JLSleather

And on the other hand, HO firms up easily, but requires a bit more work to buff up like the W/C does. 6 er half dozen ...

This one got passed me - I missed seeing it before. But I LIKE this -- good color choice and it looks TIGHT (not snug, but "together").

Just, you know - 'case somebody has information. I DID search that search on Chief FIlipino, though it seems he wasn't selling the skins so much as inquiring about stuff ('preciated the suggestion, though).

Hey, welcome! Glad to see.. WAIT... you think 57 is OLD?@!

So you think if we just put your belt and Al's belt side by side on a bench, and showed them to the same people, and didn't tell anybody who made them, people would be inclined to buy YOURS? Perhaps, but IF that's true and they don't buy it when you remove the name, then he's selling HIS NAME, not really selling the leather. Hey, I "get" that too ... I might buy something belonged to Elvis - not that I WANT it, but that I know there's somebody out there who will PAY MORE for it (I'm flippin it). Strange, this. I don't recall saying anything about either of those selling venues. But I would be interested in a link to your bags "under $500" -- just so I know what $500 is getting these days. I made a lot of TOOLED bags in the 80's for quite a bit less than $500, though there weren't that many around who could match them. 'Course, that was when $6/hour was a wage ... BUT all of this is INTENDED to answer the guy's original question (remember?). Keep in mind that at some point your work IS going to be compared to other work. Some really is good. Some really is a lot of hype and noise. The world is getting faster, and more view-able, and that has not been good for some -- easier and easier to COMPARE ITEMS. There are many who love to click a button on their phone, and get something at their door by tomorrow. Some won't purchase anything if it isn't "free shipping". Some KNOW it's not top quality, but they'd rather have IN THE HAND than the one they KNOW is better by next week. Some will buy something they know isn't quality, JSUT BECAUSE their friend bought one and they're TERRIFIED of being "the one who doesn't have that". Fair enough - guy can do what he wants with his money. Just information regarding pricing your goods.

that 365 IS nice, and the folks who got em, love em. But when I think "pocket holster", I'm thinkin' more like the 938 personally fella who is getting this G29 (10mm for those who didn't know) was NOT being talked out of it - though I did suggest going another route. Got the "pocket" mag carrier too (which since it has no backing and no attachment to anything of any kind, could just as well be called a dust cover). Incidentally, I hadn't made a G29 mag pouch before (ever) so that was a lesson - STUBBY little varmint almost as thick as it is tall

Ya know - I think I wanna make ONE big file with a stack of holster patterns in it. Put it on for sale for maybe... idunno.. $20-25 for a dozen er so patterns ?? Then if somebody was ta say "FORGET that guy... I downloaded some when they was available FREE, and I'll share em with who wants 'em"... then that would be just fine. No offense taken

The THICKNESS of the old belt and the new belt MATTERS. One day I really MUST make a video... maybe...

Maybe I shoulda said "tippy-ness" ? Did I mention the stitch lines AT THE GUN.. not 1/4" or 1/2" away like most. Or the consistent color, or the tightness of the stitch? Or the ample room for the hand to get a full grip on the firearm BEFORE drawing it out.. or the reinforcing "stiffener" added to give the thumb something to push against to release the leather in the pocket...? Oh, shoot.. I guess I'm still thinking about that OTHER topic about when to call yourself a craftyguy... 'n' stuff. Ah, well -- I'm only doing one more today. Been runnin' hard lately and need to put it down for a minute.

Uploaded to the gallery... the latest IWB tuckable concealment holster out the door. Looks good. Carries solid. Conceals great. Wear comfortably. Retains gun perfectly. I'd give ya the link to the video, 'cept fer THERE AINT NO VIDEO AND - THE LARGEST pocket holster I've ever made, cuz that Glock 29 is 7" long, and WHO GOT POCKETS that big anyway?@?! Added an extra screw higher up, due to the "flop factor" in something this vertical... he'll probably take the high one out 'n' pitch it, but it's there if he wants it.

THERE ya go. I dont care how much time you put in it. I don't care if you sweat going to get it, or if you wrestled the cow to the ground yourself after raising it from a cub WHY should I pay MORE if it's not BETTER?@! WHAT IS THE POINT of "hand made" if the only difference is the STORY YOU TELL?@! If I'm buying, say, a belt - then I want a GOOD, SOLID belt. Good quality leather that stands the test of time, made attractive. No need to match my handbag, cuz I aint got one (and don't hang out with those who do). HOW YOU GET IT that way is of no matter to me. Sell me an OKAY-ISH belt (which I might take for the work around the house) but don't try to bump up the price with tales of chopping wood before the sun comes up or stories about how that belt comes with access to your video Tell me why yours is better than somebody else's. HINT: NONE of the following has any place in your sale. I've been making belts for 20 years - or I have every leather tool known to exist, ever - or Your belt comes with a video about how I made it. You wanna sell me a belt? Then show me a GOOD belt at a FAIR price, and I'll probably take it. I'll say it -- I make a great belt. A guy asked me why the price, and I said i think that's a fair price. 'N' he says, that other guy sells em less. 'N' I said lets go talk to that guy, cuz if he kin sell ya a belt SAME QUALITY, SAME TIME FRAME, LESS MONEY, then I MIGHT WANT ONE TOO! But, here I am interfering with somebody who might have wanted to actually answer that guy's orginal question.. so I'll just stop there. https://www.jlsleather.com/hand-made-well-made/

