katsass

From the grumpy old guy; I hand stitch all of my work. I use dark brown, black, natural and white waxed linen threads for my work. For white I have found that the biggest problem comes from the darker (brown and black) dyed leather when stitching. The first thing to make sure of is that the dye job is dry! Like 24 hours to 48 hours (depending on your climate) dry. Then buff the hell out of the area to be stitched (if not the whole thing). Use a good sharp awl and go to town. A couple of holsters of mine done that way. Mike

FWIW from the old grumpy guy; chancy has it about covered --- for a guitar strap. One point though --- draw your cut-out (for the inlay) right on the pattern for the strap! Mark both and cut the strap and inlay cut-out at the same time. If you draw a separate one for the cut-out, you will play hell trying to align it properly. Ask me how I know. Belly leather is great for a guitar strap --- it's flexible. I make holsters primarily, and use shoulder leather which ain't that flexible --- just for that reason. A pic of one of my holsters with an ostrich leg inlay. Mike

From the old grump, FWIW; Punch the two holes as you have described. Pick up a set of cheap Chinese wood chisels at Harbor Freight (sharpen them) Us the one of appropriate width to connect the outer edges of the holes. Allign the chisel and schmuck it with an appropriate (or just handy) hammer, mallet, meat tenderizer, etc. Mike

FWIW from the grumpy old guy; I do just as gringobill does, although I make few holsters with a thumbreak anymore. High Desert Leather has the steel thumbreaks AND also the cap that goes on the back side of the male piece of the snap . I believe that they are a teflon thing, and are made just for that application. As said, High Desert can help you. Mike

FWIW from the old grump; I use waxed linen for almost all stitching. Once in a while (very seldom) I use some finer braided nylon for 'hidden' stitching. I don't do many wallets, but I figure that a wallet WILL, somewhere in it's life, get wet. It'll be either from sweat, accidentally sitting in puddle of spilled liquid, or taking a misstep while fishing, but wet it will become. Mike.

Ouchy digits, from the grumpy old guy; I think that they are mostly speaking of the book --- "Packing Iron" by Richard Rattenbury. It IMO is about the best reference book on 'western' holsters, beginning at the Civil War and progressing up through the rigs for the movie 'cowboys'. Costs somewhere around $25 -$30 if I remember correctly. I just Googled the name and picked the best price I could find on the net. Here's a pic of a holster I made, trying to replicate one from a picture in the book Had to modify a bit as the holster I made was for a Ruger Super Blackhawk --- a bunch bigger than a Colt SAA that the original holster was for. No patterns, but a whole bunch of excellent photos. Hope this helps. Mike

FWIW from the grumpy old guy: I just moisten my edge with a damp sponge, wipe the edge quickly and lightly with a bar of 'Neutrogena' soap. Burnish with my hardwood burnisher in the variable speed drill. Does the job quickly and easily. OH, I mount the drill in a vice, lock it on and go to it. A drill press should work as well. The Neutrogena is a glycerin soap, and it does make the difference. One bar lasts damned near forever. Mike

FWIW from the grumpy old guy; I simply cut a series of slits (I use an oblong bag punch) about 3/4" apart,(for .357) then take a strip of 4oz leather the same width of the slit and weave it first in from the back, then back from the front through the same slit. around a cartridge case. Continue for the entire number of slits.. Wet the leather strip and be careful not to pull it too hard or it will shrink in width. Mike

FWIW from the old grumpy guy; I've used SL for a while now, but back a couple of months ago I had a couple of orders for holsters with matching , wide, gunbelts in the 50"+ size range . I don't make many 2 1/2 ' belts, and I make all of my holsters from shoulder leather and I sure as hell didn't need to spend the bucks for a heavy weight bend. I called SL for a couple of heavy 72" strips cut for me. The sweet young thing that answered my call told me that it would be no problem, but that she could off an alternative --- for less money. She offered pre-cut stirrup strips which worked out perfectly, again, at a better cost. Some time later I spoke with another young lady that requested information as to my primary type of work. The upshot of that discussion is that she placed me on some sort of list that advises me by email of specials which fit my kind of work specifically. Any outfit that takes care of their customers in the way SL does, is pretty damned good in my book. I figure that I'll stick with them. Mike

FWIW from the old grumpy guy; the main thing that I see is that your stitching seems a bit too far from the shooter. In time I feel that the holster will loosen up and not maintain retention. JMHO Mike

FWIW from the old grumpy guy; I guess that I'm very much a traditionalist in my work and from the very beginning didn't care much for water based stains. Did use some coffee and tea stains I made myself for coloring the carved and tooled items I did waaay back in the '60s. Primarily for shading on carved Pronghorn Antelope. I don't do that kind of work anymore. With your tutorial I just might be convinced to use this stuff --- but only if I can't get my favorite product --- Fiebing's Pro-Oil.. I learned with it, I know what to expect it to do and I like it. Very good critique Mr. Ghormley, well worth the read. Thank you. Mike P.S. For my edges I use a tad bit of water, glycerine soap and a final finish of my favorite (being a bit on the che --- uh, frugal side) Mop and Glo mixed 50/50 with water.

