jlaudio29

This picture may help as far as what it should look like when youve spaced it right. This is my Vmax style pattern for my Colt Officer. dont focus on the overall design it will confuse you if you dont know how the vmax is put together, just look at the gun and the spacing out to the stitch lines.

Thanks for the compliments guys, VERY much appreciated. Shooter im using 8-9oz shoulder. I actually find 1911s to be one of the easier guns to mold. Maybe its because im so in love with them lol. LOL im sorry it bothers you I just dont care for the look but maybe it will grow on me someday

Very pleased with the outcome of this holster. I especially like the matching Mag Carrier i made for it! I thought about doing a reinforced throat on the mag carrier to make it really match the gun holster lol but it would have been overkill! so may next time

Working on one right now for a Sig 1911 Tactical Operator.... I really want to keep the customers gun too hahaha I really need to build me a fullsize 1911 one of these days

sounds about what i do with making sure the dye dosnt rub off. Interesting about reducing the usmc black. Im not worried about the smooth side being in, i use gum tragcacnth on all my holster so it comes out nice and smooth on the inside, have you ever tried it out?

Matt - yes i am hand stitching. thank you for the compliments. Talon - I love this gun. it shoots GREAT for being so compact, i have medium hands so its great for me. The weight, i have played a little with the pm9 but never shot it so i cant compare, but as far as weight, its semi sorta noticable.. it all depends on your frame of mind.. im an all metal gun guy so to me its not that big of a deal because i like a little more heft.. and the thing looks sexy to boot need to get me some wood grips for it!. Once again thanks for the compliments on the holster!

Came out pretty good, this was my first time messing with alligator, turned out to be just as easy as elephant. So clearly this is a reinforced throat which im starting to like a lot! 15 degree cant with the strap snap style (does anyone know the original name/creator of this style) Thanks for looking!

Looks good, nice and clean. What are you doing to treat the rough side so it dosnt bleed die? also what die are you using or is it vingaroon?

I had the same thing happen with one of my pink holsters, and the customer accepted it as is. i knocked $10 off though because i didnt feel right charging full price. We are only human

Looks great particle, I know exactally what you mean about trying to clean up the line and it just ends up getting wider. Dont beat yourself up over it! even though i say that i still beat myself up over it hahaha. Perfectionist curse?

Ive never done any inlay work however you wanted to inlay a piece of metal made me think of a post i saw by Particle of a Badge inlay holder thing he made. It may help you in your thought process. Here is Particles post

Your Very welcome, and i really appreciate the compliment.

Thank you all for the compliments on my molding. I dont use any specials tools, I will post a picture of what i do use. I get my holster to the wet molding stage, get it wet, insert the gun, then i will start pressing all over the holster basically imitating what a vacuum mold or press would do. Youll get a feel for if the leather is to wet or to dry, if its to wet you can let it dry out a big, or just start your molding and have to come back and rework some of the lines after its dried a bit to put the detail back in them. I prefer to start a little on the wet side it makes pushing with your fingers very easy and helps form the leather to the gun. When im getting ready to do a line or contour of the gun i always make sure i can feel it with my fingers and press it to make sure the contour shows through the leather before i do my forming. Other then that i guess its really just paying attention to detail. One of the first things ill do is start with molding the sight channel and then mold the dust cover and the trigger guard (not inside the trigger guard that comes later). I think this helps to set the gun into place so its not moving up or down on you, sometimes it dosnt matter though if your pattern is slightly on the tight side. After thats done i proceed to do the slide lines and inside of the trigger guard. I always try to start on the back of the holster because if i mess something up ill know how to do it right on the front. I also always have a picture of the gun up on my laptop, i get pictures of both sides because they can vary from gun to gun. A good video that shows what i do is the molding video from Particle's website (www.adamsleatherworks.com) It would have been nice to have that video when i first started out, I already had learned through practice how to do it then i saw his video and felt like i was watching myself mold a gun I would make my own video to show you, but adam covers everything that i would do. Also another good way to see what lines you should or should not put on your holster is to search for a holster of the gun your molding. see what other people are doing or lack there of. The more knowledge you have the better off youll be. I hope this helps and if you ever have any questions or feel im being vague on any part of this and have more questions please feel free to PM me, im not in this to keep secrets and love to teach people. Ok so here is what i use, the yellow tools come from Michaels Crafts only cost like $5-7 and you can easily find a 40 percent off coupon online for them, and if you cant then find one for Joann's they accept competitors coupons!! Never go in Michaels or joanns without of 40-50 perecent off coupon!! 3 other tools that i use are clay molding tools that i obtained from a clay supply company in florida, i believe they were all $3-4 each. you can order them from there website which is http://www.flclay.com/ the part numbers are DBS, WT16, and WT18. The WT18 is what i use for 90 percent of my forming, It fits GREAT in the trigger guards. Once again let me know if you have any questions. Haystacker - The holster does stay in place very well on a quick draw, it was tested and the customers i made these holsters for both use 1/4inch thick gun belts i can not say that it would be same with something thinner or less sturdy, but we know that a gun belt always makes the world of difference, atleast to me and my customers it has. Thanks again.

