katsass

From the grump: I just use a coat of neatsfoot oil on the interior of my holsters. Mike

Well, first off - - what does the label say? Mike

Don, from just an old grumpy guy. I understand where you are coming from. I have a day or two on me also, and things do get a bit more difficult as time goes by. Luckily it ain't my grubby mitts that give me problems, it's that there isn't much git in the git-along anymore. It's rather painful to stand and start moving around. I've had too many damned doctors cutting and messing with my back, legs and knees - - to 'make things better'. The commercial holster makers use machines to do their stitching - and use the lock stitch. If you CAN make the little stitching awl work well for you - use it, but most find it difficult to maintain a constant tension when using one. If it's the needle pulling that is giving you the most problem, or if the actual use of the awl is, my suggestion would be to use a drill press, on a low speed, with a small diameter nail (chop the head off) as a bit to pre-punch your holes for saddle stitching. Find a nail size that allows you to stuff the needles through the leather without too much effort or discomfort and go to town. The holes may show a bit, but after stitching, just dampen that stitched edge then hit your work with an overstitch, and the holes should tend to disappear. Just take your time at it. Hope this helps a bit. OH, and yes, I do hand stitch my belts. Mike P.S. Remember, there just isn't any hard and fast RULE on how things have to be done with leather - whatever works for YOU - is how it's done.

Just a comment, and a meandering thought or two from the grumpy old guy; I've been around holsters and shooters (guns) for a day or two now. I've watched with interest the progression of holster design and seen many come - - and many go. Things like the old Hoyte shoulder rig, the Safety Speed (old style mechanical clam-shell), the 'semi-shoulder rig (a modification of the pull-through design), the pull-through with it's open back side, the IWB, and of course the break-front styles. Most of these were carried by many - - then were found to be lacking or deficient in one way or another. It seems to me that as time goes on, holster makers have rethought and redesigned the things to the point that many have gone beyond that which a holster was - - a pouch in which to carry a gun, which is secure for the gun, easily retrievable for the shooter and comfortable to wear. Security, availability, and comfort are things that seem to me to be easing into the nebulous area of computer design and the idea of more is better. Holsters now have snaps and straps and tension adjusts and what-all on them. Currently, LEO's have to deal with level 4 'retention' holsters, with their 'push down, push forward, draw straight up type of design just to remove the gun. Personally I feel that the old high-rise Border Patrol rig was more secure and one hell of a lot quicker - but I'm just a grumpy old fart - that carried one. As to IWB holsters, they were designed IMO to be a quick on, quick off, concealed rig for small framed weapons. Small framed weapons, because they conceal better and are more comfortable to wear. A simple pouch with a clip to keep the gun from wandering down the pant-leg. These simple, straight forward rigs have morphed into something vastly different nowadays, and, I don't feel that they perform in any better way than those old simple rigs. I'm very much a traditionalist in my design and workmanship. This, the result of looking at the simplest and least complicated way of doing things. It's my opinion that the simpler the better and when designing my stuff, and proceed along those lines. I am in NO WAY demeaning any-one's work or efforts, but am suggesting that one may want to ask 'why' we are puting as much leather, snaps, straps, tension adjusters and/or clips into a rig designed to conceal, as we are puting into many open carry rigs. NOW, these are just he ramblings of a grumpy old man that may be living in the past, but one that is comfortable there, and, again, am in no way demeaning the works of others. Mike

From the grump; This happens to be ostrich shin (leg) leather as an inlay, but quil ostrich can be used in the same manner. Mike

The old grump has to agree with rest of the crew. I just see no benefit from the positioning of the clips. Mike

I think it's quite a bit larger in diameter that the one for the double cap rivets. Mike

Doug - - Very sorry about that, I misread, misinterpreted or just screwed up and got off-track somewhere along the way, didn't intend to get under your skin - - but the pics I took are pretty good I think. Mike

FWIW: I'm lost and don't know what the hell you are talking about, There ain't no dome on a copper rivet - - it's flat as a pancake and - if properly set - sits flush with the surface of the leather. The side with the burr and peened stud sit just slightly proud of the opposite surface. It's over and finished with just a couple of whacks with a good hammer, as in these pics. Mike

Well girl, as the kid in the comercial said -- so long ago "things are lookingup". Good deal. Mike

FWIW; copper rivets are set by first driving the burr down the slightly tapered shaft of the rivet with the use of a drilled hole in the set(er). When the burr is down solidly, the excess of the rivet is trimmed off and the second portion of the set is used to round over that portion left standing proud above the burr. I don't think that the little hand press even has a dye available to set the burr, and definitely is not powerful enough to actually 'set' the round head you want. Peening over the rivet just makes a mess aesthetically, although is will hold if done properly, but that's why a rivet set is used for this type of operation. Mike.

