The More I Do The Better They Seem To Get

[DoubleBarP]

The more I build the better they seem to get (or maybe I'm not being as critical as I should be)… Holster for a Para, S&W 36 / 60, and prototype Shoulder Rig for 1911 based on a Jackass rig circa 1975 – 76.. Learning how to finish is still a work in progress… (Note to self... shoulder rigs are a lot more work than I thought and probably not much profit margin based on manhours)

An observation: Horse hide is not that easy to work with as it doesn't make sharp bends real well.

Which brings up a question; Is there a tutoria lout there on what weight leather works better / worse for types of holsters? Found some info in an old Tandy catalog butthat may be biased based on products they sell…

Feedback please....

Edited April 21, 2012 by DoubleBarP

[rickybobby]

They look great! I would like to see a couple additional pictures of the shoulder (jackass rig) . I have not attempted building a shoulder rig yet nor have I seen one in person. I think I would have a ton of questions to see what works and what doesn't for someone who has used one. I have heard the jackass from Galco is one of the most popular and used and would try to take the good aspects of it and incorporate it into my own rendition.

They all look good, keep building.

The little I have worked with horse hide I have found that casing it properly helps with the wet forming. What has worked for me is dropping the stitched holster in a bucket of water with about a 1/2 cup of Murphys Oil Soap in it and leaving it in for about twice as long as cow veg-tan seems to work. The HH is so dense that it does not get real "floppy" from this type of soaking. The Murphys seems to help with the molding process of this dense hide (I use it or saddle soap on most of my leather for wet forming anyway).

The weight of leather depends on the finished product requirements and is also a bit of a personal preference. I tend to use a little heavier leather then some others. I am concerned about retention but believe it is had by contact on the inside of the holster (leather contact to the firearm) not from making the outside of the leather look like a "drawing" of the firearm. I do some external molding to "chase" some lines to help with the internal contact but not as much as some that use lighter leather. Its just my preference and I think it may help the holster last a little longer. They do have a lifespan for duty use and it is not forever, though it may look good and work for off duty use in its later life.

Experiment with different weights and see what works for YOUR style and preferences and that will dictate what weight leather to use. Not the answer you were probably looking for but I think it is one to think about, I think others may agree. If your style of holster building works and looks best with a certain weight it would be a shame to try to use another weight because "someone told you to" . Its good to ask around but you have built enough holsters to do some of your own experiments that failed research (I have a box full of them under the bench at my shop!!).

Hope I didn't bore you! lol!! I'm off my soapbox now!

[DoubleBarP]

They look great! I would like to see a couple additional pictures of the shoulder (jackass rig) . I have not attempted building a shoulder rig yet nor have I seen one in person. I think I would have a ton of questions to see what works and what doesn't for someone who has used one. I have heard the jackass from Galco is one of the most popular and used and would try to take the good aspects of it and incorporate it into my own rendition.

They all look good, keep building.

The little I have worked with horse hide I have found that casing it properly helps with the wet forming. What has worked for me is dropping the stitched holster in a bucket of water with about a 1/2 cup of Murphys Oil Soap in it and leaving it in for about twice as long as cow veg-tan seems to work. The HH is so dense that it does not get real "floppy" from this type of soaking. The Murphys seems to help with the molding process of this dense hide (I use it or saddle soap on most of my leather for wet forming anyway).

The weight of leather depends on the finished product requirements and is also a bit of a personal preference. I tend to use a little heavier leather then some others. I am concerned about retention but believe it is had by contact on the inside of the holster (leather contact to the firearm) not from making the outside of the leather look like a "drawing" of the firearm. I do some external molding to "chase" some lines to help with the internal contact but not as much as some that use lighter leather. Its just my preference and I think it may help the holster last a little longer. They do have a lifespan for duty use and it is not forever, though it may look good and work for off duty use in its later life.

Experiment with different weights and see what works for YOUR style and preferences and that will dictate what weight leather to use. Not the answer you were probably looking for but I think it is one to think about, I think others may agree. If your style of holster building works and looks best with a certain weight it would be a shame to try to use another weight because "someone told you to" . Its good to ask around but you have built enough holsters to do some of your own experiments that failed research (I have a box full of them under the bench at my shop!!).

Hope I didn't bore you! lol!! I'm off my soapbox now!

Thanks for the feedback.

I have used a Jackass Rig for longer than I care to say. I have two one for revolver and one for pistol in both black and brown… Two jackass brand rigs and two others. I was asked by an acquaintance if I could build one for him… So I used one I had for inspiration. As I looked for it in my holster trunk I came across a really old one and used the straps for a pattern as they distribute the weight better (I have a shoulder issue) because they are wider in front. I decided to just use neatsfoot oil for my finish. dont know how that will work but hey its a prototype.

The biggest drawback from an observer perspective is that when one carries in a shoulder rig of this style the muzzel is very visible to anyone behind the wearer… This makes some uncomfortable as you can imagine.. In the photos you see the shoulder straps are still wet as I dipped them so they were pliable so I could attach them to the holster. As I built the rig hardware became sort of an issue and I had to improvise in a few spots. I will be going to my favorite hardware store to look for suitable items for the next one.… I'm thinking some 5-6 cowhide for harness and 7-8 for my next one… If I go there.

So far I have used 5-6 on micro pocket holsters, 7-8 on smallholsters, 8-9 on larger holsters… I have also discovered that leather weight makes a difference when it come to pattern and stitch lines as well as molding by hand or otherwise… Some have ended up so rigid they could be used for wheel blocks while you change a tire.. I am worried about mouth collapse in the event one would end upon the groundand rollover… But maybe I worry too much about such things that don't really matter…

Edited April 22, 2012 by DoubleBarP