katsass

I'd say that would be overkill. Although if it is an N Frame S&W, it may not be. Mike

Particle, I'll bet you had fun putting that together, what with the leather thickness and all. BUT I do like the idea and...of course...your execution. Mike

As always Particle, you do great work. Mike

IMO Hicks has it right. I make all of my holsters with two layers of at least 4/5 oz leather, they mold well and retain their shape well (because of the two grain sides) and are (because of that) smoothly lined. For a larger gun the 7/8 lined with 3/4 should work very well. Be prepared for a bit of stitching though. A pic or two of one of my 'little' wheelgun holsters, made with two layers of 4/5 oz. This one I use myself and is left handed. Mike

Fredo, others have mentioned the belt tunnel, but as to making a dummy for molding, without the actual firearm, I have gone on the net, looked up the specs on the pistol, and made my dummy of wood. All they end up being is two pieces of wood glued together......but they work well. One piece cut and formed to the length, height, and width of the slide, and the second is the width of the trigger guard, shaped and angled as the front of the guard, and glued into place. I don't like to have to do that, but, at times, it becomes a necessity. Very nice job you did there. Mike

I am somewhat different than most in that I'm very 'small-time'...... and I like it that way. I've been doing this for over 40 years, and now, retired from law enforcement, I just plain enjoy doing 'something different' for my customers. Each item is a custom order and each item is different from any other I make, similar maybe, but unique for each individual. I don't have to rely on my work as a total income, it's more like 'beer money'.....plus. I like to fish and I like to shoot trap.......if that sort of thing gets in the way of an order for a day or two, so be it. That said, I have customers waiting. Over the years I have had only one customer cancel an order because he wanted his holster "pretty damned quick". He ultimately bought a commercially made holster........and ended up not too happy. Now, after three years or so, he still wants to order form me..........and it ain't gonna happen. I hear that I'm considered by some to be a grumpy old man, but my customers seem proud to have a 'Katsass' holster in their possession. I don't do much embellishment on my stuff any more (I did, years ago).........just solid working leather items. All that said, I only put out about 100 leather items a year.......those, plus a few hand done, scrimshaw pistol grips (example pic) and some work on S&W handguns. I'm not cheap, but I feel my prices are reasonable and a lot of my leather is still in use after quite a few years. Mike

Lobo: It looks great! I remember the biggest run I (well, Ma Kat and I) did was a run of 28 holsters, start to finish, hand sewn, between a Friday afternoon and the following Monday morning. They were all the same design for the same gun, which helped. I was glad to get then all done, in more ways than one. Mike

A couple of doubles and a single........Mike

FWIW: I would use a good epoxy type of adhesive. Mike

I use waxed linen for all of my stitching. I do use 4/5 oz leather for holsters, however, I double it up........two layers of 4/5 oz bonded flesh side to flesh side. This results in a single piece of leather, smooth on each side and 8 to 10oz overall. I believe that the thread is 7 strand. IMO 5 oz is way too thin for most holsters. Mike

About 6 months ago, a long time friend and I were discussing life and times over a few adult beverages. Somehow we got around to the subject of the uses of 'natural' substances that can be used in our current, more modern times. I mentioned that I had brewed up a jug of vinegaroon for my leather work . We began discussing the possibilities when I (drawing upon a vast store of usually useless tidbits of knowledge) mentioned that I understood that green walnut hulls could be used to make leather and/or fabric dye. That damned look came into my friend's eye.....(I know that look. He and I worked together as LEOs for a number of years) and calmly stated that he "might know where a walnut tree was" (they are quite rareout here in the desert)......I quickly changed the subject. Two weeks ago the old guy (I'm 'around' 70......HE'S old) shows up with a big grin and a big bag of half rotted green walnuts. He explained that he had located this tree and, knowing 'MY' desire to try and make some natural leather dye, retrieved a batch for me. He did express a STRONG desire to know what odor was produced while cooking. Well....... there they were, so, a couple of days later, I sorted out the ones that still had a usable amount of green hull on them, and ended up with about 5 pounds of green walnuts. I stripped the remnants of hull from the inner hard thing, stuffed that green sticky stuff into a good sized stock pot, added water and put the thing on the stove to boil. Ma Kat was interested in my endeavor, however I sidestepped her interest by telling her that I was "cooking up something for later". (I did it in the house because there was a ball game on the tube that I wasn't going to miss) Anyhoo, as the stuff in the pot began to boil a (surprisingly) pleasant, fruity odor permeated the house. Ma Kat thought I was making some kind of jam. I allowed the pot to simmer all damned day, then cool, and settle out any solids. I then filtered the stuff and ended up with a couple of quarts of black, opaque liquid. Ma wasn't happy that she didn't get any jam......but the house smelled nice. Yesterday I grabbed a piece of scrap leather and immersed it in the black goo, waited all of 2 minutes, pulled it out and let it dry. The result was a very nice light walnut shade to my leather piece. It is a perfect contrasting color for a project underway, in which I intend to use a dark snakeskin as an inlay in a (to my limited experience) unique way. After consideration, the color seemed a bit too light in shade however, so I cooked it down by about 1/3. I'll give it another try this morning. But it works! Mike