You can find that exact info in Stohlmans series on making leather cases. available in print and digital download. you'll find the actual thing you're talking about in VOLUME 2 but I'd recommend getting volume 1 just for the basic principles it shows. It would take you a year of wading through the stuff around here to get just what's in 10 pages of either of those books. Alternately, if you already know holsters 'n' other 'smaller stuff", then might be just as easy spend the money for the pattern somebody already made

So you reply twice about snake skins because you don't like that i don't promote your buddy's video? OH NO .. PUH LEEZE don't remove any of this on MY account.. I LIKE to see people being themselves. Hey, I got a minute to take a break from searches anyway. You know, I saw parts of a video yesterday about makin a holster. Not my fault, actually -- I was searching something about gym equipment, and Google apparently got the idea I sometimes come up in a search about leather holsters ANYway ... chubby fella from TX took down the music and actually TALKED about what it was doing. While that alone was a step in the right direction, I still couldn't bring myself to sit through 30-something minutes (according to the counter under the screen) of the SAME THING 100 other videos already say -- probably 5 or 10 of those are THE SAME GUY. FORTUNATELY, Google has both a fast forward function (I DID skip along giving the guy a chance - in case he actually had SOMETHING to add) and a BACK button Honestly, HOW MANY videos do you want to see? Google "make leather holster" or "holster pattern"... and you'll get PAGES of results -- and it's THE SAME info over and over. Now, if ya didn't know somebody already made that video, fair enough. But when YOU made that same video half a dozen times already.. c'mon fellas You're "needy" is showing. DOES ANYBODY really need to be shown AGAIN how to trace around a gun? Didn't we all do that in pre-school.. makin' turkeys by tracing around our little hands .... I'm NOT sure, and I get the thing about silver easier to work with. And the date would have made it far less money back then too. But I don't have the buckle - that's a pic the girl sent me. I can see that being produced by somebody pretending to be Navajo at a table at the fair in 70-something. When approached, I recommended replacing the belt (which can't be rehabbed) but reusing the buckle set. It's seen some use, clearly, but it belonged to somebody's Dad... and I'm all for keeping that. And my question wasn't really so much "what to do about THIS belt" so much as finding out where to get these things in the future. I haven't done a lot of snake past few years, as it's not as abundant, not as in demand as back then. And durability... not much on snake on a holster or belt due to the constant brushing of clothing and hands against the scales. But I agreed to this because it's "set in".

I'll hit that search - thanks! (now THAT is an answer). Stone not actually an inlay - or is it? This thing screams southwest US and 1974 pretty loudly If it was me, and belonged to a family member who 'passed it down', UNLESS it's so valuable it should be in a safe then I'd REUSE IT on the new belt. Still, if there's somebody north of Tijuana still doing this, i wouldn't mind knowing that. Well, actually Mexico would be fine as well.

Yup, I think time constraints gonna require something in the States, or at least N.A. I'm gonna guess the original belt was made in the 70s-early 80's... so just how much color has changed is a toss-up. The type of snake isn't critical, but I want to keep the basic look of the original. I'm gonna guess the original belt was made in the 70s-early 80's... so just how much color has changed is a toss-up. Don't do much snake these days due to it not being very durable, but this is set in to a filigree belt, so I'm good with that. I'll put you down as [yet another] "I don't know" (though I admit, i find it confusing when people reply just to say they don't know). Where was I? Oh, yeah... snakes on a belt. Probably no telling what type of snake anyway.. these days they "print" python onto cobra... so who knows? Think if it's snake and not brittle is fine. But I checked with all of the 'exotic' suppliers I have in the 'rolodex' (I'm speakin' 80's for the belt).. and haven't found anything durable and at least 40" long and similar color.

Yup that's a question. Query. Interrogatory. Guess I should have said "What are the most reliable places to source these materials?" Yeah... WHO STOCKS quality snake skins? And IS THERE ANYBODY with turquoise-embellished belt buckles... including buckle sets? Guess it's hard these days.. no half hour long video to go with the question

5/16" is pretty small for dog collars and guitar straps

Got asked to recreate a belt. Anyway, got me on to a couple of things -- 1.) TURQUOISE embellished buckles. "western" set in this case, but not always. Not turquoise buckles, but steel buckles inlaid or with stones added., and 2) Snake. I'm gonna guess that's BOA. Could be python, depending on the part of the skin it's cut from. 2-tone brown.

