JLSleather

We could 'dog-pile' and 'critique', but might be better if YOU tell us what you learned. Thing about pride and learnin's.... if you really do learn from your mistakes, then the guy who knows the most is the guy who made the most mistakes!

I think there SHOULD be a distinction, but often there is not. If you put the green on the #3 and red where there's a 5, hard to call you an artist. Likewise with leather - tooled or otherwise. I can teach any monkey who is not stumbling drunk how to trace a line and "bop" a shade tool or beveler. In fact, I sometimes (less than diplomatically) refer to this mechanic ROTE as "old mcdonald tooling" (here a shade, there a shade, everwhere a ...). But I don't think art is confined to pictorial rendering either. I know a few boys who couldn't paint if you put a gun to their head, but give em some leather and a sponge and they produce GORGEOUS items - often items the rest of us didn't "see" there until it was done (much like a sculptor sees a chunk of rock). You don't need to be on LW very long to see that certainly more than half of leather people can't paint. Well, some can't and some don't , most likely. This is why that ant-streak paste is ever-popular. It goes in the low spots and comes off the high spots, much like kindergarten shading I try ot keep a combination of things going. I often airbrush the leather (no, I don't mean that "fade" around the edges of a project), I try to use designs that have some depth and perspective, and even the 'plain' projects I try to put a little something in the design. I really don't think about if that's "art" or just doing something I enjoy. That said, I saw a holster the other day that was perhaps the BEST looking holster I've seen to date (and I've seen a bunch). Paddle holster, with a simple creased border set in a bit from the edge, dipped in solid mahogany dye -- monochromatic as she gits. But the simplicity of the design was not "plain", but rather functional and CLEAN - rational and orderly. Artistic even ...

You might try line 16 snaps. I use 'em all the time -- never any problems. You might see them listed as line 16, or perhaps some places call them "segma" snaps.

That mag carrier holds the single stack '9' from Sig. I see ads and postings saying pouches fit "single stack this" or "double stack that". Keep in mind these are NOT interchangeable. While some patterns may allow the forming of more than one model, not all mags of the same caliber are the same. This isn't any big secret, but it does seem that at least some are misled by bad info "going around".

I thought we were talking about the belt loop -- or what I sometimes call the reinforcement (and sometimes "thingy"). In that case, the last pic is "better". If the belt is brown, then putting the stitch lines in (red) at the same angle is double benefit. It "locks" teh belt much more securely -- keeping the holster from "rocking" on the belt. Sucks to go to pull the gun, and have the holster move ... Plus, those math guys will tell you that angling the lines (especially the top one) allows more surface contact between the holster and the belt. LIke, say your holster is angled at 20° forward. Then the blue line is your original stitch line. Say that's 1.25" wide. Then the red, angled stitch line (which rides the belt) will be about 1.33" long (something about a cosine of 20° angles -- you'd have to ask a math person). Basically, that 20° line will be 6.5% longer than your "straight" measurment, without widening the piece. Doesn't sound like much... but a 1.25" strip would "grow" the line by nearly 3/32", or in other words, the safely the amount you're going to edge and burnish (in english - what was the starting size would now be the FINISHED size). Now, where did my life go? Not that I mind takin' a minute, but seems like I should be sitting with a couple girls while they discuss who's payin' fer breakfast ....

That looks better. Not sure why you felt the need to pull that back (toward the bottom of the weapon). I like as much "bearing surface" as I can get, but in the end you can only keep just so much. And the only part that "counts" is the part that rides the belt. Beyond that, I would angle your stitch lines at the "belt loop piece". Angle it roughly the way you want the weapon to ride. It not only lays better in there, but also allows you a bit more "bearing surface" on the belt without widening the loop.

How are you laying out the pattern? If you're tracing the gun, then just keep your "belt loop piece" inside the lines of the gun. The stitch line would of course (unavoidably) be outside of that. OH - - and I'd round that corner a bit (above your rear slot, under the grip) so it's not quite so sharp. But realistically, I don't think you're doing as badly as you seem to think ...

AND.. don't nunya go tryina make this fit anything but a P938 magazine (single stack 9mm, x 7). Single stack 9 mag pouch

I'm not sure what "DD" is in inches, but leather can move QUITE a distance. People make leather masks, which has to be similar (like a human head back to the ears). I seen foks makin' 'em from anywhere from 3/4 to 6/7 oz leather. That said, it does seem like anything molded to breasts should be hand-formed.

That sounds right. Must be the water in our neck o the woods

Downloadable holster patterns moving to jlsleather.com/ Still more in the works. Paypal ready, no 'subscription' required

This was actually worth repeating. Money isn't counted until the order is completed and delivered and it isn't completed and delivered until the customer has it in his hand and approves of it. I've seen people begin to work with leather (it happens in other fields too) and have a little success. Sometimes, they see 'expenses' as simply more leather, bigger sewing machine, more awe-some-er tools / tooling, etc. But more than once these people forget the "back end" of this ... you must be ready, willing, and able to send a refund immediately. Something should be 'in reserve'. I've seen people spend money they made legitimately. Doesn't matter why ... more materials, bigger tooling.. anything they perceive as "business" expense. But then there's a customer or two who wants to return for a refund -- and they don't have the purchase price to refund. Doesn't need to be the maker's fault -- could well be the customer thought the color was lighter, or that height is uncomfortable, or just the wife said they can't spend that money this week! For my money, I can live with a guy shipping my goods a TAD bit late, if I've been informed about it. But the guy who doesn't accept refunds, or takes a long time to do the refund, will never see my business again.

