5Rings

Hey it’s a question I can answer! My camera’s dead tonight; I can try to add some pics tomorrow if that would help. So here’s the breakdown of a M1907 sling. I took specs from one of the earliest makers, Rock Island Armory, and measuring my own Turner/Brownells Biothane sling. Long loop- 1 each, leather, 10oz full grain, 1 ¼ inches wide by 56 inches long, edge creased. One end has the double hook, or “frog”, triple riveted to it. The other end is rounded. It has sixteen (16) double rows of 3/16 inch holes. There are 32 total, starting 2 inches from hook end. They’re punched 1 1/8 inches center to center which is also about 1 inch edge to edge. Short loop- 1 each, leather, 10oz full grain, 1 ¼ inches wide by 27 inches long, edge creased. One end has the double hook, or “frog”, triple riveted to it. The other end has a 1.25 inch welded rectangular ring stitched in place. The ring is located 3 inches from the end and the stitching is in both creased channels, two rows each 2 5/8 inches long with one stitch inboard and doubled back one stitch. It has fifteen (15) double rows of 3/16 inch holes. There are 30 total, starting on the ring end, 1/4 inch from the end of the leather where it’s stitched down, or measured 3 ¼ inches from the end. They’re punched 1 1/8 inches center to center which is also about 1 inch edge to edge. Keepers- 2 each, leather 10oz full grain, 7/8 inch by 6 inches, edge creased, ends skived 1 inch, glued and stitched. Overall circumference is 4 inches, with skiving overlapped. The stitching is in both creased channels, two rows each 7/8 inch long. Hooks and ring are Parkerized steel (earliest were blackened brass) and rivets are brass. Hope this helps. Here’s some detail pics I swiped off the web. Ring end Hooks Keepers

I don't have an arbor press, but I did pick up a few "sacrificial" 3D stamps at a recent TLF sale. I was thinking I would use them as starting points for learning to shape my own stamps. Do you think it would work to embed a 3D stamp in the back of your epoxy stamp? The idea would be to evenly distribute the impact from a mallet and provide a convenient attachment point to a handle I already have. What do you think?

Don't know if he browses through here, but Will Ghormley sells moccasin patterns and you can down load his tutorial for them here: http://www.willghorm...in_Tutorial.doc I've never made moccasins; but WG holster patterns and tutorials for making them are pretty helpful. His work is also pretty neat.

Thanks for the explanation and pic. Nice job- I hope my first efforts turn out that well. I know almost nothing about leather work, that's why I'm here. I do know using holsters and CCW so here's a couple thoughts on that. Use should dictate design. The canted design recommended works great for concealing larger handguns but limits where it can be worn on the belt- say from kidney area to hip bone. Here: http://www.highnoonholsters.com/_Questions/Molding_on_front_of_holster/Foward_Cant/0__Cant/_Lining/cp_3_4_5.html The vertical design you chose can be worn from kidney area to what's called "appendix carry" about half way between your hip and belly button. I own and use both designs almost daily and find advantages in both. Pic of where I'm referring to: http://www.highnoonh...12_1_2_3_4.html Also the open muzzle design has benefits as well. Certain guns (i.e. Glock 22/23/27 or 1911 Officers/Commander/Gov't) have identical profiles with regard to holsters but different slide and barrel lengths. If your customer wants to carry several guns from the same "family" the open/exposed muzzle design allows that. Several big name companies make pancake type belt slides and "Yaqui slides" for that purpose. If thats what you want then it'll work. Again nice job.

Grampa, is that rawhide reinforcing the holster mouth? I was thinking of trying that instead of layering spring steel or kydex to keep the mouth open on an IWB.