JoshDuvall

I had noticed this too in my tooling once before. Mine mainly showed up after I applied antique and there was a definate line around my beveling. Another thing that can cause this besides everything that has already been said is your leather could be too wet. When your leather is too wet it seems like beveling seems to "sponge" back out a bit after you strike your stamp leaving your knife line a little deeper than your beveling too. Try letting your leather sit just a bit longer before beveling. Atleast that worked for me when I was having problems.

I'm sorry I should have been more clear. I had used the search function and came up with plenty of posts on how to strop and to strop often throughout a project but none that really covered my particular question on how often to strop. I apologize for any inconvenience.

Thanks for the responses. It's wickett and Craig 8oz skirting. I have some horsebutt from Springfield leather. The 6-7oz, would this be too thick for the strop? I know it definitely would be in cowhide but didn't know in horse since it seems to be "more dense". I only strop when I start to feel the blade drag I just didn't know if 5-7 short cuts seemed like it was "dulling" out rather quickly and maybe I was doing something wrong when stropping.

Forgive me if this has been asked already (I did a search but came up with nothing). I know people say they strop their swivel knife blades often throughout a carving but how often. I find myself stropping about every 5-7 cuts. This seems too often to me but I'm also still new to carving. So about how often do you strop yours throughout a project? Also I'm using a piece of card stock and white jewelery rouge. Am I doing something wrong or does this sound about right? It's a Barry King knife and after stropping it cuts beautifully. Smooth as silk. It just doesn't seem to last that long before I feel I need to strop again.

I'm building my first sprung solo seat and had a question about making a pattern for the "top" of the seat and lining up the holes for lacing. I know the pattern for the top will be slightly different than the pattern that covers the bottom of the seat pan but how do I make sure I have the same amount of holes w/ the same spacing? How do you make your pattern for your top cover that covers the foam? Thank in advance, Josh

That would be perfect. Thank you

I was wondering if anybody had a XDm 9mm magazine that they could give me the measurements off of?

I tried the dipping thing and it helped to an extent. I tried baking at a little higher temp and that made a huge difference. But I think the majority of it was this hide. This hide is also a little more pale in color compared to what I usually get from wickett and Craig. But the higher temp made a huge difference. Also when I get a side in I start with the back and start working my way down toward the belly from there. Usually using the belly for attempts at new designs.

I've been using 50/50 resolene water mix but just brushing on about 3 coats. I mIght try dunking in the finish. I haven't had any problems but with this last hide my holsters have been losing alot of their stiffness after about a week or two. I'm thinking it might be the hide but it doesn't really seem flanky when I'm working with it.

Did I say something that I shouldn't have or asked a stupid question or is the joke just going way over my head? Sorry.

I was wondering how long before your holsters start softening up? And what method do y'all use to "bake" your holsters? Or do you at all? So far I've been dunking my holster in cool water for about 8 seconds, then moulding, then baking at about 125 degrees for 25 minutes and then letting the holster dry under a fan until completely dry. And it has worked good so far but this last hide I got from wickett and craig doesn't seem to be holding it's stiffness as long. Maybe it's just the hide but I'm still curious to know your process. Thanks in advance.

Have to give credit to Bruce for the design on this one. I thought I had a good design going only to look around at pictures and notice Bruce has been doing it for quite some time. Just a plain boned pancake. I have been doing so many exotics for customers lately it was nice to just do a plain holster. As always critiques are welcome. I'm thinking of using this picture for some new business cards.

I don't think I would see it as being cost effective when it came to guns that have an dummy gun available either. But, I could see it working for some guns that don't currently have dummies available. Although I don't get many requests for those yet.

I recently had a customer request a retention screw in his holster. I dont normally do retention screws because I dont really believe that a well formed holster needs one (other than maybe a shoulder holster or something). My question is where would you place it? Right behind the trigger guard or at the curve between the trigger guard and duster? Its an avenger type holster for a 1911 if that helps any. Also what exactly do yall use to make the actual retention screw? p.s. - I know this has been covered before but couldn't find it in the search feature

I was just curious as to what size edgers y'all use? I'm currently using a #1 from Weaver but just got a #3 and I'm not sure if I like how big it is. I know different companies size their edgers different but do you guys like the look of a more rounded edge or squared? p.s. - I'm using 7/8 oz leather

Wow shorts that's beautiful. Maybe I was trying to do too much and I should try to keep the boning simpler. I think I might have been trying to put too many curves where there aren't any. Especially around the duster/rails. Thanks guys/gals for the advise.

Ok so I've made quite a few holsters now (1911's) and have gotten to where I can mold them well and feel like (and have been told) that my work looks professional. But.... I just tried to mold an M&P 40c and got a huge reality check. How the heck do ya'll mold these bulky wide guns. It just seems like there's no flow to them at all. They're like molding around a block. I get to the trigger guard and slide area and it seems like theres nowhere to go but either straight up or straight down. What do ya'll do? P.S. - It's really not so much the molding but the boning that is giving me trouble on these.

