treadhead1952

Hi JR, Very nice work all around. Too bad I am too old and fat for an IWB though. I want to try some horsehide out, it seems a lot smoother finish than cowhide.

Hi All, Being of unsound mind, it was time for a new addition to my collection of handguns. I have been wanting to add a "Wondernine" to my stable for a while now, the idea of a handgun with a magazine capacity rivaling some submachine guns seems interesting. Browsing around the local shops I located a pretty decent deal on a Ruger P-95. Once I got it home the first question that arose was what sort of leather do I want to pack this thing around. Being that it is a full sized semi auto with a double stack magazine, inside the waist band didn't seem like a very good idea. That pretty well lets that out so OWB it was to be. Using the pistol to draw up an outline to study to see just how I wanted it to go led me to this eventually, a pancake style with a riser in the back to keep the back of the slide from poking me in the side when I sat down. I also added a stiffening band around the top to help hold it open when the pistol was withdrawn so it would be easier to re-holster it when the time came. As usual for me, everything is saddle stitched as well as glued together for maximum longevity. I have had it out and about a few times now and so far it has shown no vices to speak of.

Hi KT, Very nice work all around. I have been threatening to add some inserts to my stuff, so far it has just been threatening though.

Hi Bbays, Very nice and clean work. I like the close to the body styling of both.

Hi RT, That is some mighty purty leather to be hid out all the time. Nice work though. I am considering trying my hand at a shoulder rig, possibly something like the old Bianchi X 2000 series.

Hi All, I wanted to come up with some new sheaths for some of the knives in my collection. Just about all of them came with one, but some, as in the case of my Arkansas Toothpick, just did not fit, the knife was too large and wouldn't sit all the way down into the sheath that came with it. Forget about drawing it out once you did get it mostly in there, not exactly what one would want in such a large sharp two edged knife. Since I have been browsing around looking at some of the offerings that others have come up with I saw a number of very nice and well designed ones. For my first effort I chose one of the knives that I liked, a large Bowie design from the collection and went to work. I made a pattern using some card board, traced it out on my 7-8 ounce belly cut that I have and then trimmed it out. I used some scrap cuts to furnish the two sections that I wanted to add between the front and rear parts to give the necessary thickness as well as protect the thread from the blade. At it's widest part across the blade it is nearly 3/16ths of an inch thick. Following the advice I received in another post I angled my basket weave stamp when I started tooling the leather. I used the larger of the two basket weave stamps I now have, the X510 to do most of the stamping with the D436 Camouflage and Border stamp to go around the edge. I used the Adjustable Groove Cutter to run a bead around the edge of the rear part first and layout the four lines that would be used for the stitching on the belt loop. It also laid out the area to be tooled on the front piece. Once I got the basket weave pattern and the border stamped, I used the round back edge of the top of the basket weave stamp to hide my over stamps from the basket weave pattern on the outer perimeter of the front and belt loop area. Once I had all the tooling done I started gluing up the two spacers to the rear panel and folded over the belt loop and glued it up with Contact Cement. All the stitching was laid out with a #6 Pounce Wheel and then punched through with by Awl and hand sewn using the old two needle saddle stitch method. I ran a false stitch line across the top of the front panel. Before I started to stitch up the front and rear together I applied some Eco Flo Super Sheen to the edges as a Dye resist. Next came some dark brown Eco Flo Dye to the areas where I made the border with the D436 Camo Tool. Once it dried I used Briar Brown Eco Flo Color Tint watered down and applied with a sponge over the whole thing inside and out. Letting it dry I used more of the Eco Flo Super Sheen to seal it all up. Next came some more of the Contact Cement to glue the front panel to the spacers and rear panel. Now I could sew it all together using the same saddle stitch method as before. I had saved the false stitch threads at the top and used them to start the stitching and anchor the front and rear together. They ran down about an inch and a half and then were sewn back through the same holes for about five or six loops. I started with a long single thread with the two needles at that point to go all the way around the sheath. Next came sanding the edges down smooth first on my 8" electric grinder then switching to 320 grit wet sand paper to finish the edges. Once they were smoothed out I applied a coat of Fiebings USMC Black to the edges. A couple more coats of Super Sheen were applied to seal it all up, I may go with another coat or two after everything has had a chance to get good and dry after a day or two.

