Mark Garrity

I didn't realize it had been added to the endangered list. That would explain it. I made this holster using it about 6-8 years ago. As you can see the scales stay in-tact. The holster is black shell cordovan with pangolin mouthband. A customer saw it in the photo gallery on my website and wanted the same. Oh well....

Does anyone have a current source for pangolin? Thanks in advance, Mark

@ Sixer, The retention isn't as snug as my usual work, due to the lack of detail boning in the trigger-guard area in particualar, but each holster is molded to the specific gun and light (Surefire X300 or Steamlight TLR-1) so there is still a good friction fit. You can do the upside-down shake test and the pistol won't fall out. As any officer carrying a gun-mounted light on-duty in a Safariland 6280 can attest, there's some amount of drag with the light-mounted guns, in particular due to the protrusions of the various mounting attachment tabs on the lights. I was really skeptical that this would work at first when approached with the idea, which is why I only made the one initial working prototype after going through several design variations, and made the end-user run it for over a full year before making any others. I initially wanted to make it with allen-screw attached loops, and may offer it that way, but his team specified no screws, rivets, or snaps.So far I have not advertised it on my web-site, because it is a labor-intensive PITA to make. For now I'm content filling contract orders for SMU teams and those few random customers that do inquire if I make such a thing.

I'm with bluesman1951 on this. No, no-way, never. Any blem or second gets cut and trashed, and here's why: Ask yourself this question about every piece that leaves your shop - would I want this to be the sole representation of my work? You may be upfront and honest and sell the holster as a second at a discounted price to a customer, but you don't know where that holster is going to end up. You know its not perfect, and he knows its not perfect; but down the road he sells his gun and holster as a package deal, or sells the holster on E-Bay, etc. Now new owner that doesn't know it's a second because your customer forgot to tell him is showing it off at the local gunshop or range to someone who knows leatherwork, or has a collection of holsters from other known makers for comparison, and knows what to look for, and he sees the flaws and wonders how you let this out of your shop. Do you get my point? Do you want a blemmed holster being the sole representation of your work to someone being exposed to it for the first time, who has no way of knowning it was sold as such, and then gets the impression that it is a collective example of what you do?

I'm not just blowing smoke when I said send him to me, not to use him as a guinea pig and give it a try or experiment, but because i've been working with this concept for the past few years. The original prototype of the below holsters was made for an operator friend, who ran it and tested it in the harshest of environments for over a year. After finding no flaws with it, and dubbing it one of the most comfortable IWBs he has ever worn despite it's bulk, a contract order was made for his entire team. Seeing the holster in use has led to a few other multiple contract orders for the same holster by other agencies. So it can work, and several hard-core customers who wear a pistol for much greater length of time than most CCW holders are not the least bit disappointed. The below holster has been made by me for Glocks, Sigs, and 1911s.

At that price it's worth the read. Some of the info in it is outdated compared to today's gun handling and tactics/techniques, but it's an interesting insight into the beginnings of combat and defensive shooting. Mr. Gaylord was pretty much the innovator of modern concealment holsters. Many of his designs were copied and/or expanded upon by Paris Theodore and his holster company Seventrees, which then had some influence on makers the likes of Lou Alessi and Gene DeSantis. (In tracing this lineage note that curiously they were all in New York). I recently made a copy of a Gaylord IWB for a good friend's custom retro 1911 for which he wanted something period correct, and he has commented that it is one of the most comfortable and functional IWBs he has ever worn, and it'sne of the simplest designs imaginable.

I'm a grumpy old cop too, but I would have no problem accomodating him. Send him my way if you want.

Leatherwerks, Comparing a Milt Sparks stitch or that of some other holster-maker's can be like comparing apples to oranges because you are comparing the stitch of two completely different machines. Sparks and many other makers are using Landis, Campbell, or Randall hook and awl machines, which pull a much tighter lock-stitch than any single needle walking foot machine; so any overstitch with a hook and awl machine is not nearly as detectable.

Really want an HK P7 PSP. Cringe every time I have to use my real one for a holster.

You won't go wrong buying a G26 mold gun. It is one of the most requested of the pistols I make holsters for. And there is more than just the light-rail difference in the frame. The G26/27 actually has a bump or bulge just forward of the takedown levers making the frame thicker in that area. Hence, if you really detail mold to a G19 it will be a snugger fit with a G26.

Thanks for the replies, guys. Bruce, there are set screws and adjustment screws all over this damn thing. I should have posted a pic of the back of it. I thought the 1st pic would show the crank and adjustment wheel I referenced but it doesn't, and thats as far from it as I can get to take a pic the way I have it set up in the shop on a worktable near a wall (and I ain't moving it again!). I haven't really had a chance to devote too much time to it, and figured it best to ask around before I started playing with adjustments too much and made things worse. I've actually tried running grain and flesh side up. Didn't seem to make much difference. I guess a call to Pilgram is in order.

So, I picked up this beast cheap from a seller who knew nothing about it. Does anyone here have any information on it? Does an owner's manual exist? It works - if I want it to slice to about 1 1/2 to 2 oz. No matter what thickness of leather I feed it, and no matter what setting I have it adjusted too, that's the thickness it cuts. The close-up photo shows the thickness guage. The small wheel to adjust it is to the top right. When I turn it, the guage does move and there is movement in the cylinder below it, but it does not change the thickness cut like it should. The brass plate on the machine reads: Manufactured by the United Shoe Machinery Corp., Boston, Mass., U.S.A., General Department, Summit Splitting Machine - Model M, No. 3960. Any thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, Mark

Thanks for the compliment. If this helps you any, the HK P30 and HK USP-C 45 are about the same length; much closer than a USP-C 9/40, and Rings has Blue Guns for the P30. I tried a P30 in a 45-C holster I just made, and it was a very slight loose fit due to the slide contours being rounder on the P30; so I'd still use the 9/40 for the mold and use the P30 to establish proper length. Hope this helps.

