JoelR

Design heading out the door tonight. Handgun is a Beretta PX4 Storm with a Vector Optics Sparkler red laser attached. Didn't like the protruding mounting screw so I decided to add a molded Kydex sleeve to keep the channel from collapsing and keep the screw head off the leather. If I had to do it again, I'd add about 1/2" to the length of the belt slot tail since the boxy configuration does not allow the belt to pull in like in a normal Avenger design. It's still very comfortable to wear even with this shortcoming. As always critiques are welcome. Here you can see the Kydex insert from the top end of the holster. The stitches are placed so they fall into the void between the handgun frame and the laser body so they should not wear. The stitches to right are not really pretty (forgot to hold the Kydex against the holster when drilling - it was late) but serve their purpose. This is the Kydex sleeve as seen from the muzzle end. When holstered, the sleeve just blends in...

Nothing horrible. Nice and clean as usual. Just hope those metal clips don't tear up that nice belt...

Looks nice and clean from what I can see. Only suggestions I would offer is cover the end of the barrel next time to protect it and the crown and limit the possibility of the front sight snagging and PLEASE cover the trigger. It may be a double-action revolver, but you are not going to notice even a 12lb pull if it gets snagged on something while sitting/falling down or walking through the woods and catching a branch.

Could be I use too much soap in the mix. I had an issue for a while where my edges looked and felt great just after burnishing but softened and 'Furred' up after drying due to too wet of an edge.

I've tried it with unsatisfactory results. It shines up nice but feels like a soft edge as opposed to the hard edges I get with just water.

Sorry you had a bad experience with Wickett & Craig. I use there leather exclusively and have never had anything but a good experience with them.

I also have one of Chris's burnishers. Very good design and work well but I honestly find myself using a wood slicker for the initial press-down and duck cloth for the final burnishing when push-comes-to-shove. Never really had enough time to learn to get the drill-mounted burnisher to work just the way I want it to. I will use it for the initial press-down for belts though since it is much faster and easier on the hands than the wood slicker. I use straight water with a pre-dyed edge.

Maybe some Barge to tame them down?

I will, from time-to-time, ask guys I regularly shoot IDPA with to try out new designs and give me their opinions, but I pick-and-choose those I know are well versed in tactical gear. Someone asking for free gear certainly would not get it out of my shop. Sorry, that goes for Massad Ayoob as well...

I have to agree about the stitching. Are you using a stitching groover with an edge guide?

+1 to W&C. Drum dyed is not struck all the way through and the flesh side needs a bit of attention, but man does it hold a form without heat drying... Plus, we need the money here in PA

I use a #3 Keen Edge Beveler (8077-03) for two layers of 6/7. You will have to be gentle with it in the single layer beveling but it is usable. Sharpen and polish correctly before use.

I have done a cross-draw for a Stoeger with an attached light/laser combo and am currently working on a right-handed holster for a Ruger PX4 with an attached laser. For the Stoeger, since it was a cross-draw I was able to design it as an Avenger but backwards (triger to the bend and slide to the seam) and yes, it was more of a pouch. The Ruger is being done as a hybrid Avenger. I have a formed Kydex sleeve that will guide the laser into position and maintain the rigidity of the trigger area and the slide section will again be boned for the retention properties. If I were to do the Stoeger again, I would probably remove the rear tunnel loop and incorporate another slide attachemnt to pull the grip in closer. As it stands, the customer was thrilled with it as the grip sticking out as it does cleared his belly and made it easier for him to draw across his body. Here is the Stoeger in rough form. No pics of the Ruger yet.

albyneau: PM Sent.

Bobby asked me to do a review once I received my first Lindell training gun, so here it goes. I ordered the S&W Model 686 4" revolver. First impressions out of the box were: 1) It looks like a Model 686 revolver. 2) It is obviously sand cast. 3) That's a big chunk of aluminum. Everything of importance is in place and is well defined. Being sand cast, there are a number of obscured or missing elements that are not overly important for molding a holster, but I am brutally honest when I review items so they should be mentioned. The index slots on the cylinder are perfect on one side of the cylinder, not so much on the other side. It looks like clay was used to fill in voids and it shows. Some areas were filled nicely, others could have use a little more care to detail. Edges along sharp contrasts, such as where the barrel and underlug meet the frame are not well defined and I feel I need to file them out a bit however the outline of the frame and trigger guard are perfect. The underlug itself is a little awkward. I can't tell if it is an illusion due to bad clay filling, or if the underlug is actually flattened and it appears that the underlug near the end of the barrel protrudes further away from the barrel than it does near the frame. Unfortunately my micrometer is broken so I cannot confirm this but it appears the same in Scott's photo so it may just be an illusion. Either way, neither of these items appear to be enough to cause any problems forming. All-in-all, money well spent. To be fair, sand casting a revolver is much more difficult than a boxy Glock or even a 1911 so based on this example, I would not hesitate in ordering anything else being offered. Bobby has informed me that the next batch to come out should have a smoother finish than this one, but the finish is more than adequate for our uses. I will compare this with the next revolver already on order once it arrives. My recommendations for improvements: 1) Take more care in void filling if for no other reason than for aesthetics. 2) Would be nice to see it offered with a solid sight channel - I'll have to hand it off to a fellow shooter to have this done. 3) I've said it before and it is big on my want list: interchangeable barrel lengths. 4) A little better care of the mold to ensure the definition of transitions would be nice. 5) Personally, I would not mind seeing a little of the cylinder gap and underlug ejection rod recess left in place These can be purchased from Bobby Clevelend who is a member here and has a web site http://clevelandsholsters.com/Training_tools.html

