JLSleather

That little fella is lookin' good! Confident - which is awesome in itself. Good to see the young ones learnin' and doin' -- not to mention an early work ethic. The accent is heavy enough it takes me a bit to follow it - but he probly say the same thing about me. That's one for the leather portfolio AND the family album. Makes a complete bag, without dragging out a video into a tv series, and made it for his Mum. Well done, youngster!

Yep, that would do it right there. Solve both issues quick

Yeah, different out there, Big Souix. We measure in acres, some folks measure in square feet -- as in no place to park a car to the point it becomes a pain to have one!

Yeah, that would work. But some of us would have to travel considerably to come measure yer wife On shoulder straps, I just usually 2-piece the thing and add a buckle --- she can adjust it from there.

FWIW ... I think Goliger only sells full sides. I ordered leather from Weaver once. I will not do it again. Springfield Leather will sell you a back (side minus belly). It will be a bit pricey, and the quality is a crap-shoot.... I've got some that were okay, and some that were just crap. Since they are jacking up the price by 50% and MORE, you'd think they'd have just the good stuff. Still, I mention them because they HAVE sent me a decent piece here 'n' there. I'm with Alex, I can take a wrinkle before a "smooshy" back side. Wickett & Craig will sell you a side OR a back, and you can order from just 1 to a full stack. I get backs there, great holster leather in their skirting. As a rule, I get HO at HO. There IS no such thing - I think - as spotless leather, but HO backs (no belly) works out about $10/ft for A grade AFTER shipping charges. You do, though, have that minimum order thing. Tandy's site shows a pretty good drawing of the part of a cow you're getting. https://www.tandyleather.com/en/leather-buying-guide.html

A $2 conway buckle makes the whole thing adjustable, for that matter.

If you jus gittin ONE weight, I'd do 7/8 oz. Versatile weight for holsters - all but the small pocket holsters. You "could" do 6/7, but on many rigs you'd be wanting to line it to beef it up, and that's more money and more work. There isn't really an "unusable" portion of hide, though some portions of some hides are unusable. I generally don't order bellies - just get the backs (side minus belly). I would NOT make anything from belly leather - the exception being small pocket wallets and such where there's virtually no stress on it. Still, bellies do have their use in linings, wraps, etc. You will be billed more per foot for backs, just FYI. This last order, I got sides (with belly) wondering if it might be faster. It wasn't So I have like 4 bellies I'm sure I will put somewhere before its over. Generally, the bend is the best part of the hide. I like backs - which is just the bend plus a single shoulder - since i can cut belts from teh bend and holsters from the shoulder, and the texture and color are the same (theory). Out there where yer at, aguycould maybe call em up at Goliger Leather (this would be my 'best choice' if I was there). OR, some folks said okay stuff about Maverick, though I've never bought HO from them (sometimes, you get good intentioned "reviews' from people who don't really have much experience with what "good" leather is). In order of desirability (at JLS, which is all I can speak for) I like bends, backs, sides, shoulders, in that order. Bellies are somewhere else

Still a pancake. A "pancake" with belt slots is not called a "slot pancake". You'll see "IWB" holsters which are nothing more than a pancake with belt LOOPS instead of belt SLOTS. A building which collapses down on teh floor below is said to "pancake".. simply meaning two layers slapped together (as a flapjack would be). Each his own, but I'm not seeing the benefit of this "channel" between layers. Either way, the thickness is the same (two layers of holster plus the belt) and you're relying on ONE layer of the holster to retain its position on the belt instead of both layers. In other words, marketing ...

Or, to use your 8" drop.. guessing your handles are 10" apart, then 1/2 of 10" is 5", SO 5^2 + 8^2 = L^2 25 + 64 = L^2 L= (89)^-1 L= 9 7/16" So the strap would be 18 7/8" long.

Well, there's the "theory" of it all --- but I wouldnt think that TOO critical, since a detailed (gnats backside) calculation would need to involve leather thickness and stretch, which would vary all over the place. if a guy was good with a "pretty close' length, then divide distance between attachment points (span) in half this span x itself (squared), plus the drop distance x itself (squared), would equal 1/2 the needed length x itself (squared), OR (span)^2 + (drop)^2 = L^2 eg; if your handles are sewn 10" apart, and you want it to "drop" 24" to the top of the bend, then (10)^2 + (24)^2 = L^2, OR 100 + 576 = L^2, 676 = L^2 L=(676)^-1 L= 26" This is ONE SIDE, so the strap would be 52"

I DO like HO leather, but truth is if I was in PA, I'd likely be at Wickett / Craig more often than I already am. Their skirting dyes and finishes quite well, forms and tools good too. As a rule, I find the W/C natural color to be slightly brighter (lighter color) than HO. Good texture to it.

Meh.. sounds like a lotta work fer what it is. Most of us round these here parts jus bop the stamp on a scrap ta see if'n we like the look. BUT then, I didn't realize for a long time that people wanted to PAY for a "pattern" of a rectangle that somebody called a "wallet", so whadue i know

Maybe should put this on the site? Likely just gits barried here There, tha's more better. http://www.jlsleather.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Mag_G19_P0.pdf

I don't know how to jitter (whatever that is). Maybe make them custom shapes instead?