Are we still on this? For tools that make their design from single impressions, the Tandy tools are not superior. By that I mean, basket weave, geometric stamps, perhaps some vein and seed tools -- anything where the FACE of the tool becomes the FINISHED LOOK. But for bevelers, shaders (thumbprints), etc. where the tool is walked, this is far less important. Certainly the newer tools at Tandy -- say in the last 5 years or so that i know of - are pretty sad and I won't own them. But my older ones work just fine. I personally think much of the "difference" in tools is marketing POO. As in a t-shirt is $6. But somebody tell you it belonged to a relative of Elvis, and suddenly they want $6k. Same shirt, different day. Yes, I know the munkys will be here to go on about this guy or that guy is THE guy. But truth is, there is nobody here - in fact nobody LIVING - that invented any of it. BEAUTIFUL saddles were being crafted from leather CENTURIES before anybody here. They didn't use Craftool brand.

Yep, I use some. Thread Exchange got several brands, too - and the service is good.

There's a stack o' machines kin stitch leather. By double, I assume you mean about double 7 or 8 ounce leather. That's under 1/4", so most machines you hear about around here are going to work. The larger issue is one that will sew smoothly with the thread size you'll want. Lotsa boys around these parts use 277 thread on holsters / belts. My personal opinion - while I've used 277 (including today) I think 207 thread makes a belt / holster just fine. Point is, I wouldn't go smaller than that on the holster (though I HAVE stitched belts with #138 thread). Not sure why you'd have an issue finding a holster for the RIA. Maybe i'll go look that up, see what the issue is. If it's just a matter of 'blue guns', the real gun worrks just fine I order from Rob over at bluegunstore.com (composite material) and also from Scott up at duncansoutdoor.com (aluminum). Between the two, they usually have what I need.

Hey Jon - I vote for the correct reducer also (Fiebings with Fiebings, Angelus has their own, etc.). These certainly are the top two popularity-wise. I've used both with good results, but I can tell you a couple things you'll want to NOT do. Don't use that denatured alcohol stuff. Yes, it's cheap. But it doesn't work nearly as well, and the stuff's main function is to destroy brain cells. Don't mix the Fiebing's with the Angelus - not even the reducer. "Everybody" said it's the same, so I've tried it. Fiebings dye with angelus reducer leaves a sickening 'tie-dye' look that normal people don't much care for. Well, perhaps if you're into that zombies n skulls thing, might work for ya You can oil before or after dye, or BOTH. Trick is to use the oil SPARINGLY. Like kinda hold up a jug of oil, take the leather in the other hand, and then TALK about oil for a bit. Then put both down NOt TOO much more than that. As a rule, I oil after dye is finished, but each his own. I HAVE dyed leather that was previously oiled, and I dare say I'm not the only one. Beyond that, depends on HOW you dye. If you're dipping the leather in a bowl of dye, then I'd let it set at least over night. I've airbrushed leather, and slapped oil 10 minutes later. Then finish on in the morning and stitch in the noontimes....

http://www.usacuttingdie.com/services.html Do you know what the size and radii are?

Depends on what you mean by "punch". You might talk with that little feller from TX custom dies. Never dealt with him, but people I know who have, say good things about them folks. And they do make "mallet dies", in case you weren't aware of that.

Are you talking about veg tanned 3 oz, or garment type leathers? For chrome tanned leather in a 'bag' weight, you might check with http://stleather.com/ Their on-line catalog is pretty lame, but the leather is just fine.

No pics of the holsters made with that pattern? Well,.. maybe too soon ..

Welcome Maybe get this holster stitched, and then work on something about HOW those patterns are done. Looks like rain coming again anyway ...

Okay, having done a google fer JLSleather + needle, I found SOME of that older info. Here's one thread, where a few of us went on about needle size, sittch length, etc. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=59875 I see in that thread there was a couple o the boys asking where I got needles, and I must have missed their question. So then.. I'll try to find that deal where i got the LR point needles. I got them by MISTAKE (or malice) -- since I didn't order them - they were sent INSTEAD of what I ordered. Alrightey then.. for speed... The top pic shows the SAME stitch length, same tensions, same needle SIZE, but different needle POINTs. Bottom is a clos-up of - well - exactly what it says Nice straight line stitch without gaping holes or wide leather tears... Note that the LL appears to have a shorter stitch length (it doesn't) due to the stitch being pulled down better (neither of these was grooved first).

I took a picture a good while back, showing rows of stitching, all with the same 207 thread and #23 needles. One row with a "LL", one with a "S" (or was it a "D"), one with a 'LR'. Same thread, same stitch spacing, same tension -- no changes there. And you could clearly see the difference in stitches between the assorted needle geometry. Can't find that pic now, and I didn't see my post in a search. I found posts that were older, so it's proably not that ...

There have been a LOT of ways leather has been done - in different colors and shades, using different techniques, on different leathers. Some use color only, others are tooled for shape and then colored - all called "wood grain". You might check Tandy's 'doodle pages', I know there have been some done about creating wood textures. Kat Kuszak (not sure that's spelled right) did one back in the 80's that I found particularly memorable.. .