my 4th, 8th, 9th and 10th holsters (Kahr K9 & P3AT)

[RustyPhillips]

My first post - have been a lurker for a while.

Followed RandyC over to here from Glocktalk after he posted a pic of his PM45 holsters in the kahr club (actually googled his user name).

At any rate - here are my most recent holsters (#9 for the black 1st gen and #10 for the hard chromed 2nd gen) - I got everything from Tandy, 7 - 8 ounce shoulder, punch holes with awl, tandy thread, wet mold then dye (mahogony), super shene, etc.....

The diagonal stripes on the holster for the black P3AT are a long story and go back to a previous holster I made for the same guy - my #7 holster was a RH pancake for a CW45 (for a coworker) and I tried to put a stripe along the slide / frame contour & screwed it up, so I ended up putting pinstripes across the entire thing (basically making passes pulling a screw driver along a metal ruler across the surface).... long story short coworker wanted me to do the same thing on his P3AT holster.... I think it looks pretty cool myself.....

These pocket holsters might have a tiny bit too much retention of the gun but if you have hand in the pocket / on the gun (and sweep gun towards the back of the pocket opening when you pull it) the draw is maybe good enough & the holster stays in the pocket.

I was going to make the #9 pocket holster rough out but my coworker wanted it smooth out & it seemed to work just fine..... I was sufficiently impressed with smooth out that I did #10 the same way. Also - on #9 I stamped my coworkers favorite Bible passage on it (and had trouble lining up the letters).

At any rate - all suggestions / criticisms are appreciated.....

Edited October 18, 2008 by RustyPhillips

[RustyPhillips]

and

[RustyPhillips]

and here are my 4th (RH pocket) and 8th (LH pancake) holsters - both for Kahrs

[Randyc]

Hey Rusty

Glad you followed me over here. Welcome to our little corner of the holster making world. From what I can see, you have a functional group of holsters posted. You may want to consider rounding off your designs. Your striped holster is rather unique. As I was taught in western boot making school, "if you make a mistake, just make it look like you planned it that way."As you build more holsters, make sure you post photos of your progress. If you have any questions, someone here will happily answer them for you.

Randy

[RustyPhillips]

Thanks Randy

When you say "rounding off your designs" do you mean round off the edges of the holsters or expand my horizons and try different designs (or both)?

if you meant different holster designs - I have several of the Tandy cowboy patterns & am planning on making a rig for my 1858's one of these days..... of course before I do that I have a left hand pocket holster for P3AT that I have already cut out & need to finish (that would be my fifth P3AT pocket holster).

as far as "rounding the edges" - I have been wet molding, then after it dries (I'll admit to heating in a toaster oven) I sand the edges of the holster with an orbital sander with fine grit, then after all that I dye (mahogany only so far) then super sheene....... Im thinking if I cut smoother edges up front & then used the stitch edge groover (instead of the free hand groover) then my stitches & edges would look a lot better..... but Im struggling with cutting edges on two pieces of leather and getting them to line up once they are sewed together.

Im thinking for Christmas I probably should ask Santa for one of those burnishing wheels & one of those 3 punch deals or a stitch marker wheel (I have the 3 prong chisel that I use to mark where the holes are then punch em separately)

do I understand correctly that some / others dye the leather and then mold? is there a difference in the finished product vs molding then dyeing?

another thing I havent done yet is to use contact cement...... what exactly is it that cement does for a leather holster? does it help stop the squeak? my pocket holsters dont squeak but my pancake holsters squeak like a mouse (or several mice) when Im walking.

as far as the lettering - I know I used the cheap harbor freight letter stamps...... but are the expensive stamps easier to line up the letters to make words? I about pulled all my hair out & still couldnt get the letters to line up right.

oh - as far as the stripes - I found the metal dog comb that we have here at the house & I think that I might get a chance to see what it will do later this week. Im thinking it will be a lot easier doing 50 lines at once instead of making multiple individual passes with the edge of a screwdriver....... what strikes me the most about that is how the dye absorbs differently in those areas......

Edited October 20, 2008 by RustyPhillips

[RustyPhillips]

oh - and while Im thinking about it - regarding the hidden (back side only) belt loops on this pancake slide - I modeled these off of a Wilson Combat holster..... however Im thinking I didnt leave enough material for the belt loop & am concerned that since the belt only passes thru the back piece of leather (and not back AND front) that the loop may tear leaving my holster holding on by only a thread....

should I go ahead and punch the belt loop holes on the outside piece of leather too or leave it alone?

[RustyPhillips]

not to try to pad my post count ( )- but the guy who I did the striped holsters for just emailed me a picture of the two holsters together......

IMO the first (the CW45) holster is by far better looking than the second (P3AT) holster.....

I think it was wetter when I tried "striping" it, plus I have a lot more stripes per inch

Note - the stripes on the two holsters are (or were intended to be) at the same angle - if the pocket holster is oriented with the gun vertical and the pancake holster is worn on a belt...... the pancake has a fairly steep rake

Edited October 20, 2008 by RustyPhillips