joshk

me too to both....

sorry guys.... I forgot to update this thread.... I had a few requests for rigs for the P239 and LCP and decided to go ahead and hang on to those 2....

thanks Reaper! this one is quickly becoming one of my favorite builds to date....

thanks everyone! I appreciate the comments and compliments! Kcinnick.... I don't have a template or pattern for the mag pouch.... it was something I'd been wanting to try out and worked it up out of a scrap piece of leather.... it was very easy to pull off since it's just a simple wraparound pouch.... the main thing is you have to stitch the belt loop before you stitch the seam along the mag....

I use #8-32's....

thanks Denster and Big O!

thanks Rick! the top screws attach the body of the holster to the rear strap and keep a nice tight channel on a 1.5" wide belt.... the bottom screws were an alternate to rivets that allow the center strap to be changed or removed....

I've been wanting to do a "modern western" rig lately and finally spent a few sleepless nights working one up.... this started off as the pattern from page 30 of Stohlman's holster book then was completely reworked and modified.... I added a bit more access to the grip area as well as full trigger coverage.... put a speed cut on the front to allow for a quicker draw.... modded it to fit a regular 1.5" gunbelt.... thanks for looking!

I like the overall design..... Good job on the construction too.... You said you don't like the thickness.... What size leather are you using? As for the finish, Jim(Beltman) uses Fiebings Leather Balm cut 50/50 with tap water....

that's pretty much the way it's working out.... I just got done spending around an hour sanding off all the Edge Kote.... I went ahead dyed the surface black too since the natural finish did not look good at all.... I figure after a couple more hours dyeing and burnishing the edges, along with waxing the surface, and I'll have put about another $100 worth of time into it.... I'm thinking I should've gone with my first instinct and just sold it as I received it....

thanks volpert and Redninja! here's a pic of the finished rig with back plate....

I've found the quantity of dye needed depends on the piece to be dyed and the container used.... I have a couple plastic bowls that fit most of my rigs perfectly after they're molded and only need a little over a quart to fill them and totally submerge the piece.... I also use a glass baking dish for dyeing flat parts like hybrid backs or reinforcement bands and usually only need about 1/2 quart for dipping those.... you'll probably do best by experimenting with a few containers to see what fits your rigs and how much dye you'll need to fill them....

I punch mine up to 1/8" longer depending on the angle of the slots.... if they slots are vertical you can get away with a little less.... if you don't have a punch a 3/8" Forstner bit and a 1 1/4" chisel will make quick work of a 1 1/2" slot....

nicely done! I like the extra detail in the boning....

thanks Reaper! I actually punch all my holes with a 1/16" punch and stitch with #277 thread.... I've thought about drilling them in the past but I kind of like the look of the punch/sew combo.... just a little touch to try to set them apart from the rest I guess....

hope you don't mind, I just made a couple highlights in red with paintbrush to the areas I would address first.... 1. body guard needs to narrower so you can get a full grip on the gun without catching the webbing on your hand.... pretty crucial for a CC holster so if you ever have to draw the weapon you have the absolute best grip possible immediately.... 2. the area around the trigger guard needs to be revised to also allow you to that same full unimpeded grip.... 3. I would add a dowel rod or pencil to the top of the slide to form a sight channel.... as you have it drawn I would have some concern to the front sight snagging during a draw.... I think once you get those areas squared away and clean up the body lines a bit you'll be good to go....

Thanks Matt!

agreed!

nicely done!

thanks Hay.... it's a new style that I've been wanting to work up for a while.... I'm pretty much exploring the limits of what I can do with it....

here's what I'm working on with the stingray inlay....

thanks guys! I'm working on another variation of this rig with a stingray inlay and will post a couple pics of that one when done...

great job! I really like the white stitching on brown finish....

great job! I'm sure the customer will very pleased....

I just recently had a similar experience.... I won a gift certificate in a raffle to a pretty well known holster/belt maker and ordered a nice natural belt with black trim and internal stiffener.... I got the belt in almost record time (3 days from time of order) and the first thing I noticed was they used black Edge Kote instead of properly burnishing the edges.... I was disappointed at that but even more so when I noticed the sewing machine tracks down the entire length on the front and there was no finish of any type applied.... I was very pleased with the quick turnaround but highly disappointed in the final product.... I worked the tracks out of the front and am still debating on whether or not to sand of the Edge Kote and properly burnish and finish it.... needless to say, not what I was expecting from a respected holster/belt maker....