Pocket Holsters - Lessons Learned

[Deanimator]

Well, after having made the first prototype, I've turned out my first four production J-Frame pocket holsters. It was a lot of work, but I've gone from absolutely zero leatherworking experience to being fairly confident of what I'm doing. I'll post pictures when I get a chance.

My design is far better than I'd expected. It fits most reasonable sized front jeans pockets, stays in the pocket, and fits my Smith Model 36 quite well. I was debating sewing putting more stitching in it below the trigger guard, but it doesn't appear to need it and I'm afraid of it holding onto the gun too tightly.

I've got a system down pretty well of construction. One problem I ran into was the materials. I'm using Tandy remnants for these first few. I've run into issues where the leather towards one edge is stiffer than that towards another. That makes it hard to stitch groove the softer leather. It wants to bunch up in places, rather than allow the groove to be cut.

Another problem, due to lack of experience, is keeping the stitch wheel in the groove. I find that I can either get good, distinct marks, or I can be accurate. Both together are tough. Anyone have any suggestions?

Pounding the stitch holes with an awl and a rubber mallet is hard work, but I've gotten the hang of it.

My first dye job turned out vastly better than I expected. I used the "buffalo brown" Eco-Flo and it looks great.

I invested in more leather, more die and more tools (adjustable stitch groover).

My next investment is going to be a few plastic or aluminum guns for forming of belts holsters.

There's a big CCW community here in Ohio. You pretty much can't buy a job here these days, so holster making is at least a source of some income. I've got people at my club who liked my prototype and are interested in buying a copy.

Thanks to everyone who had advice about IWB designs and sewing machines. Maybe I can sell enough handmade holsters to eventually finance a decent machine.

[TexasJack]

Pounding an awl with a mallet to make holes?? If you have a sharp awl, you should be able to make the holes without pounding.

Think of it this way: Leather is basically skin and an awl is basically a needle. It should go through pretty easily. (In fact, you have to be careful you don't pierce your own skin!) It may take a while to sharpen it after you've been pounding on it, but you really need to try.

Remnants are what they are. If they were good pieces of leather, they wouldn't be in the remnant bin. If you indeed expect to sell a holster, you need to make a quality product.

As for the stitch wheel, that has a lot to do with the amount of water in the leather. Too much or too little and it's hard to get consistent marks. Practice a bit on a piece of scrap.

I have a friend from high school that worked for Ford in Cleveland. I suspect that the economy there will get a lot worse before it gets better. A lot of good people suffer in that kind of situation. I'm really hoping that we secede before all that 'hope and change' spreads to Texas.

Edited June 19, 2010 by TexasJack

[Deanimator]

Pounding an awl with a mallet to make holes?? If you have a sharp awl, you should be able to make the holes without pounding.

I'm actually using an old Windows 3.1 manual as a safe resting place. Would you recommend that I just try to push it through unsupported?

As you an guess, I'm new to this.

[Lobo]

Deanimator:

While the typical method of hand-stitching utilizes a stitching pony to hold the work as you punch the holes with the awl and perform the stitching, there is nothing wrong with using the awl and a mallet on a flat surface (one that will not damage the awl as it punches through). This can result in good consistency when you are careful to maintain a constant angle to the process. Overall, a stitching pony is a very handy tool to have and the cost is relatively small. I have one that I seldom use anymore, and I will loan it to you if you would like to try it (send me a PM if interested).

The adjustable stitching groover will be a good tool to have, allowing you to control the grooving process much better.

The stitching wheel only needs to make a visible impression to mark the stitch locations for the awl. A little moisture in the leather will make this easier to do. Very little pressure is required to mark the stitch pattern, so try to work slowly and keep the wheel in the stitching groove.

Leather consistency is the biggest reason for purchasing quality leather. What you are finding in the scrap bin may be fine for practice, but you will find that buying top quality leather adds little to the overall cost of production while improving both your finished product as well as your experience in performing the work. Hermann Oak veg-tanned is consistently top quality material. Try contacting Kevin at Springfield Leather (banner ad) and I'm sure that he will be happy to provide you with small quantities for your projects as needed until you are ready to start purchasing full sides or shoulders. A double shoulder is about 12 to 14 square feet and should cost about $70 to $80, but will make about 20 pocket holsters, so the per-unit cost is usually less than what a retailer will charge you for scraps.

I hope that you will do well. I have a lot of family in Ohio, and I was born on our family farm that has been there since 1792.

[Deanimator]

Deanimator:

While the typical method of hand-stitching utilizes a stitching pony to hold the work as you punch the holes with the awl and perform the stitching, there is nothing wrong with using the awl and a mallet on a flat surface (one that will not damage the awl as it punches through). This can result in good consistency when you are careful to maintain a constant angle to the process. Overall, a stitching pony is a very handy tool to have and the cost is relatively small. I have one that I seldom use anymore, and I will loan it to you if you would like to try it (send me a PM if interested).

The adjustable stitching groover will be a good tool to have, allowing you to control the grooving process much better.

The stitching wheel only needs to make a visible impression to mark the stitch locations for the awl. A little moisture in the leather will make this easier to do. Very little pressure is required to mark the stitch pattern, so try to work slowly and keep the wheel in the stitching groove.

Leather consistency is the biggest reason for purchasing quality leather. What you are finding in the scrap bin may be fine for practice, but you will find that buying top quality leather adds little to the overall cost of production while improving both your finished product as well as your experience in performing the work. Hermann Oak veg-tanned is consistently top quality material. Try contacting Kevin at Springfield Leather (banner ad) and I'm sure that he will be happy to provide you with small quantities for your projects as needed until you are ready to start purchasing full sides or shoulders. A double shoulder is about 12 to 14 square feet and should cost about $70 to $80, but will make about 20 pocket holsters, so the per-unit cost is usually less than what a retailer will charge you for scraps.

I hope that you will do well. I have a lot of family in Ohio, and I was born on our family farm that has been there since 1792.

Thanks for the tips and offer of the stitching pony. I've got the tools necessary to build one at reasonable cost. Heck, maybe I can sell those too! :D

For my next holsters, I'll try dampening the leather before using the stitch wheel.

I dipped my holsters this morning and am letting them dry before applying additional coats via dauber. I REALLY like that Eco Flo bison brown!

As far as leather goes, I had to go cheap when deciding whether this was for me or not. It seems as though the reception is going to be good enough to justify buying better leather for the third batch. This is speculative income, not ADDITIONAL income.

Thanks again for your help.

[TexasJack]

You need some beeswax for lubricating the needle and string. You can use the wax on the back side for support as you push the needle through. That way you also keep wax on the needle. Someone (sorry but I forget who) posted a picture on here where they wrapped the wax in copper wire to keep it together.