K-Man

Here's an example of laser engraving done on veg tan leather. In this instance, took a picture of a diecast car. The detail on it is amazing. You would not be able to achieve the same kind of detail with traditional tooling IMO.

UKRay: Talk to Kowboyboots here on the forum. She does laser engraving, and might be able to help you. She's here in the U.S. though. Also, ATX has a lady near him in Texas that also does laser engraving. She's a member here, too, but I don't recall her name at the moment. Oftentimes here in the U.S., you can find a shop that does trophy, award plaques, sign making, or similar that will have a laser engraving machine. You can do some pretty amazing stuff with the laser engraver on leather. We started offering it on our stuff about 6-7 years ago, and in a variety of forms. The biggest thing is getting the power setting correctly, as you don't want to overpower it when engraving on the leather. If you do, you end up with what I call is a "flame over." A small bit of flame pops up and burns outside of the line/object.

I can't say that I've seen another one like it, in an all leather version. I know they're a popular seller. Be sure and show us your version when you have it done.

That holster (Dakota Defender) is, in essence, a closed-end holster. A small opening was left in order to allow dust, etc., to fall through the holster and out the bottom.

Another one available: CZ 75B - Ring's Blue gun Price is $25 + shipping.

Here's an example of our version of the holster cut out. This was cut out with clicker dies. There are three pieces - the front, the back, and the lay over piece. Here's a picture of the leftover leather from the cutting out of the three pieces above: The largest piece of "scrap" leather shown in the picture above is 4" at one measurement and 2" at the cross measurement. The rest of the pieces are inconsequential in size. I'm sorry, I just don't buy into the theory that you save more leather by cutting the straps separately from the "body" of the holster. The prudent placement of the dies, or tracing of the pattern, shows that in this example IMO. YMMV.

Okay. I understand what you're saying. I've just never experienced that. I have been using clicker dies to cut out my version of the holster. Yes, there's a space in between the straps, but that space is used to cut out other holster pieces that would fit within those parameters. And before utilizing the clicker dies, I traced the pattern out on the leather, and applied the same principles. So in the instance of our design, you have a minimal amount of waste.

I don't understand that theory. Care to explain?

Rayban: The 92 compact is a different frame size from the 92FS.

Have the following dummy guns available for sale: S&W Model 60 (3" barrel) - Ring's Blue Gun S&W 6906 (square trigger) - Ring's Blue Gun SIG P225 - Ring's Blue Gun Beretta 92FS - Ring's Blue Gun SIG Mosquito - Ring's Blue Gun Walther P99 - Ring's Blue Gun Walther P22 (3" barrel) - Duncan's aluminum Ruger Blackhawk (4 5/8" barrel) - Duncan's aluminum The price for the above is $25/each + shipping. Will do flat rate shipping for multiple guns. Also have the following dummy guns available. These are genuine frames, bought direct from Ruger, that have been made to be non-functional. The price for these is $75/each + shipping Ruger Blackhawk 50th Anniversary - 6.5" barrel Ruger GP100 - 3" barrel Ruger Alaskan - 3" barrel Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Thanks, everyone, for the suggestions - much appreciated.

LJS: I don't have that particular knife in my possession any longer. I traded it back to the knifemaker for a different one. He is local to me, and I can check and see if he still has it or not. I do have another knife available. It's the same overall shape, but has a different grip material on it, and does not have the file work on the tang. The price would be $150 + shipping. If you're interested, send me a pm here on the forum, and I can get a picture of it to you.

Chuck: I used the tooling/holster and it was a back. I get backs from HO as well. The last time I bought W&C was while waiting for an order to be filled by HO. I did not really have the opportunity/time to wait for them to replate it.

I've had the opportunity to use both. I've found the Hermann Oak to be just slightly better for whatever I make. I've found the Wicket & Craig to be too "mushy" in comparison. I've seen many examples of fine tooling done on both HO and W&C. I think it boils down to trying a bit of both, see what the results are, and then go with that brand. I've used the H.O. almost exclusively so I have a good understanding on how it's going to react to what I do with it.

That's a steal of a deal, folks!

I've already got two Toro 3000's and one 618-1SC. The one I ordered the other day was another 618-1SC, and was just the machine head. I already had a table and Servo motor for it. The 618-1SC is a great little flatbed machine. I've had the original one for nearly 3 years and it runs like a champ. I've only recently had to adjust the timing. It gets a bunch of daily use. I bought the second one to serve as a back up to the first, and to help with the load of work we'll be doing in the near future.