What K-Man said - the frame is thicker on a .40/357 P239, and the slide is both thicker and taller. You may get away with using a 9mm to mold a holster for a .40 and have a holster that is avery tight fit and require some break-in, but there will be no way to correct the loose fit of a holster molded for a .40/357 if it's intended puropse is to be used with a 9mm. Sig is total PITA when it comes to gun variations; one of the worst in terms of changing things such as trigger gurad shapes and slide thicknesses on the same models. I was about to respond that you could use the same P229 mold gun for any caliber of P229 (except railed vs. non-railed - a whole other story), BUT the new P229 slides have complete slide serrations from top to bottom like a 226, instead of the half serrations of the "classic" 229. I think they do this just to mess with holster makers.

The USP-C 45 is about 3/8 inch longer. Other than that they are dimensionally identical. I have several customers that switch back and forth carrying USP-C 9/40s in holsters made for the USP-C 45. I suppose you could use a 9/40 for the mold if added about 3/8 of length to the holster, though I've never tried that.

I don't make many revolver holsters, so thought I'd post this especially since it is extra unique in that it is made for a Smith & Wesson Performance Center custom 8-shot.357 model 627-5. Molding around that extra-large 8-shot cylinder was a bit of a challenge. The holster is my X-Calibre crossdraw model, with thumb-break at the customer's request. It is 7 oz. Hermann Oak, lined with veg-tanned kangaroo and trimmed in elephant. Thanks for looking.

I have encountered dummy guns from every manufacturer that are out of spec when I take a micrometer and compare them to the real pistol. It has not been a consitent problem, but occasionaly you will come across it. One of my Duncan pre-rail gun Glock 17s was so oversized a real Glock was loose, and I had a Rings HK P2000 that was quite undersized (polymers can shrink when curing); so always best to check it against a real pistol. I tried having a friend who does poly-resin casting make some dummy guns, and they were all undersized due to the shrinkage during curing and drying. And if you are going to "build up" your undersized G26, used aluminum tape, not duct tape. The aluminum tape will build up better, last longer (the edges will not roll and curl from repeated use, and it is smooth so it will not imprint the inside of the holster with the duct tape woven pattern.

I know my hydraulic press, (and I'm sure most of the presses that others making holsters as a business use), would crush an airsoft pistol. I won't even put a polymer framed real gun in my press.

I'm with Lobo and Monica on this. I just see too much potential for things to go wrong, especially the more people that are involved. Lobo is correct in that one holster should pay for the mold gun. I generally don't even order a new mold gun until I have received 5 orders for that particular pistol, and even though I don't take payment until a holster is completed, I know the dummy gun is essentially going to be paid for 5 times over when I order it. And even doing things this way I have amassed a collection of a couple hundred dummy guns over the years. It is definatley tough to keep up with due to the gun manufacturers constantly coming out with new models, or making slight variations to existing models that effect holster fit. (Sig just did this with their P250 and P2022, changing the rails from a rounded frame to flat: and every manufacturer's railed 1911 is slightly different so the holster must be manufacturer specific). I have joked with other holster-makers that I think the gun manufacturers do this just to keep holster-makers on our toes (or piss us off and make life difficult). Due to this, and the fact that you simply cannot own everything, myself and another local maker have traded dummy guns back and forth on occassion, and even being within short driving distance there are times when we are calling or texting one another saying "Are you done with it? I need it back!" So I can just imagine how doing things through the mail would be if the borrower didn't get to the project when intended, ran into a prduction issue and had to start over delaying things, etc.

Eric, Looks like you solved the problem and this is concluded, but in the event of a similar future dilema, the question I always ask myself is "Would you want this one single item to be a representative sample of your work, if the customer that purchased it was showing that one item to a friend and potential future customer?" If the answer is "No" then time for a re-do, or in your case here a re-stitch. Beautiful work, by the way.

Thanks all! I've dealt with VanAmburg before but didn't have current contact info. I'll give him a ring.

Does anyone have a current U.S. source for frog skins?? Thanks in advance, Mark

This is my In-Cognito Deluxe IWB holster and matching compact mag-pouch. The holster is hard-rolled horsehide with full-coverage gator, and features a molded kydex reinforced mouthband,smooth leather lining, suede backing with sweat membrane barrier underneath, and belt lops with hidden snaps. Thanks for looking!

I round the edges of my stingray holsters and accent pieces with a sanding wheel, belt or disc sander, and dremel tool, along with some hand sanding for a smooth rounded edge. All of this takes the hide down to the white. I have had no problem dying the edges back to their original color, and no complaints about dye wearing off. My personal stingray wallet is over ten years old and has been worn down to white and re-dyed black about every other year, so I think you could dye it to match with no problem. (I use Angelus dyes exclusively so can't speak for Fiebings, Tandy, or others). A word of caution when sanding it: I was advised by a custom bootmaker (who has forgotten more about working with exotics than most prople will ever learn in their lifetime) to wear some type of filter mask when working with it. The beads are calcium deposits, and therefore organic, and if too much of the dust is inhaled can make you sick; (potential for selmonella, respiratory problems, and probably a host of other illnesses). Good luck, Mark

Does anyone know of a current source for Ivan Leathercraft products? Tandy distributed them a few years back. Most of their buckles and hardware were a brushed silver color. I use to offer their key-fob with an exotic leather insert with one of my tuckable holsters. The company still has a website (www.ivan.tw/) but they are based in Taiwan and rather than order overseas I was hoping to find a current U.S. supplier. Thanks in advance, Mark