Thanks for the reply guys... The cant was off at first but after a slight adjustment to the straps and when the customer put his arms down it evened out and it sits straight horizontal (I just didn't get a chance to take pictures before he came to pick it up). The only reason it doesn't have a retention strap is because the customer specifically asked to leave it off, thats why I kinda fought with the design in my head. I wore it for a day or two with my personal gun to make sure it rode well in the holster and I shook the holster around and upside down with a pistol and full mag in it and I do feel like the retention is solid enough the gun isn't going anywhere (hopefully thats the same case a year or so from now). And I do agree with you Denster I wish I would have used some lighter hardware for the support system but luckily that is something I can always change if the customer decides he doesn't like it later.

Wanted to post some pictures of a shoulder holster I made for a customer for some honest critiques. I have to give design credit to Particle (not trying in anyway to steal your patterns or designs or anything it's just the only way this rig kept coming into mind as I was building it and I thank you for the inspiration.) The back side of the mag holder came out just a little wavy when I was pushing mags into it to mold it. Anyway any help and pointers are appreciated.

I'm curious to know how your reinforcement piece took water after the 2 coats of resist and how well it formed after that? And I don't think your wife is the only one who thinks you need to go up on your prices. Your work is too good for those prices lol.

You seem to be in a bit of a pickle my friend... Wish I could help but the only thing i could think of would be to make your holster as usual and after your first coat of acrylic or satin sheen or whatever you use before you antique would be to tape off the stitching with some blue painters tape or something and then go ahead and antique the tooled area then remove the tape. I don't know if it would work or not but its the only thing I could think off. Let us know how everything turns out and post pictures when you're done. Love your work by the way.

I'm honestly not trying to fuel the fire on this subject but... I think one of the things that might be sitting uncomfortably in peoples stomachs over this issue and contributing to the argument over carrying insurance or not is cost. After all if it's within your budget why wouldn't you carry insurance on your business. So if it's ok to ask those of you that do carry insurance, how much do you pay (monthly, annualy, etc.)? This might help give people an average that would help them weigh out the costs and find out if they do enough business to pay for insurance without going in the hole over a couple holsters/sheaths. It might help people figure out at what point their business will have grown enough to start carrying a policy. And yes I understand that it would cost you alot more to be sued without a policy than with one but for the sake of the question we can leave that out. Also Lobo pointed out a very good point. Be aware of who you're doing business with. I know you can't judge a book by its cover but you can usually get a pretty good idea about a person by talking with them about the order they are wanting to make. I've come to learn that you can usually find out alot about an order or sale and how its going to come out from the first time you talk with that person. If problems arise from the start, they're probably going to show up again later and you'll end up spending more time and money with that one customer and taking a loss on the order when you could have spent that time on another. This isn't always the case but it seems to be the majority of the time. Sorry to get away from my original question.

Just to try and put some rest to this topic... I talked to my lawyer and a couple others (one that owns a leatherworking business actually). The information I was given was basically this... If you're just making a few holsters they wouldn't worry about it. Waiver, Insurance, etc. will not make a difference in getting sued or not. Bottom line is until this country gets some tort reform we will have this problem of anybody can sue anybody so there's no reason to waste your time worrying about it. Your best defense in any case would be to know the weapon you're making the holster, sheath, etc. for and be able to demonstrate proper safety and usage of both the firearm/knife and holster, sheath, etc. 99.9% of the time that there is a malfunction it is in neither the weapon or holster but with the individual. If you're selling your leatherwork frequently (and not just holsters) It would probably be in your best interest to form and LLC. Not just for this case but it also has some other benifits. I was told that they wouldn't worry about the insurances unless you're selling a very large number of products. Just what I was told. Not trying to change anybody's ideas or opinions just my 2 cents.

Or if the person you sold the holster to gives it to someone? I believe you hold the same liability. Not to keep on with the what ifs but ya.

Unfortunately there are the cases where people get sued over the most outlandish things (because anybody can sue anybody anymore). And there will always be the guy that buys the most well made holster in the world and still shoots himself because he's an idiot. And to hide his stupidity he tries to sue the maker to pass the blame. It is NOT very feasible for the person selling the occasional holster to carry an insurance policy. But then you have no other options but hoping and praying that the person is not an idiot that keeps his finger on the trigger when he reholsters. You could have a legally written waiver printed up and signed saying that the buyer takes full responsibility. Problem, it would have to be notarized and I don't know many people that want to go and pay a dollar to sign an document just to buy a holster. Even then that document doesn't stop you from being sued it's just sometheing to help your case if you do get sued. Case in point, even if you get sued and win, you still lose because you have to pay lawyer fees and the most important cost, your time.