FWIW: I now use Weldwood Contact Cement...their solvent based stuff....exclusively now. I have used, or tried to use, some other glues or cementing products, but this stuff is always the same and always works for me. Years ago there was a product named "Grip". Fantastic stuff.........it's gone now. Mike

Well I've never done anything like that, but I have stuck an old belt thru the loops on a new holster, and wet molded it by cinching it up around a largeish tree. Worked for me to get the contour. Mike

troop; the best for an inexpensive dryer is a fair sized cardboard box with a hair dryer stuck thru a hole. Keep it on low heat and punch a few holes to allow air to circulate. Don't direct the heat onto the leather, let the moving air do it's thing. About the max heat you want is 130 degrees.........a heat lamp will cook the leather...'taint good. Mike

It has to be at least the thickness of your thread........just as Tap x3 says. Mike

Good looking work, the only thing that I do differently when installing a thumb break is to mount the tab on the outside of the strap rather than in toward the gun. Mike

Well, Lord Luv A Duck!!!! JS, My apologies for the pic....somehow I pulled the wrong one off Photobucket back when this was originally posted..and never checked back. This is the pic I think I intended to post. Again, sorry about that. Mike P.S. How did it come out?

For what it's worth from a grumpy old man....... IF you are asking for a critique. Your overall design 'taint bad, it looks like everything is in the right spot, but I would like to see the shooter in place. I saw your post elsewhere in this forum where you stated that you used linseed oil on it. That stuff is for wood...'taint that good on leather....I'd use neatsfoot oil. To me (just an opinion) I don't want my leather to look like plastic. For my tastes use something else for a finish...or a lot less of it. Your stitching is all in the right place, evenly spaced from your edges, and doesn't 'wander' much....but needs some work. The individual stitches look to be even in length......but, maybe a little long. I'd suggest a #6 overstitch for marking, then again for a final go after your stitching is done. (that's why it's called an 'overstitch') If you are using a punch to do the stitching holes....get rid of it and get a good stitching awl. Also, maybe make your stitching groove a bit deeper. Finally, get to burnishing your edges nice and smooth. A nicely burnished edge, maybe even with a touch of darker dye (to match your stitches) would perk this puppy right up. OK, please don't take my comments as any sort of 'put down' on your work. I try never to anything of the sort, but we all want to do the best we can. I learn from this forum frequently, and I've been messing with cow skins for well over 30 years. You are well ahead of the game..you are doing the work....all it needs, in my opinion is some 'tweaking'. Take from my comments what you will, many consider my comments the rantings of a grumpy old man ...BUT....you didn't pay a penny for them. Keep at it. Mike

Here are a few of my holsters done with the Firbings colors as indicated on each. Well, there would be a few more except 'Photobucket' decided to give up on me. Hope these help a little. OOP's, got Photobucket back...a few more. All are finished with Fiebings Leather Sheen. Remember, differing pieces of veg tanned take the dye differently. I'm even working up my own 'home brew' of a stain made with walnut hull. I'll post some pics of that stuff when I get it finished 'cooking' then strained. Again, hope this helps. Mike British Tan & Dk. Brown Saddle Tan & Dk Brown & Walnut (on the braid) Saddle Tan & Dk Brown Neatsfoot Oil and Saddle Soap Multi Coats of Saddle Tan w/ Dk Brown Inlay Walnut

My first advice is to get rid of that punch. Then, get a decent stitching groover, a diamond shaped stitching awl....not a common scratch awl, also get an overstitch tool. A #6 is about right for most stitching. Groove, run the overstitch to mark your spacing then do as has been advised by all here, but take....your....time. Finally, when done, dampen the leather slightly and run the overstitch.......you got it....over the stitching. See the pics. Just some suggestions from the grumpy old man. Mike grove: overstitch to mark

As for the number of loops, remember that the pistol will be in the shooting (right hand in this case) hand, and the off hand has to COMFORTABLY reach the loops for a reload. If they go too far around the waist they are difficult to obtain. This has to be taken into consideration when building a rig for a 'large' person....they usually don't have the reach of a slimmer individual. That's why I consider 12 to be the max. usable number for a six-shooter. For the Judge, you'd have to determine the optimum number of each type of rounds you'd want to carry.......and still be able to reach them all comfortably. Mike

Well, I'm probably somewhat different than most here. I'm small time...I like it that way. I've been making holsters now for over 30 years, and I make primarily things that are not exactly what is commercially available locally. I do a lot of left-hand stuff. I have been known to turn away a customer just because I didn't like the way he talked. Many consider me a grumpy old man. I learned to saddle stitch from an old WWI 'horse soldier' when I was about 17, and all of my stuff is hand sewn. Frankly, I enjoy hand stitching. I can do it even while partaking of an 'adult' beverage or two. Mike

+1 for Lobo! I started my LEO career around the same time as Lobo, with an issued .38 Spl. Colt Police Positive......Then went through all of the 'upgrades' from S&W M-19's, on to S&W Auto's and my last duty gun was a G-21.The only thing I have to add is that I don't like the term 'accidental' discharge...........to me they, at best, are 'unintentional', most often they are just plain HUA. These are my opinions on the subject, and some consider them just the opinions of a grumpy old man. Mike