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Very nice. When transferring the design the leather needs to be "cased" You wet it and then let it almost return to its original color. It should still be cool to the touch on your cheek. From the looks of the tooling I would say it was too wet when you worked on the design. The stitching is great. All in all very good and a great start. Welcome to the addiction. Michael

well done.

The liquid itself doesnt turn the black. Mine is red in one jar and tea colored in the other. Its not a dye its a chemical reaction so the color of the liquid is not important.

Welcome back. Looks good. I suggest you try burnishing the edges a little more. Other than that its very good.

+1 on that idea. Gives you a professional look to the strap end.

This is from The-Art-of-Making-Leather-Cases-Volume-1-by-Al-Stohlman page 18. It and Vol 2 and 3 are must haves if you want to do sheaths and cases etc. (I left it large so you could print it out.

Sorry, I just don't like how kydex scratches up the finish on a gun. Premature ageing. It takes skill to make the leather portion of the hybrid look nice. Your leather looks good. Nice edges. Nice sewing. Good color and finish. The point I was trying to make and failed was that you did a good job on all the leather work. There isn't a lot of leather work there and some people do not take the time to do a good job on the leather. You did a good job.

Personally I hate kydex on holsters. Your leather work looks good.

Movie prop quality. Well done.

Nice Job. If you have not sent it you might want to consider adding an additional stitch line closer to the bottom of the trigger. Thats going to get loose when it gets older. Other than that it looks very nice. Michael

It is used in leather and in cake frosting. It has double uses. I have used the powder and made it up I like the premixed better. Tandy and Springfield leather both sell the mixed stuff. Michael

Well a side has the belly section on it and the neck section can be floppy like the belly. A shoulder, Bend are the way Id go. However if you can afford the side then get it and just dont use the belly section for molding and forming. This is a personal opinion. There may be people out there that have great luck forming the belly. I do not. Michael

That is a handle that will hold some weight. Im not at the point yet on the bag Im workign on but thats pretty much how I plan to do it also. Michael

Here is a tip, for what its worth . When I have a short barrel gun or a long holster I take a strip of leather and roll it up and squash it oval and stick it in the bottom of the holster from the bottom. This fills up the barrel tunnel and prevents it from deforming. when I pull out the gun I take out the leather roll. Seems to keep the tunnel well formed on the end. Just an idea. Michael

First, let the oil soak in for 24 hours before you finish the leather. You have to remember that leather is not like metal. It will absorb the oil and not interfere with the finish. PROPERLY (dont over oil) will not feel oily after it sits for 24 hours. It works just fine. Michael

Start by buying quality leather. Herman Oak or Wickett and Craigare 2 of the best brands of leather. There are more tricks but you have to start with quality leather.

An other option is leave the muzzle area open and dont glue it at all. This will keep it from wrinkling too.

Go back to the baking soda but it sounds like you have too much soda in the water. That will cause the white specs. I use a heaping tablespoon per quart of water and that works fine for me.

Looks good but next time avoid points on the corners. They bend and fray real easy. Its always best to round your corners. nice job.

you can get the brass one here and on ebay. Kyoshin Elle Leathercraft Brass Pro Border Tool

Closeout - Limited to stock on hand. First come, first served. No Backorders. Volume 3 is out of stock already. You can get it as an e-book from Tandy. Its still the same price. Id like to find it in hardcover but e-book is ok if there is no other way to get it.

You talking about the saddle making books?

Forget everything I said except the part about the dowel. I'm not sure what I was trying to say. I was asleep I think. Sorry Michael

You place the gun slide against the stitch line on the right, as viewed, and measure 5/8 from the trigger guard side for your spacing. Right now you have twice as much as you need. Hope that makes sense. Dont forget to tape a pencil or dowel to the slide top so you can mold the sight tunnel. This way the sight does not snag as you draw the gun. Michael

Tippman Boss. I have one and have been able to do some great holsters, Im not modest , and still holding it with one hand. Power goes out I am still in business. Not as fast as a powered machine but my work load doesnt require super speed. For that price the Boss, in my opinion is the one. Michael