troop

well keep it up cause you're on the right track. soon enough you'll have more orders for holsters than you can do.

i have made several holsters for that j frame smith. the semi- pancake style is the most requested of all the holsers i make... one thing i learned in making the semi-pancake is when i bone it. i have to be carefull not to indent the trigger guard too deep or to mold it too tightly. i found that like the full pancake style, it grabs tighter on the gun when worn. this makes it very dfficult to draw, especially with that particular j frame. looks good though. are you using the eco-flo dyes? i had problems with them as well. i switched to the feibings and my dying is much better. on leatherpros.net i was given the names of non acrylic finishes such as tan kote and bag kote that aren't as shiny and wont crack. by the way how long have you been doing holsters? Tony

i also had a customer ask for a holster for a 1911 with tac light. I use kydex regularly in some of my holsters but this customer wants the holster as a shoulder rig......kydex wouldn't be right for this application i would think... racking by brain to figure it out in leather. if i come up with something i'll post it, but i am thinking my head may explode before that.

for kydex go to knifekits.com they have a pretty good variety and are the least expensive.

cool thanks for the input Dan

nice job! i really like that coloring.

hey Dan, do you use neatsfoot on the natural flesh side also?

with the flesh side out you only need to sand it slightly just to soften if the fibers are kinda stiff. other than that i dont put any finish on the flesh side. after some time it may become "grungy" and all that is needed to clean it is slightly sand it again. as far as the inside i rub in some supersheen, but that is about it. not alot involved as far as finishes on the fleshout holster. i'm sure someone else has some more ideas. Tony

Monica, do you have to buy the H/O in bulk? and have you ever tried W/C for comparison? Tony

WOW!! Monica i gotta tell ya, i absolutely look forward to seeing your holsters. your craftsmanship is outstanding! i think if you did get a press, that it couldn't make them look any better than your hand boning. i look over each of your holsters trying to find the flaws, but to no avail. you are definitely the standard in holster making. keep em coming! Tony

whole heartedly agree.

i use .125 inch kydex in the padde and .060 i the support piece between the holster and the thumb break which runs down most of the way down the holster.

here is the newest paddle sytem for a para ordinance .45 with matching mag pouch.

i wore an SOB holster for awhile. they don't need to be parallel. i am right handed but wore a left handed holster in the small of my back....works out great actually.

everyone already said it.... awsome! i am really digging that mohogany. i have been doing alot with it in the antique gel. looks classy!

i did an inside the waist with a thumb break.....i try to talk people out of them since the snap is against the body as it is, but people want what they want. i only did one like that but no complaints yet. (sorry no pic of it. it wa my first one, before i started thinking about taking pictures) you are on the right track with the reinforcing.....here's what i do and it is very sturdy and works well... i support the thumb break with a piece of kydex. .062-.080 inch is sufficient. any thicker and you'll need to shave it thinner to accomodate your snap post. i then cut a piece of leather (if you're using 8/9oz for the holster you can use the same thickness for the back support piece or reduce to 5/6 oz.) to be placed over the kydex strip. on the holster thumb break i punch a hole where i want to put my snap with a 1/2 hole punch. then i use a smaller punch on the kydex and back support cover piece just big enough to accomodate the snap post. glue the kydex strip onto the holster. (make sure it's narrow enough to allow you sew around it.) once it dries, glue the support piece onto the holster and kydex. once the glue is dry i sand the two pieces even and then sew it on. another thing i have learned is when figuring out where to put the snap on the thumb break, put it as high as you can against the gun. don't put the strap snap in until the holster is completely dry. once it's dry put the gun in the holster and bend the strap over and holding it at a pretty tight point press the thumb break snap against it so that it leaves a round mark on the strap. make a mark just about 1/16 to 1/8 inch from the center of that round mark (toward the barrel end of the holster) and then punch your hole for the strap snap. it will hold snug but not overly tight and will release with the least amount of pressure. if you have any questions just ask and post picks when you are done. hope the pics i sent help a bit... i used .062 kydex under that back piece. course its a paddle style, but i had no pics of iwb with thumb break.

is it an "inside the waistband"? looks good.

looks good Carl. i've been interested in getting a press system. i already have the press itself. (six ton hydraulic) just need the pads and the steel plates. at what point after soaking do you press it? and how long do you leave it in the press? any side effects on the leather that you have to clean up later? sorry for all the questions tony

knifekits is who i use....best prices i could find

yes, the edges are very clean. are you using a machine or hand stitching? i really like the interlocking circles on the strap. very nice.

thank you carljc72.

new sheath for a customer at work.

i was very nervous about trying one too. the kydex is very very easy to work with and mold, so it was much easier to make than i thought it would be.

well i finally finished the holster. have been wearing it for about two weeks. wears good. one downside is i used Tandy learther and it dont look as good as it could have. i also used supersheen which is starting to crack at the thumb break and snap. (now got me some saddlelac) the paddle is two pieces of 6/7 oz with a .090 inch kydex support in between. would use .125 and make a three point mount next time for a little more sturdiness. otherwise i am happy with it. will be working on a matching ammo pouch next. here's the back side of the paddle