You're CLOSE to a good point here. To drive that home, as they say.. consider -- One guy buys Hermann Oak leather, uses only top shelf A-grade leather from the tannery. He pays $8 per sq foot. Other guy buys Hermann Oak leather from a popular retail outlet. It's B-grade, USUALLY (or just CLAIMED "B" sometimes). He pays $13 per foot. Both make a belt. The one from the retail store cost 63% MORE to make. No rational person would say it is then "worth" 63% more without seeing both. And upon seeing both, if they were IDENTICAL, would the one that paid more for materials be justified in selling it for more (hint: that's a no). Even though it's made from a lower "grade" of leather? Another tip: That LV bag only sold for that amount - someone was willing to pay that -- BECAUSE they know there's another person who will take it off their hands. And I'll say it again.... I don't know if Stohlman was THE best leather carver ever. But he certainly was the BEST KNOWN. But he was carving 60 years ago. Is your stuff "worth more" than his work because rent is higher than it was then (I'm being ridiculous again..).

Yes, there IS a reason. Rather like the emperor's new clothes.... find a bunch of people (market) who are ignorant enough (don't know any better) to buy something BECAUSE SOMEBODY ELSE SAID SO, regardless of quality (many of these are bought site unseen) because somebody will be impressed that you have it (insecure). I understand Elvis' used underwear sold at an insane amount at auction. That doesn't make me want one, and I was NOT bidding

I don't do formulas, nor do I recommend anybody else use them, nor do I pay anyone according to them. Don't take this any kind of personal, but I'm going to be a bit silly to make a point here. Your work is worth what it is worth - simple as that. And it's not worth what it's not worth. The TIME you took to make it, the EXPENSES you had where you make it, what the "average wage" is, what you think is a "fair" profit ... NONE OF THAT has anything to do with what your item is WORTH. Let's assume you made a belt. It works - holds my pants up just fine, so it qualifies as a belt. But its not really very nice looking - the ones at the box store look much nicer and cleaner. Some examples of how ridiculous it is to use these "formulas" to price it: Well, yeah, it doesn't look like much, but it took me 6 hours to make, so that's $150. And I have lease fees and electricity about $100/day, so 1/4 of that is another $25, and I drove here to sell it, so that's $10. Add that to the $20 it cost me to make it, and this belt is now $205. Oh, and I need to make a profit, so the ugly belt is $250. Now, you MIGHT find one here and there who will buy that. Mom will probably take TWO But as a rule, you'll be done making those shortly. Did you spend a few hours making videos to "promote" (pronounced BS) your work? You can add that to the price if you want, but I will NOT be paying more for something because there is a video about it. And I'm not buying the video, either... if I came to buy a holster, I want a HOLSTER, not a SHOW ABOUT a holster. Your video did not increase the VALUE of that holster one bit. MOST of "pricing formulas" is just more BS. You can probably quickly find 100 people to SELL you a formula (probably comes with some videos) for a price. When I'm BUYING something, I COMPARE THE GOODS. I want to know what I'm getting and what I'm paying -- the rest is just noise. Not silly enough? What if I buy a new truck? Isn't that an expense? So, my not-very-well-done belt is now "worth" $500/month more than it was? What if I move to a bigger, nicer building? Does that make my belt "better"? Obviously, that's ridiculous. Also ridiculous to suggest that someone get $25/hour (or 50, or whatever) based on something OTHER than the quality of what they're selling. A few years back (or maybe 15) I had a buddy who was doing some renovation work. Started to make a few $, and bought a new truck - and he was a bit proud of his first ever "brand new" truck. Fair enough, he can afford it and it's what he wanted. Course, his "expenses" went up, so his prices went up. Showed up at the house one day, basically wanting to show off his new truck. It was nice. I said so. And he launched into the "speech" about how customers need to see you in a nice vehicle when they think about hiring work on their home - it shows (according to Richard) "professional" and "responsible". I told him I'd rather see the truck that looks like the guy in it has done some work, maybe shows some tools with some wear on them (seriously, anybody can go buy a shiny ladder and mount it on a shiny truck). When I see a shiny truck pull in my drive to discuss the new driveway I'm ordering, I don't see "professional and responsible" - I see a guy who likes shiny trucks and thinks I SHOULD PAY for it But, now I'm running behind for this morning.... so maybe somebody will get something out of these old blog posts .... go read em (I think they're both informative and entertaining, but - regardless - there's no charge). Git lookin'... they'll be moved in the menu by Monday https://www.jlsleather.com/compare-items/ https://www.jlsleather.com/hand-made-well-made/

if the width is consistent, don't worry about it.

Yup, gonna go with that. Even then, I try to keep in mind that I decide what I call ME. Next guy's tag or title is on him