So I had a customer that wanted a primary OWB with an option to go IWB, looking and taking into consideration the other styles that i had seen of this nature i decided to be creative. Here is what i came up with. One holster, 2 different set of straps and a reinforced throat. Ill throw some pics up of someone wearing it when i find someone more appealing to the camera then myself Ok the next holster is still on the same them of Reinforced Throat... Its got a 10 degree cant on it which makes it a little tricky doing the assembly, im not sure if it can be done with a sewing machine, i hand stitch so it works for me. I dont have a leather sewing machines im sure someone with one could get crafty and figure out how to do it. This is for a Glock 30, I also made the Belt but there is nothing fancy about that. Let me know what you think. I really am liking the feel of the snap strapped holsters.

Thank you sir, very much appreciated compliment especially coming from you! means a lot!

Thanks for the compliments. The pink holster did come out very nice, I am very happy with it.

Been busy but still lurking on the forum soaking up information. Figured id post some pictures of what ive been working on. Thanks for looking. Pocket Holster with thumb push off for Kahr PM380 Next is a Appendix Holster with elephant overlaid belt loop for a Ruger LCP in Pink for the Ladies This is Something i was working on for a friend for a Cargo pocket carry holster, Have not finished the edges yet but heres the pic. Thanks for looking

If i may suggest one thing. Your belt tunnel on the back appears to be to close to the belt loop on the back, with these to close together, while wearing the holster youll probably notice the top of the gun(front of the holster) will tend to want to twist out away from your body. Ill show you too picks, the first is of a alter made holster with the belt tunnel moved foward, the second will be of the first holster i made with it to close to the rear tunnel. Hope this helps. Other then that is looks pretty good!

Thanks for the Replies, I sorta had that idea, but just wanted confirmation.

Not really sure what to call it. so here is a Pic i came across, i have com across other holsters to that seem to have an excessive amount of leather that doesnt appear to me to have much of a function, it only appears on IWB.. im new to IWB as I live in Las Vegas and primarily Open carry. Any help in understanding would be apprecaited. the extre leather to the left of where the gun rests. Not sure what to call it.

Why not take it One step further and include a few of them with every Holster purchase. Then you have a better chance of getting them used at the range, youve done all the work for them already

Looks great! I hand stitched my first belt... took me 5 hours... never again. I found a Saddle shop that will stitch my belts for $10 .. well worth the money

Looks Great, i do like the pattern on the first holster better. But the other looks great still. Colt Hammerless - The Elephant holster i made is similar to Shooters, and even thought the elephant is rather thin, its still a pretty tought peice of hide and actually adds a good amount of reinforment to the mouth of the holster. Not sure if i have ever posted mine elephant holster on here so ill post it in this thread. (Shooter if you want me to take it down i will)

THanks for the help guys, very much appreciated!

The snaps i currently have are not deep enough to go through two 7/8 pieces of leather plus the loop and then still crimp to the back side of the snap. What should i use? i checked tandy didnt see anything deeper. unless i missed something. any help is appreciated. Tried searching but couldnt come up with anything. Thanks