Best Way To Affix A Metal Badge To A Leather Stiffener?

[jackd942]

Just wondering if any of you guys (or gals) can give me some advice. To this point I have been making some holsters for local deputies and using just a generic star concho. I received a phone call from a state trooper that is wanting a holster, but with his collar brass (miniature metal badge) attached to the stiffener. The problem is that it does not have a screw back, it has two push pins with keepers on the back. I am considering scuffing up the back of the badge and epoxying it to the stiffener while bending over the pins on the other side. Does this sound like a good plan? or does anybody have a better idea?

Thanks, Jack

[camano ridge]

I of course can't see what the pin looks like, however I would consider snapping off the pins and JB welding a chicago screw to the back of the pin making it a screw back.

[Dwight]

A lot of military badges, awards, etc use that arrangement to be worn on the uniform.

If I was going to do that, . . . my first thought would be to ask him if I could just increase the size a bit, . . . then carve / stamp the design into the stiffener, . . . and appropriately paint it so it seriously copies the original design.

I saw a holster picture a few years ago where a guy did that for a policeman in Alaska, . . . and it was really sharp. The "Badge / Shield" was very faithfully carved into the leather, . . . painted, . . . buffed, . . . it almost looked like a real badge.

But if you have to have the "real thing", . . . JB weld or some other epoxy and the Chicago screw would be my choice too.

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited November 21, 2013 by Dwight

[jackd942]

I of course can't see what the pin looks like, however I would consider snapping off the pins and JB welding a chicago screw to the back of the pin making it a screw back.

A lot of military badges, awards, etc use that arrangement to be worn on the uniform.

If I was going to do that, . . . my first thought would be to ask him if I could just increase the size a bit, . . . then carve / stamp the design into the stiffener, . . . and appropriately paint it so it seriously copies the original design.

I saw a holster picture a few years ago where a guy did that for a policeman in Alaska, . . . and it was really sharp. The "Badge / Shield" was very faithfully carved into the leather, . . . painted, . . . buffed, . . . it almost looked like a real badge.

But if you have to have the "real thing", . . . JB weld or some other epoxy and the Chicago screw would be my choice too.

May God bless,

Dwight

Thanks for the reply guys. I hadn't considered your suggestion, but I think that is the way to go. Dwight, I would like to make a bigger stiffener and carve it, but he's wanting the smaller stiffener with his brass like the others I've made lately. Don't really know why I did that stiffener design in the first place, but it seems to have stuck and now that's what everybody is wanting. At least in the LE community.