malabar

Since I've started keeping records of such things... -- I've made about 75 holsters for the 1911and its variants -- 60 holsters for the Sig P938. -- I've made 34 holsters for the G-19 -- 21 for the G-17 -- 17 for the G-43 -- 15 for the P226/220 -- 14 for the G-42 -- 12 for J-frames ( I think it should be more but my records say not)

Very nice job! How do you do the stitching down the center of the back? tk

I've seen these for sale. There isn't any debate about this. They're unsafe in multiple ways. First, any holster that allows that much muzzle to stick out is hazardous because rubbing up against another object can cause the gun to be pushed out of the holster. And yes, that includes holsters like Yaqui slides. Try to use on in an IDPA match or at a tactical class and see what the officials say. It's impossible to reholster without sweeping your support hand. The edge of the belt can press the mag release, disabling the pistol. You can't get a proper grip for your drawstroke. To effectively draw from that position, the handle of the pistol needs to be canted a good 20 degrees to the right. It's very easy for clothing to get snagged in the pistol, both because the pistol sits so low and because the pistol is unprotected. Those things are a hazard.

I'm curious: Why set the left-hand slot at such an angle?

Sure, no problem. $70 in black, drum-dyed hermann oak cowhide, and $80 in natural horsehide. tk

Yep. It's not unheard of. More common with chrome-tanned or aluminum tanned leathers, more common when the fleshy side is in contact with the skin. A true allergic reaction is caused by an auto-immune response to particular foreign protein. But you also can have rashy responses to any number of chemicals. tk

Ken, That's good information. Thanks for the insight.

Todd, The worksmanship, fit, and finish are first rate. You're obviously a skilled leathersmith. But making really functional holsters can be uniquely demanding, especially for smaller, heavier pistols. The high-ride of the holster is very much in line with my own preference, and much the better for concealment, but I would be concerned that the wide "wings," coupled with the small amount of holster body below the belt line and the weight above the belt line will cause the holster to sag away from the body in time. There are a number of ways to counter this. You can make the wings shorter or wider, which will make the holster stiffer and less prone to flexing. You also can add to the depth of the holster below the belt line, to make it less prone to twisting away from the body. A really stiff might prevent the problems, but you can't count on clients having one. That is one beautiful holster.

Thanks for the education. Don't know a whole lot about leatherworking outside of holsters, belts and knife sheaths.

That's superb workmanship. Thanks for sharing.

They're solid. I've probed the ends with a steel pick. As you say, it could be a copper rivet, but if so, it was not set with a burr. And the body is really long and thin. One pulled loose, allowing the layers of leather to separate. I'm leaning toward nails, mostly because the shape fits. I've learned there are both copper and brass nails (tacks) for leather working, although I've never used them before. Thanks for the input! I've about come to the conclusion that they're clinching nails, although they might not have been clinched. Thanks for the input.

The diameter is too small and it's solid, not tubular. The diameter at the back is less than 1/16"

Where could I get trunk-making nails? Any tips on using them? The photos below show closeups of the bottom side. The one at the tip might show a bent-over tip.

Definitely not rivets, at least, not any kind I'm familiar with. Yes, there are five of them, and none have any sort of peening or cap. Agreed, they are brass or copper.

There are a couple of good reasons to put the reinforcing piece around the top. -- It makes a rigid mouth which is essential for racking the slide one-handed -- It enables you to put a steel band in the throat, which gives you adjustable tension -- it simply looks good tk

A customer down in Palm Beach brought me this old Ruana knifeworks skinner over the weekend. He commissioned me to make a new copy of the sheath. The interesting thing is it used to belong to Roy Rogers. He bought it at auction from the estate. So here's the reason I'm posting: The sheath is stitched and reinforced with what appears to be nails, not rivets. Pictures are posted below from the top and bottom. You can see the heads of the "nails" -- but I can't figure out what actually holds them in. Any thoughts?

Nice workmanship. Beautiful colors. One question: Why not drop the gun a little deeper into the holster and cover the trigger guard?

Very Nice! Where do you get your buckles from?

Yeah,that's the thing. We turn out 12-15 pieces a week -- but very few have slots. tk

That's lovely!

That's certainly true, but who wants to spend 30 minutes making belts slots on a $75 holster? Punching to the final size is a world easier.

Gents, There's just not going to be any comparison between the custom punch and the Osborne. Don't misunderstand -- I've got at least $1,000 worth of Osborne tools, and they are professional-quality tools. They are lightyears ahead of the crap from Tandy, and there is a noticeable difference in quality from other consumer-tool companies products -- General, Stanley, etc. The problem is that their bag punches, like everyone else's, are just too damn narrow. My heavy-duty belts are 3/8" thick. I have to either punch the slots with the Osborne bag punch and then open the slot up with a Foredom and a tungsten bit, or punch half-inch round holes and connect them via chisel.

Lovely workmanship!

I call my flat-backed pancake a "crepe" -- because it's a better pancake <g>.

Absolutely right. The difference is the way the holster behaves. The flat-backed holster maintains its shape better, will be more comfortable, and has better reholstering.