Just ordered a machine the other day from Steve at Cobra Leather Machine Co. I've known Steve for nearly 4 years now, from when I bought my first Toro 3000. He's always been responsive to my questions and offered suggestions on how to sew up a particular project. We're fortunate to have a number of vendors of machines to fit our needs here on LW. If you are considering the purchase of a machine, or just have questions about, "How do I....," then I would take a few moments and give Steve a call. Even if you don't purchase the machine from him, you'll walk away from the conversation knowing your questions have been answered. There's no sales pressure applied. My new machine will be here in approximately 4 weeks.

Awesome work, on both accounts.

I apologize for the quality of the picture, or the lack thereof. This was the best shot out of all the ones sent to me.

Hi Mike: I see on your website that you're in the Tampa area. You're welcome to come by my shop if you'd like. Give me a call: 813-659-3456.

I am referring to the bumps surrounding the edge of the buckle. Those are raised distinctively from the rest of the leather.

Laser engraving equipment, even on the low end, is going to cost quite a bit of money. Your best bet is to find a local trophy/engraving shop and have them do it. Kowboyboots here on the forum does it, also. Laser engraving essentially burns the leather as it cuts, so it turns the leather a dark brown. That means that you're not going to be able to see it very well on the black bible cover you're doing. There is a way to get around that, so to speak. You want to die your cover first. Then you can have whoever is doing the laser engraving for you put down the "mask" tape where they're going to engrave. Once they're done, leave the tape on, and then air brush a contrasting color. Let it dry. Then air brush/apply a sealer. Let it dry. Then peel off the mask tape. Depending on how small/detailed the lettering is, it's going to require some amount of work to get all that tape off. Good luck to you.

Need a little help here, please. I've been asked to make the buckle pictured below for one of the characters in the upcoming Star Wars movie. My question is how to do the raised "bumps" around the edge of the buckle to give it some depth? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help.

Did not realize you were lining the holsters.

Taking influence is obviously inevitable. But as Jeff said, giving credit where credit is due will set you apart from a great many holster-makers. With respect to the holsters you have pictured above, a few suggestions. It's not necessary to stitch where there's a single layer of leather. The only purpose it serves is for aesthetics. By leaving that off, it will save you time and labor (and sore fingers). Do as you did on a couple of the holsters - crease or groove a line around the edge. Don't bring your reinforcement bands to a point, unless you're going to stitch all the way over to that point. The way you have it now will leave you with a very hard point of leather that's going to have the great potential to peel away from the holster body. That won't sit well with the customer. As Jeff mentioned, make the belt slots a bit wider in order to accomodate a gun belt (double layer belt). Same for the tunnel loop on the back of the holster. Bring your stitch lines in closer to the gun - especially on the revolver sob holster. (Same for the magazine holders.) That holster is going to allow way too much slop of the gun in it in very short order. Allow for ample (and full) grip of the gun when it's holstered. A couple of those pics show that it would cause a fair amount of discomfort when the user goes to grab the gun because the back of their fingers are smacking the top edge of the holster. In addition, by not being able to get a full grip on the gun when initially drawn will cause the user to have to adjust their grip as they're drawing the gun - that's loss of control. IMO, you haven't accomplished what I think you're trying to achieve with the black IWB holster with respect to that front wing. Cut away some more of that front wing. The way you have it now doesn't accomplish much of anything with respect to comfort/function. By cutting away more of that, you'll experience a greater difference in both respects IMO. I bet it's a pain to slick that edge in that slot/groove as well. As Jeff mentioned, too, concentrating in a somewhat specific area will help tone your craftsmanship, as well as keep you focused. Too many times new holster makers want to do it all, so to speak. There's a saying that in essence touts that if you do too many things, you're not good at any. While I don't personally subscribe to that theory, it does hold some amount of truth for a lot of folks. As you do repetitive work, most people become better at it. Not in every instance, but for most. By not trying to fill every potential order that comes your way, you'll find yourself better served in the long run IMO. When it comes to design - think outside the box to some extent. Don't be afraid to experiment. Sometimes, too, the simplest changes make all the difference in the world. By moving an attachment point slightly one direction from it's current placement can equate to large differences in function and comfort. With respect to holster design - concentrate on function first. I think you'll find by doing that, that the aesthetics will follow right along with very little effort. Best of luck to you.