camano ridge

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Just realized your post said screw back, I have never found screw back Acorn studs. Just the rivet and burr style, which would be the period correct style.

Blockade Runners has them http://www.blockaderunner.com/Catalog/catpg27.htm ( scroll to about middle of the page) they have 2 sizes. This company has them in brass and pewter and I think their shipping charges are a bit better then Blockade runners. http://www.regtqm.com/Finial-or-stud-p/diy-101.htm

Getting into making saddles will be a big step will take a fair amount of investment of both time and money. Before you set your sights on that you will want to get involved in a smaller scale to make sure leatherwork is what you really want to do. Pick some projects let us know where you want to start and we can then give you more specific advise. If you do decide to get involved in saddles look for some one in your area that does saddles and start building a relationship with them. You tube will help some but you will want some one on one help with saddles.

Blackhawk used to have one. I don't see it in their current list. You might check ebay and some of the suppliers that carry Blackhawk to see if they have some old stock. Dannyboy, tried to send you a PM for some reason the site won't let me send one to you.send me a PM, I may be able to help you out.

Gordon, welcome. Very nice work. You must be from a part of Scotland I have not been to. I have spent time around Isle of Sky, Invernese and a few other areas. Beautiful country, however I don't remember seeing the sun.

You might want to talk to Paul at Leather Wranglers. He can probably make you what ever you want. http://leatherwranglers.com/ His items are high quality.

You might look at the Oxblood. Con't tell for sure on a computer monitor but it looks dark reddish brown.

Josh, very nice cuff. I really like the bear paw pattern. Did you line it with neoprene or something to keep the cuff from sliding?

Are you looking for the 1917 3/4 flap revolver holster? If you are it is very close to the 1880 Cavalry holser pattern. You could make either pattern work. I think i have one. I will be down in the shop later and see what I can find.

Try here, there is a color chart and it shows a couple of colors that might work for you. http://www.strapworks.com/Metal_O_Ring_p/mor.htm

Mitchel, your desire does not sound stupid at all. There are several on here that make armor and Cozplay costumes. You will find that you will want to do a few smaller project to learn the basics and to decide if leather work is really for you. You will need to accumulate some tools as well. Where in Washington are you located?

Not true the wax and and oil is absorbed to some extent and does firm up the sheath. You can also stiffen a holster or sheath simply by heating the leather after wet molding. Putting a sheath or holster in an oven at about 170 degrees for about 15 minutes will give you a very firm sheath or holster. BY the way I don't know it all but I do have 40 years experience making sheaths and holsters and have used the oil wax process for at least half of that. Have you asked those people how they hot stuff there leather. I have found some people that think rubbing hot oils and wax on a piece of leather is hot stuffing. If you do ask them i would be interested in hearing how they hot stuff their leather.

8/9 is what I use on most of my sheaths. For bigger knives I may use even a little heavier.

True hot stuffing is done with heated wax and oil mixture then is pressed in pith flat or roller presses. Some use a tumbling action such as used by Horoween.You would have a difficult time replicating the process at home. However you can make a mix of Neats foot oil or mink oil and bees wax and dip your project or mop the heated mix onto your project and let it soak in. Make sure you do not get the mix to hot as it will damage the leather. I have a crock pot with a mix that I heat up and dip knife sheaths in. Here is a more detailed explanation of Horoweens process. Truth be told, there is a bit of magic involved. Each piece of leather is a natural product and the food-grade fats we use are also natural products. There is a science to tanning leather but sometimes it is more akin to cooking. Hot stuffing is a process done by very few tanneries in the world. Hot stuffing is technically part of a retanning process where we reintroduce fats/greases/oils to nourish the fibers of the skin. The retanning process is responsible for most of the leather characteristics in terms of tactile and other sensory qualities (look, feel, smell). For hot stuffing we start by steam-heating wooden drums, add retanned or veg tanned leather, and add a special blend of greases, waxes, and oils that are all propriety to Horween and mixed in house special for each product we make. Greases, waxes, and oils are pounded into the skins by the tumbling action of the heated mills. The process is specifically different from other fat liquor methods used where emulsified oils/fats are used to condition and nourish the fibers of the skin — the steam heat is not required to melt the oils/waxes/grease to penetrate the fibers. Hot stuffing is special because it allows us to use raw, less refined conditioning agents like beeswax, tallow, lanolin and paraffin. These impart very favorable characteristics, like water resistance, and we have to use the hot stuffing process to introduce them as they cannot be emulsified.