HellfireJack has it right. I don't know why they added the 'er' on the end of rivet 'set' - - it's been called a 'set' for as long as I have known of them, and I have used all sizes of rivets and burrs over the years - - mainly on farm equipment, but now and then on leather. As far as I'm concerned, if you actually NEED a rivet on leather, the copper ones are what you use. Those 'Speedy' rivets, or Rapid rivets have been known to come apart. Mike

No problem St8Line, the way I explain things at times, nobody can figure out just what the hell I'm saying anyway. Mike

You use the rivet set (a single tool, not a group of things) that you may purchase from Springfield Leather or other suppliers. Just match the size of the set to the size of the rivet. I use #9 sized rivets on the rare occasion I happen to need them. Mike

From the grump; The only pre-owned items I have, or even would, work on were rough-out saddles, on which I did some inverted carving and dye work. They came out pretty well, and my customers were happy, But for the normal carving and tooling I just don't think that a used and worn-in saddle would end up worth a damn. To much saddle soap, oil, and horse sweat in them - - and a finish coat of (usually) lacquer on top. JMHO Mike

From a grumpy (frugal) old guy; Well, you may think this odd, but many (40 or more) years ago i ran out of the acrylic finish I was using at the time, and being 45 miles or so from the nearest place to get some more, I started to look around. Ma Kat was cleaning up and using Mop&Glow on the floor and it looked a lot like what I had been using on leather. After some messing around and reading a bit - - that's just what went on the leather. Mop & Glow mixed 50/50 with water. I now use an airbrush to apply, but a used Windex bottle sprayer works well. Just stand off from your project a foot or so and let the stuff sort of 'mist' on, evenly. It'll absorb real QUICKLY - - and dry fast on warm leather, especially on the rough-out side. After a couple of minutes apply a second light coat. That's about it. On the grain side (smooth leather) you can follow up with a hand rubbed coat of Kiwi neutral shoe polish and buff to a low sheen. I've now been using it for the said 40 or more years - on all of my stuff. Mike

From the grump; Looks like you are using Al Stohlman's book to learn with, I think I'd just attach a band (forming a loop) of your dark stuff to the end of the belt loop already cut, and make the thing into a 'half-skirt'' holster. You could then (if you are working on a real tight budget and don't have the dye) wet the thing down in some old, real strong (cold) coffee for the wet molding process. That would give you some color to the body of the holster, and a nice contrast with the retaining band, when dry and formed, apply your finish.

FWIW from the grump; I don't much care for pop-rivets at all - - let alone in working with leather. Springfield Leather has old-fashioned rivet sets and copper rivets and burs in a couple of sizes. They end up looking like this. Mike

From the old grumpy guy; St8line, I only use a dinky drill when teaching a person to stitch. I have them drill a series of 'pilot' holes with a 3/64" bit in a Dremel tool, then follow up with the awl - that way they pay attention to the proper orientation of the awl, and not so much on trying to get proper angle and the feel of the awl going in the right place. After a reasonably short time they resort to just poking holes with the awl. I still do my holes with a 30+ year old Osborne awl. Some of my stitching for Les. Mike

From the grump: I often lurk a bit, and view anything that interests me, but prior statements made, have said it all, and there is no reason to just re-state the prior conversation. There are a few times that upon viewing an item I'll shudder a bit, and really can not make up my mind as to where to start - so I just leave it alone. Mike

From the old grump; What can I say? Nothing but out-$%^%^^#-standing. Mike

From the old grump: Well, Hell! I didn't even know that this sort of punch, chisel or doo-dad existed. My tools and I have been on good (or reasonable) terms for so long that I just do not go looking for new stuff to replace them. This thing sort of puts a 'hole' new 'slant' on things. All the ones I have seen were a series of slanted chisels (suitable for lacing) or dinky (but not dinky enough) round hole punches. I'm sure that for curves and such, another similar single one would be needed (or back to a good awl) and I don't know how well it would work on four layers of 4/5oz and heavier stuff. Might be worth wandering through some of the newer tools just so that i didn't end up coming off as an anachronism. Mike

A disclaimer here, from the grump; In no way do I indicate that the use of a machine stitcher renders one's work as not being custom work. I'm sure that there are many more custom makers that use a machine to stitch, than those that hand-stitch their stuff. There are some makers, however, that do both. Custom work is done by those that design and produce an item specifically for an individual and to the requirements of that customer exclusively. That item being unavailable in any other way. I just indicate that in my case, my customers know that their item is hand stitched. Mike

From the grump; The firmness of a holster lays in the grain layer of the leather. When the holster is almost completed, it generally is wet molded. That is, wet down well with water then molded to the actual gun, or an exact copy of the gun for which the holster is made. As the leather air dries, it firms up enough to remove the gun or replica without disturbing the final shape, and then warm air (usually about 135 degrees, but never more than 150 degrees) is allowed to flow over the holster to speed up and complete the drying process. When thoroughly dry, a finish is applied. The quality of the leather, heated air and an even removal of moisture are the critical things in good drying - - and the resultant firmness. I generally use two layers of lighter leather to make my holsters, the two layers of grain, when dried properly, result in an extremely firm holster. Mike

From the grump: OK, I just posted this pic this morning in another thread. Even went out to the shop to make the little sample and take the pic - - before my second cup of coffee this morning. Marking and punching holes isn't rocket science! You gouge, mark and then punch holes, it took me just a minute or two to make this sample. IMO most folks make their holes so big that Granny with the 'rumatiz' could run a line of stitching like hemming a dress. For good, tight stitching you need small holes, that close back up after running the overstitch when done with pulling thread. An example of what I'm talking about: That's a #1 size needle (smaller than the #0 used by most folks) and my awl blade for comparison, and that is the gouge left by the standard stitching groover. Mike