olds cool

Guess I never spend much time in that section of the stores. I'll take a look next time I'm in there or maybe check a craft/hobby store. They look sort of like the wheels you'd put on a wooden train toy

Hey those are pretty slick (pun intended) Don't think I've ever come across those in a hardware store. What section did you find them in?

Looks good. I've also used Eric's pattern and I'll vouch for how accurate they are. Using his patterns and tutorials, even a complete novice can turn out something very nice.

Hand carved basket weave? Wow, I'm impressed!

Johanna, I tend to be more on the biker side of leatherwork than the traditional and it sounds like I might find more of the type of stuff I'm looking for in the adult section. Would you be so kind as to grant me access please? Thanks in advance.

I'd like to see that one too SJ as I can't quite picture your description. I'll be following this thread for sure. You guys are right on the same wavelength that I've been on for the last week since finishing mine. Being new to holsters, I look forward to picking the brains of the more experienced. Hope you don't think of me as jacking your thread but rather a very interested newbie with the same questions.

Colt, do you have a pic of you wearing your 1911? I just finished my first 1911 holster using the Adams Leatherworks pattern and I'm running into the same problem, trying to hide the grip. I'd like to see just how yours sits to get a better idea of where the grip would sit in relation to my love handles. While I enjoyed making the holster, and it won't be my last, I don't want to make 20 of them for myself just to figure out the best angle. Sure I could just hold the gun up to my waist and see where I like it but things change quite a bit as you sit down, bend over, etc.

The more I see that Russet dye, the more I need to buy a bottle. I've added it to my shopping cart at least a 1/2 dozen times and keep removing it at the last minute. Nice job on the holster.

wmarshall, Tandy has brought back the hat pack and were offering it on their leathercraft library site for digital download the last I looked. There are also a number of folks who have a scanned pattern floating around. It's hard to find the scanned version on websites, likely due to copywrite. I'm assuming the one directly from Tandy would be of higher quality though, just a guess.

I find myself to be a bit of a pattern collector, whether I intend to use them or not. I'll often look at different patterns to see what elements I can combine or modify to fit my needs. I'd love to see whatever you come up with.

I've been trying the black and I have the opposite problem. I can't seem to get it to soak in like it should. It usually takes 2-4 coats just to stop seeing brown through it. Then 1/2 the time it rubs off when I buff it lightly with a cloth. I've tried it on 2 pieces of leather that were purchased from different places and have gotten the same results. I'm ready to throw this crap in the circular file.

Awesome!

Hope they aren't gone. I was looking forward to getting a tangleboss after I sell a few projects

Jeep fan myself so I like it a lot

I was thinking the exact same thing, otherwise, it looks fantastic

Thanks for the link. He's got a few stamps I'd really like to have.

what a useful little pouch! I like that one a lot

We are always most critical of our own work. You've failed at nothing. I think it's stunning. I'd love to buy a nice rustic wood frame and hang that on my wall.

I got one of the horse butts from SPL a while back and have tooled a few things on it so far. Maybe it worked well for me because I tend to overcase a bit. It did take a little bit more mallet to make a good impression but having never used premium leather, I didn't notice much of a difference from the budget & sale cow hides I've gotten elsewhere.

That is beautiful work and the strap compliments it perfectly. Hats off to both of you for the work. I agree with your thoughts on the brass rings and the carved stopper would complete it.

Looks very clean, especially for a first timer. I actually like the rivet. It adds a little accent. I'd also say that although the a saddle stitch would certainly look good on this piece, so does the speedy stitch. It gives a simple utility look that I rather like.

The case itself looks fantastic. Much better than my first wet formed piece. Once you get the casing figured out and work on your tooling a bit you'll be well on your way. The casing just takes some experience and the tooling takes lots of practice. Even after your 3rd or 4th piece, you'll see a huge improvement . Each time I tool, I figure oout just a little bit more than the last piece.

I highly recommend all 3 books as well as the Art of Hand Sewing Leather, which he refers to quite a bit.

Finally a topic I have some experience with and can share some knowledge... The tandy case is a sized decently for a general smartphone, however the sizes do vary greatly per manufacturer/model. I made a Tandy sized case for my father a few years ago and he loved it for his Droid but when he got a new Galaxy S II, he found that it wouldn't fit lengthwise. We traced the phone onto a pice of plywood and cut/sanded until it was the right size. I then took it home and scanned it into Adobe Illustrator to create a correctly sized pattern. I did the same thing with my wifes phone and will be doing the same for mine when I whip up a new case. I picked up a small pack of craft plywood from the local Hobby Lobby. I think it was a 5 or 6 pack of pieces around 4x6" and around 1/8" thick. Get a pack of those and take them with you to somewhere that sells phones. Trace a few of the popular models and make a note of about how many pieces needed to be stacked to equal the height. Keep in mind that most people add some kind of protective cover around their phones (I learned the hard way with my first Iphone). There are so many options out there for cases that it's almost impossible to account for all of them so leave some extra room if you're making extra stock for shows. Maybe offer a few lengths and let the customers try their phone out in it first. Also keep in mind that the case will stretch a little over time as it "breaks in". Something you may want to mention to a potential customer... when they pick a size, make it a tighter fit. I consider a phone case to be a high wear item, meaning it sees a lot of abuse hanging off a belt all day. Seat belts, jackets, bumping into corners, and even just the in & out of the phone will all add stresses to the fibers stretch it out till it's like that super comfy pair of quality leather boots you always keep around after the cheap ones have faded away. One last thing I'll mention from experience is the topic of closures. I prefer to stay away from snaps as I don't like the idea of intentionally pushing a piece of metal into my screen. Even when set behind a layer of lining, it still bothers me that I'm shoving a hard item into a screen even if the glass is 30x stronger than it used to be. I like to use velcro for most of mine, maybe a slide together purse type clasp if the design allows or the customer requests. I don't like using magnet closures either as it takes a fairly strong magnet to keep it from coming open when bumped. Alot of people have complained that magnets interfere with the cell reception. Dunno how true that really is though. When using velcro, the rough hook side should go on the flap. The pulling motion of opening the case helps to relase the little hooks that hold it to the fuzzy side. Installing it the other way leads to it pulling off the case prematurely. If you are relying only on the sticky backing to hold it to the leather (so it can be replaced as it wears) this will help it last just a little bit longer. I also add a few lines of superglue to the sticky backing to help it hold a little longer. Might not be the right way but it has worked well for me so far. Hope at least some part of this helps you on your way. I'd love to see some of your case ideas some time.

Fred, let me be the first to say thank you for sharing yet another one of your fine patterns. It's folks like you that help keep our hobby alive.