You don't say what kind of leather work you are doing. For the most part you want a Poly or leather mallet or maul. If your hammer does not look like the one in this link then you probably have one that has been abused. http://www.frankfordleather.com/tools/osborne-66-shoe-hammer.asp You did not post a picture of your hammer. Judging from your description it might take a little more then refacing on a grinder to have a usable hammer. You should not use metal to hammer most of your stamping setting tools etc. You will tend to mushroom the ends. So unless you are going to be driving a lot of tacks or use the hammer for smoothing (does not sound like it will work for that in it's condition) I would set it aside and get a good poly or rawhide mallet or maul. This picture show the face of the hammer a little better.

That is correct it is a brand Herman Oak and it is Veg tanned with Oak bark. Herman Oak, Wickett and Craig, and Horoween are the big tanneries here in the US. http://www.hermannoakleather.com/ Tandy now sells a limited variety of weights of Herman Oak.

Sorry, did not realize the sewing link did not post right, here it is. http://www.wrtcleather.com/1-ckd/tutorials/_leatherstitch.html

If he is going to be extremely picky with the fit then you are going to need his gun or another Diamond back.

Not counting the basic tools etcv. cost for materials to build one holster should not come any where near $40.0O. I make holsters all the time I don't spend anywhere near $40.00 per holster fdor materails and I use mainly Herman Oak leather. Even if you got a shoulder of Herman Oak from springfield leather for around fifty dollars you could make several holsters out of that. The shoulders at Tandy are good enough for some practice holsters. If you are making pancake style holsters you should be able to get four or more depending on size and style.

Here is a list of tutorials you may find useful. http://www.jdlawhon.com/tutorial.html http://unblinkingeye.com/Guns/Holsters/BH01/bh01.html http://www.holsters.org/holster-design.htm WIld Rose Trading Co - Leather Sewing The first one shows a list of basic tools helpful in making a holster. You will need at a minimum, something to cut with a utility knife with sharp blade will work to start with. An over stitch wheel or pricking iron for marking stitch holes, a stitch groover, a diamond awl needles and thread, snap and rivet setter if you will be using snaps and rivets. For belt slots you can get away with a hole punch, punching a hole at the top and bottom of the slot then connecting the holes with cuts from the knife or wood chisel. You will need something to burnish the edges, something as simple as a hardwood dowel with a groove in it. If you are going to use snaps or rivets you will also need a mallet or maul. As to leather to start with I would recommend buying a shoulder or two to practice with before buying a couple hundred dollars worth of leather. Tandy sells shoulders and frequently has them on sale. I don't know what shipping would be but Springfield leather sells leather buy the square foot cut to size you want. You will want veg tanned leather. Any other questions just ask here or PM me. Happy to help if I can.

Which model Dragoon do you want it for? DO you have a style in mind? I have some patterns for the Dragoon I will dig them up. PM me. Also the Percussion Pattern Pack from Tandy ( Downloadable from Tandy leathercraft library) Has some that can be modified to fit the Dragoon.

With oil based (which is actually solvent based) use denatured or rubbing alcohol.

Springfield leather also has similar suede http://springfieldleather.com/32296/Hide%2CChapSuede%2CLime%2CSqftSPO/ If you do not want the purse to be floppy use bag stiffener between the suede and the inside liner. Tandy, Springfield Leather, Hidehouse all carry bag stifener. http://www.tandyleather.com/en-usd/product/bag-stiffener-9072-00.aspx

Samar, spectacular work as always.