mlapaglia

Did you ever get a pic of the finished belt? Love to see it.

Ever since I saw the movie EL Dorado as a kid, I wanted one. I have kept track of some holster styles. Hope they give you some ideas.

Its a good start. I am pretty new at this also. I am on my fourth one. How stable is the holster when its on the belt and the gun is in it? It looks like it would have a lot of wiggle with only one belt slot. You might consider adding a rear wing with a slot in it for added stability. Search Askin's Avenger to see the style I am talking about. I would say look at my Avatar but I change it every few weeks so next month it wont make sense. Then again if you are happy with its stability ignore what I just said Did you use an overstitch wheel to layout the stitch points before you stuck them with the awl. I assume you used an all or a small drill bit from the way they look. A gouged stitch and then an overstitch wheel will help keep the stitches straighter. Basically its a matter of practice, practice, practice. It will get better. If you dont have it get "The art of hand sewing leather" by Al Stohlman. It may be the best starting point to learn to stitch well. As I said its a good start and your next one will be better. Just dont so like I did on my last one and rush the job. Take your time and it gets easier each time you do one. The key is practice How about posting a larger picture of the front of the holster. The one you have is pretty small. You will need to add it to a new post here as your edit time is over. Good job. Michael

If you had been at the auction this weekend and had more than $77,675 you could of had an original. From the movie El Dorado owned and worn by the Duke. FYI the $77,675 was just for the belt, I couldn't find out what the holster went for. Doesn't it make you want to reach for the saddle soap and oil to save that rig?

Mike, I had a short talk with my kid about that since he took the photos for me. It's actually .357 ammo from the speed loader of my Model 27 S&W and the clip is from his H&K USP 9 Airsoft. He was going for "art" and we had a talk about accuracy vs "art". Those pics will never be seen except here. I wondered who would catch that. Thanks for the comment. Michael

Thanks for the tip on Gum Tragacanth. I actually used it on this one. Between shaving it and using Gum Tragacanth on the inside it looks a lot better than it did. The problem was this was a $21.99 single sholder. They picked the best one they had for me that was actually an 8/9. The better parts made the first two holsters I did. Things are tight at the moment so I use what I have and what I can get cheap. Trust me as soon as the money gets straightened out Ill be getting some good leather and an airbrush.

I agree, the problem is not the airbrush but the 50-100 dollars for the compressor. Things are a little tight now. Next hunk of leather I can sell I hope to get a compressor and airbrush. Right now they have the deluxe brush and a 1/5 hp compressor for $70.00. Until them I do what I can. Next one I do will be black I have almost a gallon of Vinegaroon.

Where did you purchase the leather and what size was it?

Gentlemen, I totally agree about the stitch line right angle. I know better but had what in my family we call a brain fart. I made several first timer mistakes on this one. The main thing I learned is not to do leather work when I cant devote all my attention to it. Thank you all for the comments and suggestions. It helps to get feedback. Nick, I did a stitch gouge line on the front of the holster but did not do one on the back side. It was an economy piece of shoulder from Tandy so the inside was a little rougher than I like. I shaved it down but it still looked less than great so I figured the black would hide the defects on the inside of the leather. I do like the way it came out. Im not sure it will look good with a darker outside color but I like your suggestion of it being a signature element. Thanks. Dwight, Ill give dip dying a try. I just need to stock more dye than a 4 oz bottle in order to try it. Markush, Thanks for the comment. I have been fighting sharp corners since I started. Im getting better but still need to keep an eye on the angles. Mattsh, Ive seen the preval sprayer but never knew how long it would last. Thanks for the estimate I'll give it a try. Since I normally use stain I will probably have to thin it out some. Its pretty thick compared to dye.

Ok, I did 2 pancake holsters so it was time for an Avenger. I have to say that for me I like the avenger better than a pancake. Its 8/9oz shoulder. Brown 4ply linen cord. Eco-flo Briar Brown stain with Fiebings USMC black on the inside. EVOO after molding. Leather Balm w/ Atom wax as the first finish. I want to try the mop and glo but have to buy some first. I looked at the 3 part "How to make a leather holster" video by particle about 20 times and wore out the printed copy of Holster Design (long) by mattsh. Then grabbed some paper and started drawing. 3 days later I threw it all away and started over this time remembering what I had learned in the two tutorials. It went together pretty well. I forgot to burnish the reinforcement piece and the initial stitch line for the barrel was way too close. So close in fact that I could not get the barrel in to the part of the holster where it should go. So I stitched another one farther away and then pulled the stitches for the first line. You should not have any problem seeing the original set of holes. I also wasn't paying attention when I did the edging. I went ahead and edged the inside of the sections that were supposed to be glued together. Makes sanding and burnishing a lot of fun. Dyed it after it was cut out. I still need to learn how to not get streaks. I cant afford an airbrush yet so I may just have to wait. I did bake it for 20 minutes at 125 and it got nice and firm. First time it really worked for me. I think it wasnt as damp as the last time I tried it. Removing saddle stitches is not easy when you are trying to not damage the leather. Any way, the new stitch line let me get the gun in the holster and do the molding. I went with minimum boning. I think I like the avenger this way. Considering the mistakes I made I'm happy with how it turned out. Please feel free to let me know what you like and what you think needs to be corrected or improved. With the exception of the first picture all the others were shot by my son the professional photographer. Figured the kid could use the advertising. Let er rip guys.