You are welcome Tom, as to the vinegar smell, it may well be that you have not put enough steel in the vinegar when you started. If the jug smells strongly of vinegar ---add more steel until it will no longer dissolve. I use steel wool, torched to remove wax and/or oil, ('taint really necessary, but I do it) I cut the stuff into thin strips, small enough to stuff easily through the narrow bottle neck. Another point --- use the airbrush to lay on a LIGHT coat of neatsfoot oil --- clean the brush by shooting some denatured alcohol through it. Also, the Mop and Glo is almost exactly the same as any of the 'Sheen' products --- per their data sheet, just an acrylic coating which absorbs into the leather on the first coat. Remember though, too much of almost anything 'taint good. Mike

From the grumpy old guy; I have not 'shared' any of my patterns. This is mainly because I can't find them because they don't exist anymore.When done with a holster, I chuck the pattern, too damned many to try to keep and catalog. I do only custom work --- no 'standard' patterns. I draw a new pattern for each holster, even if it is for a shooter similar to one done many times previously.. My customers come to me for a holster with characteristics which they cannot find on the open (commercial) market. They want the thing to fit THEIR specific needs and/or desires. I take a trace of each firearm at the start of things and go from there. I have used one other person's basic pattern (one time) with his express permission, and with the delivery of the finished product went a full disclosure that the pattern was not mine and gave full credit to the originator. I have also used photos of older holsters from "Packing Iron" as the basis for a holster or rig, but I still have to draw the pattern. Of course, not many folks would need to produce a holster in any quantity like this. Mike

Dwight's got it right IMO. Too much NO, and too much Resoline. Frankly I don't use Resoline, I use Mop and Glo (yeppers, the floor stuff) mixed 50/50 with water and just mist on two coats with a drying time of about 10 to 20 minutes between --- depending on the weather. Finish with a hand applied and buffed light shot of Kiwi neutral polish. Of course I'm a bit che.... uh, 'frugal'. At about $5+ a quart, I end up with a half gallon for (maybe) a little more than a 4oz bottle of Resoline. A good belt will soften and conform with wear --- like a good pair of boots. Mike

FWIW from the old grumpy guy; as said, Eco-flo is kind of the redheaded step-child on here. What's happening is, since the dye(?) is water based (as is the finish) when you rub the finish on --- it reacts with the dye, picking it up and doing nasty things to your project. One way to apply the finish without physically rubbing rubbing it on, is to take an old Windex pump sprayer and 'mist' on a coat of the stuff.--- let it dry for 10 minutes or so, and apply another coat. The best way is to order up some Fiebing's or Angelus dyes and do the job well and properly. . Mike

Plus one --- a whole bunch of times to you Ray --- I couldn't have said it half as well as did you. When you add in all custom work to the equation, folks just don't understand the time and effort involved. I just delivered a full rig for a Ruger Mk III 'Hunter'. The customer wanted a flap holster with a magazine pouch integral on the front of the holster --- plus two double mag holders on the belt. I measured him personally and he needed a 56" gunbelt. Lead time was about a month, and he seemed a bit testy about that.. The customer is a large,older gentleman, plagued by the residuals from a stroke, plus some other medical problems. By the time I finished it (in three weeks) I had to take it back and redo the billet end to make up for a twelve pound weight loss by him. I couldn't tell by his demeanor if he was pleased, but his wife told me that he was as happy as a five year old on Christmas. Mike.

Reaper, you said it! Back some years ago I got a deal on a sand blast cabinet that had been sitting out in the desert for some time. Went to pick it up at about 9:00 am Grabbed that puppy without gloves (like a damned fool) and blistered both hands. Old Ma Nature's smile can be vicious. Mike

Reaper, I've eaten more than one Sunday 'brunch' of steak and eggs cooked on a shiny piece of sheet steel laid out in the sun. Got the idea from a similar event frequently done at a little Naval Air Facility in the AZ. desert. Got shipped to the Naval Air Station in Memphis Ten. --- it wouldn't work there --- that was back in the very early '60s. Mike

Bill, I use the absolute cheapest airbrush made. It's the 'Quick Change' set from Harbor freight. Runs on a hard fart --- very little pressure needed. I shoots neatsfoot oil, oil dyes and spirit based dyes easily. 'Taint very adjustable, but after a bit of practice you can do some stuff like this if you don't mind a bit of overspray on your table. Mike

Well, I guess that you are actually talking about a standard pouch holster --- not a clam shell. Here's a couple of pics of a 'Clam Shell' duty holster from the early '60's. It wasn't too good of a rig as it had a tendency to pop open at unannounced times --- dumping your shooter on the ground. However one large law enforcement agency carried them for some time.Wouldn't work at all for an IWB. Mike

I agree with Phatdaddy. It works well when backed by a 3/4 oz piece of veg tanned and used in inlay work. Folding or bending will try to lift the 'scales' or 'plates'. A pic of how I use it mostly. Mike

I'm with ramrod on this because of the tell-tale grey or grey/blue center line. Common in chrome tanned leather. Mike

First off --- nicely done. Second --- I don't use black dye mainly because of the problem of rub-off, Even big-name commercial makers have rub-off with their LEO rigs. I use vinegaroon when I have to make a black holster. Mike

mishka, you can't see from the photo, but all it is is a fold-over sleeve that slides onto the belt. Stitching is hidden by the two pouches. Mike