Hi All, Having gotten a hold of a Belly cut from the local Tandy store to start off my leather crafting and figuring out what I wanted to start with, a new holster to carry my little 3" barreled 5 shot .38 Rossi came rising to the top. I had a belt slide that sort of worked as long as I didn't start jogging and with a renewal of the permit, I figured it was time. I had purchased a Kirkpatrick TSS holster for my full sized .45 Auto when I got it long ago and it has served me well. It carries the big hog leg in the right spot, I can cover it with a light shirt or jacket and I can truck around all day without any problems. Naturally making up a home brew imitation of this tried and true design wasn't a great leap of intuition but seemed like a good idea. Making the pattern was a matter of tracing the outline of the little revolver on a sheet of card, leaving enough space around it to stitch some and then cutting it out and folding it over to get the opposite side. I like this design as it uses the leather of the holster itself immediately behind the holster body to make a space for one belt slot and then adds a leather strap around the top of the holster to stiffen it to keep it open as well as provide the second belt strap on the rear of the holster shell. With a double row of stitching on the reinforcement it is plenty stiff without an insert of any sort. I will admit my stitching leaves a lot to be desired, I ran out of thread on the needles a couple of times, had to let one row of stitches go as they were under the back belt slot and, well, it is my first holster after a long pause in my leather crafting career. Before I folded it over to be sewn up I used some Eco Flo Dark Chocolate Dye to coat the insides, not wanting to have any light colors showing up should it get flashed. I gave it two coats of Fiebings USMC Black spirit dye, rubbing it down after each once it was stitched up and had been wet formed to the little revolver. I looked it over carefully but couldn't find any light spots, the leather seemed to suck the dye up like a starving puppy. For a finish, I actually found a partial can of Neat Lac that I had left from my last foray into the world of leather crafting. These photos are from the first coat. I will let it all set up over night and rub it down before adding a second coat overall.

Hi BGD, Okay, I am in good old Lost Wages, Nevada and getting back into the swing of things again down here. Uh, creative standstill, lets see, I usually just go buy a new knife or gun which would require some new leather and let nature take its' course. Since you are into doing the beating and banging over a nice hot forge and anvil, go make a new knife and then you will need some new leather.

Nice lookin' Possibles Pouch there. I like the inset weeping heart with the cross on the flap.

Hi Rob, I am working on an adaptation of the Kirkpatricks' TSS holster for my little J Frame Rossi .38 Special, which I added a Hogue soft rubber three finger grip to. I set it so that the entire grip is above the holster rim as well as 2/3's of the trigger guard. I like the way the Kirkpatrick TSS carries my full sized .45 Auto, you can go all day without it weighing you down. At the same time when I comes time to present it for business, the grip is right there. I will remember the wet forming details you guys have provided once I get it all stitched up. The general shape of the holster is pretty compact, shrinking the leather further to conform to the nooks and crannies of the revolver will just make it more so as well as aid in retention of the piece since there are no safety straps or other retention devices.

HI CD, I have to agree, nice clean job of stamping. I was wondering how that three petaled stamp from Tandy would look, now I know. Time to break out the lace and get to work.

Hi RT, I like them both, the way the grip extends far enough out of the way of everything to get a "shooting" grip on there makes them prized for their down right usefulness as a carry holster.

Hi Allen, I thought the clown was pretty intense on the last one, but all these skulls musta just about drove you outta your (all puns fully intended) skull! Sorry, I just couldn't resist. But they do look pretty righteous, nice work.

Thanks Mike, I appreciate the fast response and excellent information. I suppose that equates to the old "dunk it in a horse tank" approach I read about in the Al Stohlman book on holsters.

Hi Rob, Looks pretty happening other than that trigger guard issue to me. Although I draw and keep my trigger finger lined up alongside the pistol or revolver until I have it up in firing position, being able to wrap a knuckle around the grip close to the trigger guard is pretty important for me I am interested in how you managed to shrink the leather down onto the parts of the pistol so tightly. I am working on a CCW type holster for my little 5 shot .38 Special and that is the one thing I have yet to figure out.