Sixer

Thank you for the replies! I will take the excellent advice and most likely go with a mahine with the deeper throat. I really appreciate the help! Thanks again

Just another reason why I love this forum! Thanks for the help guys. It makes sense to buy a machine that does a little bit more than what you "plan" on needing.

Hey guys, I made a similar post in the " Leather Sewing Machines" section, but I wanted to get opinions from those of you that use your machines for holsters, belts, etc... I've saved up a bit of money and am close to pulling the trigger on a new sewing maching. This will be my first machine and I know next to nothing about them. The Cowboy CB3500 and Cobra Class 3 are both in my price range and I am open to other suggestions. I guess my question is "What machine do YOU use"? I'm hoping to get this purchase right the first tme, so your help is greatly appreciated

Looks sharp!

Thanks for the advice guys! As always, very helpful. I realize that most of you may not want to come out and say "x" machine is better than "y" machine... but any pros or cons on either would be great. Just looking for honest info I do plan on giving both Steve and Bob a call soon.

I've finally saved up all my pennies and decided that it's time to give my fingers a rest! I'm considering a Cobra Class 3 or a Cowboy CB3500, but also open to other suggestions. My budget is right around the $2,000 mark. Less is better but I only want to buy a machine once... This machine will be used mainly for holsters and the occassional belt, so it has to handle at least 2 layers of 8-9oz leather. I know very little about sewing machines, so I'm hoping to avoid having to purchase a number of accessories, extras, etc. It may be wishful thinking but I'm hoping to find the most user friendly machine available that meets all of the requirements.... something that is ready to go right "out of the box". Any thoughts, suggestions, personal experience, or general help is greatly appreciated. This will be a fairly big purchase for me so, with your help, I'm hoping to get it right the first time

I dye most of my projects with a sponge brush. For me it seems so much easier than using a rag, cloth, etc. Once I have the "base" color applied I will hit the edges with black or dark brown using an airbrush. Before I bought an airbrush, I consulted the members here and received a ton of good info on what I needed to get set up. IMHO, an airbrush is a great tool to have around for leatherworking. Whether it's for dye, finishes, etc... it's definitely handy. Here are a few pics of holsters that I used an airbrush on. I didn't really stick to just the edges on either one of these but hopefully it gives you an idea of what you can do with it. I needed a certain shade of red on the second holster... not sure I could have achieved that look with any other method.

The holster and mag carrier look SWEET! I love ostrich... easy to work with and tough as nails! Very nice

Thanks guys! The customer was very pleased with how it turned out. He gave me quite a bit of creative freedom, which was nice. I wasn't to sure how the colors would turn out after wet molding, but luckily it came together nicely IMHO! It's definitely easier to put two pieces of leather together and turn it into a holster, but projects like these (when they turn out OK) are a bit more rewarding in the end

Ostrich inlay with matching ostrich belt loops. Red base color, airbrushed with black dye. Really enjoyed working on this one! The color combo is a little wild and not really my cup of tea, but the customer asked me to try and match the grips somewhat. I came fairly close but it's almost impossible to get a perfect match with dye. The belt loops might be my favorite part of this holster. They are 4-5oz leather with ostrich sewn on. I know it doesn't sound very sturdy with such light leather... but that ostrich makes all the difference. That skin is TOUGH. Anyhow, just wanted to share this one. Feedback is welcome

The last two holster I've made have been OWB with horsehide... I love it! The grain pattern is pretty sweet. Burnishing is almost too easy. The final product is TOUGH. I might just switch to using horse all the time!

So how does this relate to holster fit? Are the PPK and PPK/S similar enough for holster making purposes?

Thanks for the info guys! Looks like I have a few phone calls to make

I've been scouring the interwebs and have not been able to come up with anything for these models. I'm trying to find molds for the NAA PUG, Kahr CW9, and FNX9. If anyone has any leads, I would appreciate the help... or if you know they don't exist then at least I could stop looking Happy Thanksgiving Cheers! Sixer

The thread came from Maine Thread Company - http://www.mainethread.com/waxed_cord.html It's the 5ply waxed cord in "scarlet". I'm still stuck stitching everything by hand so I'm not sure how that would translate to machine thread. The narrow strip toward the top of the holster isn't that tough, but it is a bit tedious. Since it's at the top I make sure to leave a little extra leather that I can always sand down later. I've had a few where I left it a little too thin and had to start over on the top piece... just a waste of time and leather, no big deal!

Thanks guys! Wizard, by all means... go with the red stitching! The color is a little skewed in the pic but the red on black really pops in person. It's a nice color combo IMHO.

Thanks guys, but they're out of stock just like every other place I've looked. I will give ZW a call though and see if they have any idea if or when they will be available. I appreciate the help!

Wildrose, That's a very kind offer! One that I might just take you up on. I do need to confirm the order with the customer... but once I know for sure, I will send you a message and gladly pay shipping back/ forth. Thanks again!

Just wanted to share a couple of recent holsters I finished for the Walther PPS. A bit of ostrich and a bit of deep red snake (not sure what kind?) Feedback is always welcome

Been there, HATE when that happens! ... always remember to trim those nails before handling leather

Thought I'd throw this out there... I have a customer who has ordered a holster for his brother who is in the the Marine Corps. He would like to add a USMC symbol to the holster. I've been scouring the interwebs, and I see that Tandy makes / used to make this stamp... but I can't seem to find one. If anyone has a lead on one or knows where I might be able to purchase this stamp, I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks!

It's really kind of crazy that Flat BLACK hardware is so hard to find. Seems like it shouldn't be that difficult to find... but I can't find any either. I posted the same question here not too long ago... Still haven't found what I'm looking for

This might be a bit off topic... but most of the retention screws I see are black in color. Does anyone know a good place to find the screws and washers in black? I've scoured my local hardware stores and can't seem to find any.

Same here. I use Fiebing's Pro Oil in Black more that any other dye... never found a need for a coat of blue before the black.

I guess it depends on what style of holster your making... That said, personally I would cover the trigger guard. If not, at least have a thumb break or some kind of safety loop or strap on the holster. I know one thing... I wouldn't carry a 1911 cocked and locked with the trigger exposed.