I agree, I have some leather that I dyed with the vinegaroon 4 days ago and then dipped it in some baking soda and water and it does not smell of vinegar at all now. It just takes some time. This was 8/9 oz and I soaked it in the vinegaroon for 5 minutes because I had stained with with some eco-flo and I wanted to make sure it covered it up. Hang in there it will be ok soon. Michael

Sure, now he tells me . I am almost finished with my first avenger and my biggest mistake was not to burnish or dye any of the edges before I glued and stitched the piece that has the tunnel and front reinforcement. OOPS. O well I won't make this mistake again. Too bad there are so many more I get to make

Ask them to make a sample stamp of the small one and send you the little piece of leather. then you will know.

Here you go. Smaller pictures. Michael

If you want to put it outside of the belt and still be close go with a pancake style. This is not my design but its an example of what I am suggesting. You can double it if you want to store 2 mags. A pancake, done right, hugs the body well. I am not suggesting you copy this one exactly but it is an example of the concept. FWIW, there is no need to stitch around the belt slots. You certainly can but its not needed.

I just switched from Nylon to linen cord. I did some research and found out that nylon will deteriorate with prolonged exposure to sunlight (UV) and can stretch up to 26% as it ages. I also asked around here and found some people use it here for some of the same reasons. Michael

Some great pictures of an old tannery in action. Pictures circa 1985 of an old tannery still in production at the time of the pictures. I thought it was an interesting set of photos. Located in Otley, Yorkshire, UK

I have tried and tried to ignore this but I have to ask, Do you charge the elephant extra because a holster designed to fit an elephant uses more leather? (I know, I know, Ill go back to my corner and be quiet) Michael

It had to be molded twice because I did too good of a job molding the detail around the rail and the gun would not come out without two people pulling on it. There was an audible click as each protrusion when past the rail opening. But I agree that I over molded that one. I learned not to, which is the point. Thanks for the picture. My waist has a much larger front end :)but it made the point well. The next one is on the table in paper form as we speak. Its an Avenger type. Once that is done I plan to do the pancake again. The practice will not hurt. Michael

What do you currently do to finish your product? What finishes do you use? What products are you making? On a personal note: I would rather have my product look hand made than look like it came out of a factory. It is possible to get a good finish and still look like a person not a machine made it. Start with telling us what you sell and how you finish it. I'll bet people here can tell you how to improve the finish. Michael

Over all it looks good. I like the color. I have to tell you that rivets in a sheath really bother me. If you are concerned about the stitching getting cut then put in an extra layer of leather as a welt to protect the stitches. I have only done 2 sheaths so I am by no means an expert but the rivets are just a problem waiting to happen. Keep up the good work. It's a great start.

Actually the clearence is .6" at the tightest. With my fat fingers I can grab it with no difficulty. That being said, I agree with the statements that it should have more room to better fit everyone in all situations. I have already corrected the curve on the one I am making with a sweat shield. I did not intend to imply that I was not taking the offered wisdom to heart. Those that say my angled version know that I listen to all suggestions. Thanks Big-O for reaffirming the need for the correction. I appreciate it. Michael

jlaudio2, Your comment about the molding of the belt loop makes sense and its something I will make sure to do on the next one. I've seen the particle video so I can visualize what you are saying. Its a valid point and one I should have thought about. I will disagree with you on the need for more leather between the belt slot and the gun. In an earlier post katsass said, "You also seem to understand that the 'wings' are only out there to provide a place for the belt loops, and more leather is only a detriment to the function of this type of holster." I know this is an area where people disagree with the concept of more vs less space in that area. I agree with the thought that less is better than more as the holster ages. Everyone is allowed their own opinion on this point and I thank you for sharing yours. Michael

Dwight, Great timing on the sweat shield comment. The photo below I had just finished when I read your post. Its the first draft of the same holster with a sweat shield. First thing I noticed is on the right where the shield leather meets the main body of the holster I am going to have to adjust that part. It needs less of a reverse curve there. No biggie, thats why I make patterns first. Mike, As you and I had chatted before, this one is way too much boning. I think I was going for the same look as the first one I made but that was on 3/4 oz leather so it boned really well and very defined. I certainly over did it on this one. I made the mistake of equating lots of fitted lines with top quality leather work. Back when it was too tight I did go back in and push out the ejection port and the rail points. They still show from the outside but have very little effect on the gun. Thanks for all your help on this one,. You and Katass and everyone else. It's great to have a place to go and ask questions and get a correct answer. Michael

Your level of experience has nothing to do with your observation. I'm glad you brought up the issue. From the photos I agree that it looks close. On the back side where the mag release is there is 5/16th of an inch between it and the edge of the holster. On the next one I will probably give it a little more room just to be safe. This one is for my M&P so I can always trim it if needed. Due to the way the trigger guard hits the stitch line I dont see it moving down any.. Even with wear. Time will tell. I'd love to see your design if possible, It's helpful to see different ideas for the same gun. My next one project is an Avenger style for this same gun. Thanks for your ideas about the mag release. Michael