I generally do not use a lining unless asked for by the customer. When asked to do so, I use 2/3 pigskin and 6/7 cowhide.

TwinOaks hit the nail on the head. The key to working successfully with HH is understanding you need to do things a little bit differently than you do for cow. First, you need to allow it to soak a little longer when casing it. If you do not, it will be tough to work with and will not take to boning very well. If you use a press, there is a good chance of cracking the leather if not cased properly as the center section will still be dry. I certainly don't have a nice full rig like TwinOaks, but I do work with it from time-to-time and prefer to use it as a belt lining for gun-weight belts and recommend it for all IWB holsters.

I would also state that depending on when the blue gun was made it could be an issue. I have personally seen a Kydex holster that was molded tightly to a Glock (sorry, don't remember which model) that would drop a blue gun when turned upside down.

I agree and have tried to persuade him to choose a different carry position, but he insists this is what he is looking for. He is an officer and claims it is to fill a need to carry completely concealed in areas where it would be otherwise frowned upon around individuals who would notice tell-tale signs of a concealed holster. Not a good-cop/bad-cop thing but more allong the lines of if in an area where firearms are not welcome, if a bad guy comes in with a firearm, the bag guy is the only one armed. A number of the fast food joints around here are labeled as gun-free zones, Red Lobster will ask an individual to leave if they suspect a concealed weapon (even though it is not posted) as will some department stores like Toys-R-Us (which is posted). At least one of the McDonalds in the area will not even allow on-duty officers to enter with their issued sidearm. May build a belt for him with attachment points on the lining so that a kydex strap can mount behind the belt for the most obscurity and see if that fits the bill. He had thrown out the idea of velcro-mounted straps that hide in the same way but I personally will not make something that relies on small sections of velcro to keep a holster in place when drawing a firearm. I know it has been done, but I don't trust the logevity or duribility of velcro.

Old post that popped up in the suggestion box at the bottom and saw you never gave a follow-up. Did you ever get your alligator?

Personally, I do not like the HH that Springfield sells. Steve's been great about handling any problems I have had, but the last batch I got (which was over a year ago so things may have changed) was loaded with rawhide. Now I only buy from suppliers who get their stock from Horween. The couple of hides I have received from Horween have been all but flawless.

Yes, I would think the weight of the pistol would collapse the wall of the boot. I believe he thought so as well as his initial idea was to remove the inner panel (that is, the panel on the arch side of the foot), build the holster in the boot and reattach the panel. My last words to him was it sounds like you really need a custom boot made - That's out of my league and I'll ask around. usmc: I'm just up the road in Mechanicsburg. Incidentally, my full-time job is in down-town York

First question is what kind of dye are you using? I have found that Feibings black spirit dyes are a PITA to keep from rubbing off. I have been using pro oil for a while and they are much better. Try leaving them dry a good 48 hours before touching them with anything else. If not fully dry, the soaps/waxes you are using could pick up the color and that may be what is rubbing off. Other option is to try using just water for your burnishing and once nice and shiny, seal with your top coat. I get very nice edges with a tandy rub stick to initially press the fibers together and get the edge nice and hard, then duck cloth to do the final burnish and polish. I like the idea of the Copic markers. Where did you find empty ones?

Came across a belt and holster combination that a fellow shooter was wearing that was covered in shark skin. Had to do a double-take though as the texture was like none I had seen before. It had the traditional hills and valleys, but they were not nearly as pronounced as the skins I have used and had a pebble-like texture as if it had been rolled with a machine. Had it not been for the fact that I knew who the maker was, I would have sworn it was fake shark. Anyone come across "textured" shark and know why it is the way it is?

Dremmel tool with a fiber-reinforced cutting wheel and a sacrificial wooden backing. Warning, do it outside or your place will smell like burning flesh...