Reinforced Throat Iwb W/ Sharkskin

[woolfe]

I thought this might help some people. This is the easiest way I have found to make this type of holster. I'm sure there are other ways to do it. This is what works for me. Please feel free to give me any pointers or ideas that may help. Thanks

Some of the basic steps were skipped. I focused mainly on assembling this pattern type. On a side note, I don't reinforce the entire throat. I find its not needed and I like to keep the holster as thin as possible. The same process should work if you wish to reinforce the entire throat.

Materials used:

Herman Oak 6/7 oz for the main body, 4/5 oz for the loops and throat reinforcement piece, Sharkskin from ostrichmarket.com, Fiebing black dye, and Fiebing Cordovan.

1. Cut your pattern out and dye it. I submerge mine and even them out with an airbrush if needed.

2. Glue the shark skin to the 4/5 oz leather. While the glue is drying I like to bevel and burnish the areas of the pattern that will remain a single layer of leather. Also, mark your stitch and glue lines at this time on the main holster body.

3. Cut off the excess sharkskin.

4. Trim the loops to size. Sand the edges of the loops and sand the edge of the reinforcement piece that will remain 2 layers.

5. Bevel and burnish the sanded edges of the shark trimmed pieces. I find that the dye I use to touch up the beveled edge is enough moisture to make a nice edge. Sometimes I'll also use just plain water.

6. Line up the reinforcement strap to the holster body and mark your glue lines. I like to use pencil, just don't push hard enough to leave an indent on the leather.

Then apply your glue do not go all the way to the line.

7. Carefully line up your pieces and stick them together. Make sure to push the together firmly. Then sand the outer edge like so.

8. Now that the edge is even mark your stitch line and stitch the reinforcement strap on. Be careful not to sew through the loop attachment point on the rear of the holster body. See how I have it folded up on the sewing machine in the picture. Sewing this part may actually be easier by hand for some people.

9. Once the reinflrcement strap is sewn on bevel and burnish the edge before preceding to the next step. (I was thinking about taking pictures and forgot to do this. Its just allot easier to do it before you fold the holster over.

Wet the holster on both sides of the throat reinforcement, you don't need allot of water just dab it on with a sponge.

10. Bend the rear holster body loop attachment point so it starts to slide around like shown in the picture. You want fleshy side on fleshy side.

11. This is what you end up with.

12. The leading edge of the holster gets glued first. I like to use half a razor blade to prop open the two pieces being glued. I also use a piece of whatever I can find to keep glue off the sharkskin.

13. After the glue dries carefully align the two halves and push them together. Now glue the other side. (Notice I forget to burnish and bevel the throat. I won't do that again. LOL)

14. This is what you get.

15. Sand your edges. I use a dremel on the tight area by the throat.

16. Mark your stitch lines. Stitch it, Bevel, and Burnish and you should be here. (my picture shows it half way burnished.)

17. Dunk it in water 10-15 sec and wet form it.

18. Here it is after wet molding.

19. Once it dries I wax the edges, stamp it, buff it, and punch the loop holes.

Here is one after the finish is applied/cured and fully assembled. (This is a different holster as you can tell it also has a draw retention device.)

Edited March 11, 2010 by woolfe

[Penden]

Nice work, thanks for posting

[Denster]

Really excellent tutorial on how this is done. Thanks for sharing.

[BigRiverLeather]

Great tutorial, Thanks for sharing that with us. That should make the next ones go easier.

One thing I do a little different is I punch my holes for my T-nut in the top layer before I glue the two sides together. I think this makes for a cleaner finish without the T-nut being exposed on the backside.

I had a Milt Sparks VMII I bought just to look at. What I am still puzzled about is how they manage to get that piece of steel in theirs like they do. I was very surprized at how stiff the steel was. I guess it is possible they bend it after they get it in, but if it is spring steel, which they claim, I doubt it.

I'm looking forward to trying this method, as opposed to having an anxiety attack :D

[olliesrevenge]

This site is amazing. I'm working on my 5th holster (a Bruce Nelson Professional / Avenger style), with plans to give an IWB a try for my 6th, and suddenly here is a detailed post on how to make a Milt Sparks VM2 / Brigade M11 type rig.

Unreal. Thank you very much for posting this sir.

I'm curious about your opinion on the addition of the draw retention device just aft of the trigger guard. Do you include this as an option simply because of customer demand? Or do you personally feel it has utility?

Thanks for sharing.

Lance

[particle]

Wow - that looks like a LOT of work... Thanks for taking the time to post this. Excellent work.

Would this style holster be able to be sewn on a Boss? Looks like you need quite a good deal of clearance.

[woolfe]

Great tutorial, Thanks for sharing that with us. That should make the next ones go easier.

One thing I do a little different is I punch my holes for my T-nut in the top layer before I glue the two sides together. I think this makes for a cleaner finish without the T-nut being exposed on the backside.

I had a Milt Sparks VMII I bought just to look at. What I am still puzzled about is how they manage to get that piece of steel in theirs like they do. I was very surprized at how stiff the steel was. I guess it is possible they bend it after they get it in, but if it is spring steel, which they claim, I doubt it.

I'm looking forward to trying this method, as opposed to having an anxiety attack :D

I've been thinking about doing that with the T-nuts. The only reason I haven't is people seem very happy this way and its easier. I'm sure at some point I'll get bored and do it. I've never seen a vm2 in person I always thought they put kydex in side the throat. I had a pretty good idea of how to put kydex in there but steel would be a different animal, unless like you say they bend it through the leather.

This site is amazing. I'm working on my 5th holster (a Bruce Nelson Professional / Avenger style), with plans to give an IWB a try for my 6th, and suddenly here is a detailed post on how to make a Milt Sparks VM2 / Brigade M11 type rig.

Unreal. Thank you very much for posting this sir.

I'm curious about your opinion on the addition of the draw retention device just aft of the trigger guard. Do you include this as an option simply because of customer demand? Or do you personally feel it has utility?

Thanks for sharing.

Lance

Some customers do demand it and yes I do feel it adds utility to the holster. Its not something you use all the time its just nice to be able to control the tension of the draw and not leave it up to how well the holster is broke in or over broke in.

Wow - that looks like a LOT of work... Thanks for taking the time to post this. Excellent work.

Would this style holster be able to be sewn on a Boss? Looks like you need quite a good deal of clearance.

I don't know for sure. But, if that's what I had to work with I would find a way. I used a Toro 3000, I'm not sure how much clearance the Boss has. You could always roll the leather up a little to help it go through if that's an issue.