted March 23, 2011 Tyree, . . . your question, . . . is similar to the one "Is the glass half full, . . . or half empty?" The pancake holster can and is made both ways, . . . by serious holster makers, . . . and beginners alike. Personally, . . . I make my back virtually flat, . . . it is more comfortable to me like that. If you PM me a regular email address, . . . I'll send you my "pattern", . . . it's about a meg, . . . can't get it through here. May God bless, Dwight Dwight - someone was asking about this just a day or two ago in another thread. May I ask - do you simply offset your stitch line from the firearm, for example, 3/4" on the front piece, and maybe 1/4" from the firearm on the back? Or do you have to use different offsets to compensate for different widths as you progress down the firearm (For basic pancakes, I use the same offset the entire length of the gun and have never had a problem)? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tyree904 Report post Posted March 24, 2011 Super! It's nice to have choices! Thanks a bunch. I will probably try it Dwights method first then Kats(youknowwhat) and then who knows what I will try next. Follow up question: Has anyone seen a shoulder holster where the holster is integral to the shoulder harness peice as apposed to it being attached with straps, rivets or sewing / lacing? That is how I am proceeding but I have never seen anything like it before. Thank you for your helpful responses. TR Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big O Report post Posted March 24, 2011 Follow up question: Has anyone seen a shoulder holster where the holster is integral to the shoulder harness peice as apposed to it being attached with straps, rivets or sewing / lacing? That is how I am proceeding but I have never seen anything like it before. The Bianchi X15 was at least close to that. It was a vertical shoulder holster in which tabs headed off in opposite directions, kind of like scissors, from either side of the (folded) holster. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dwight Report post Posted March 24, 2011 Dwight - someone was asking about this just a day or two ago in another thread. May I ask - do you simply offset your stitch line from the firearm, for example, 3/4" on the front piece, and maybe 1/4" from the firearm on the back? Or do you have to use different offsets to compensate for different widths as you progress down the firearm (For basic pancakes, I use the same offset the entire length of the gun and have never had a problem)? Because each gun is thicker / thinner / wider / or something than all others, . . . each one needs a different "offset". I cured that conundrum with one simple step. After making the basic back (outline including wings and sweatshield), . . . I make a front panel that I know is extra long. The front wing is perfected, . . . the front wing is sewn together, . . . but no belt hole punched yet. I just douse that extra long front panel (keep the back panel dry), . . . fold it over about 120 degrees so I can lay my gun down on the back panel exactly where it will ride once the holster is finished, . . . and I begin to slowly but surely fold the front panel over the handgun, . . . molding it as I go, . . . about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch at a time, . . . doing as much detail molding as I can using only my fingers and thumbs. That is my simple step. Once the handgun is molded, . . . I very gingerly remove the handgun from the "half wet" holster, . . . hang it over a string through the sight channel, . . . let it dry overnight, . . . glue the back wing, . . . trim, edge, burnish, sew, . . . and finish it up. I like it better only because for me, . . . it is more comfortable. A fully enveloped pancake is easier and quicker for me to make, . . . but again, . . . I'm an old guy, . . . and comfort means a lot to me . May God bless, Dwight Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