That's a nice job of laying out the lettering. Everybody who''s used them knows what a pain those stamps are -- and multiple "instruction" videos showing one letter placed against the previous one don't help! And then, if there's any contour at all to the lettering due to being on a banner (or ribbon), then the stamps are out the window anyway

Ahhh. so THAT"S what that Colt looks like with a Springfield in 'er I'm makin' one er two here shortly for that same gun, gonna be 80/20's (or perhaps 83/17) in chestnut.

Stick with the 3/4 oz on the outside. I know some people like 4/5 oz, but even that gets thick pretty fast when stacking layers. For the inside, I like about 1 1/2" - 2 oz.

Here's the first "wave". I have multiples of some of these, so feel free to ask. Meanwhile, more leather just came on the truck, better git busy ... $400 takes 'em all (29) ... and some other stuff I find while packin' em. Or, $16 apiece plus actual shipping. Quick -- I'm gonna start packin' up 'fore long!

Looks like 29 embossed belts, though I may have miscounted All are over 50" long unless noted. Pics shortly.

Yeah, I aint never put no saddle-lac on a holster (though I do have both). Howdja "calculate" the 70%? Looks like a solid holster, just wondrin' if ya "figured" it or "eyeballed" it.

Yep, simple. Surprising there isn't a set on each street corner

Yer in PA and haven't been to Wickett & Craig? I think that may be some kind of leather guy misdemeanor Price is 'about' $10/foot -- not really a "discount", but rather the ability to purchase what you need, instead of whole sides. Oh, I maybe should have mentioned that I have exactly THREE bellies.. ordinarily don't buy the belly with the backs, but this last time I did thinking it may get here faster (it didn't). Oh, and the tracking says that side of W/C chestnut should be here tomorrow, so I'll have the belly from that, too. The bellies are 8 oz black skirting (2 of those) and 4 oz black skirting (1 of those). Instead of by the foot, I'd take $50 for all of that and maybe a dozen $ shipping) NOT good for belts, but fine for collars, cuffs, sheathes, and the 4 oz makes those 'minimalist' wallets I make (or line it for holsters). I have 'single shoulders' in black AND natural, and maybe 1 in chestnut, assuming I can cut what I need from the piece and still have that. And I'm cleaning / clearing, so smaller bits git thrown in just cuz it helps us both. Message me 'about' what you need, and I'll find a piece that's close... Oh, and 1.5" wide belt blanks at $16, but I'd go $14 for a "bulk" deal. If you know yer gonna cut 8 or 10, better to get the whole piece by the foot. These are "A" grade HO, or I can cut some of the black W/C if you know you're doing black. It stamps great, but ... you know... tough to dye it pink In fact, let's do the embossed ones same price.. I gotta go MN got better beer, if I remember rightly .... A bit of english bridle long enough for belts / slings... in dark brown, and a smaller piece in medium brown. And I have chrome tanned stuff I used to make linings for wallets / checkbooks.. in brown, burgundy (ish), and etc. And a bit of dark color suede, about 4 oz. Used to line straps / slings, mostly. Actually, I think I'm gonna have to do a "somewhat" inventory to get it all

You (anyone) cannot say "a burnisher should run at x-rpms" without knowing the diameter of the burnishing tool. I have two burnishers - one is about 3/4" diameter, and one is a 2" diameter. If you run them both at the same rpm, the 2" will be running almost 3 times faster on the leather (surface feet per minute). To get the same effect with the 2" as you get with teh 3/4', the speed would need to be reduced. To have the effect the same, the 2" would need to run 3/8 as fast (rpms) as the 3/4". To run the 2", you would need to "turn it down" to less than half the same speed. That said, I run my 3/4" in a drill press - and it's jsut a guess, but I'd say it's running about 500 rpm. The 2" I turn down as low as it will go (variable speed) and still don't like it, but can't turn it down MORE. If I didn't have the smaller one, I'd make something to adapt it to the drill press! But for those who like quick 'n' simple... while aguycould cut off the threaded end of the arbor, it's much simpler to simply drill a clearance hole in the burnisher to clear the threads. Looks like a guy only need about 5/8-3/4" ... Oh, just FYI.. this is the basis for, and the reason, why speed reducers work on machines.

Hermann Oak "A" & Wickett/Craig "standard" leather, assorted pieces. Small as a belt strip or large as a belt bend, and between. Some natural, some black (W/C skirting). Most is about 8 oz, but there is some 9 oz and some 4 oz. Belt blanks - some smooth and some embossed. I'll try to start takin' pics, should have done this two weeks ago! Seriously, where else can you see the piece you're getting?! Cash or blue guns (lemme know what ya have -- I got enough duplicates already, but duplicate "benjamins" are fine ).

This is your job for next week. Probably worth some money if you save them in the right file type, so aguycould use them in PS or Il (and maybe even Corel).