wizard of tragacanth

Hey Bruce, that's great! I am a resident of Las Vegas. Is anyone is interested in a meet-up? I would love to meet any members of LW forum for lunch or dinner at Baja Miguel's Mexican restaurant, inside South Point, if anyone is interested. I don't know if it is possible to coordinate a day and time but I just wanted to throw this idea out there, just in case. Baja Miguel's Mexican restaurant is open 11am to 10pm, Wed - Sun. I would be open to other suggestions but thought I would start with this one. My apology if this is a ridiculous idea. Nick

What kind of project is this? I may have missed it in previous posts.

Gorgeous! I love everything about that knife and sheath. Nick

BTW, many of my "belt slide" holsters are "flat back" a.k.a "saddle" style. They are the most comfortable design, to ride on you hip. However, on thick, blockish guns, using a flat back requires extreme molding of the front. It can be done. I've done it but I think your 60/40 front to back is reasonable... and really a true pancake is molded 50/50 and not that much of a disadvantage. Why? Because with a BTB there is very little leather around the perimeter of the holster... and in fact, a larger perimeter would get in the way of placement between belt loops, effectively narrowing the real estate. Whereas extra leather, such as an ample sweat shield, does help to keep the gun from digging in and does not limit placement.

Nice work. I would be inclined to "age" the band.

Very nice! What kind of foundation or frame (or whatever it is called) did you use?

Regarding vacuum forming... I got some of the smallest vacuum storage bags from Amazon (which came with a very poor manual pump). I paid around $10 a few years ago, so now probably $12. The smallest bag is still double the size that I need for a handgun, so I just fold the bag in half with the valve on top and it works great. The cheap plastic hand pump was wholly inadequate. I simply use my home vacuum cleaner. I place a green scrubby sponge directly under the valve opening and tuck a flat edge of the holster slightly under a corner of the sponge. The hose on the vacuum fits flat around the outside of the valve on the bag. Takes just a few seconds to evacuate all of the air from the bag. Seal the bag with the cap. Lube the outside of the bag with spray silicone and work in the contours with the modeling tools of your choice. Nick

All this time, I thought that I was slicking my edges... turns out that I was actually burnishing them. Couldn't sleep the first two nights after finding this out but on the third night, finally said to myself, "What's done is done" and drifted off into a deep sleep. Nick

Nice work. There are a couple of things that I would do differently. One, make the sweat guard a little longer (taller), to go maybe 1/4" above the slide, for better comfort. Also, I would not do any molding inside the trigger guard. Had this discussion on another forum. IWB or BWB style holsters are cinched down with one's belt. There is no need for additional retention. It could possibly interfere with the draw. Nick

Another disadvantage of suede is that it collects dirt and grit, which can scratch your gun. Also, it is difficult to clean out, especially in a closed toe holster.

As an intermediate level holster maker (I don't know how else to describe me... not an expert?) and having always used Tandy diamond chisels, I wanted to get real serious about improving my product and considered it a good idea to get some better irons. I read many reviews and found Nigel's website. In the end, I went with Crimson Hides Japanese style irons in 5mm. I was extremely impressed with the quality and ease of working with these irons. I have only done a couple of holsters using them with .040" twisted waxed polyester thread from Maine Thread. If I had it to do over again, I would have stayed with 4mm and Crimson Hides Japanese style tooth. Just guessing but, 5mm would probably be fine for rugged dog collars. Would highly recommend Crimson Hides irons though. They turned out a little less expensive than I thought because of the conversion rate, US to Singapore. I don't know if this was any help. Nick

Sorry about the confusion. I am getting rather feeble minded, lately. Yes, Fiebings Pro Black is what I meant. I wouldn't use anything else. Nick

Use Tandy Pro Dye, there is virtually no rub-off. USMC Black... nightmare... but it is black. The Pro Black has a bluish, purplish sheen at certain angles, or so I have found. I still use it though.

KDB, Thanks! That's good news. I ordered a S&W Bodyguard 2.0

KDB... Did you get this gun mold? If so, how is it? I would like to order one, if you say it is good quality.

I have never made a purse but just thinking about it, I think I would use neutral shoe polish. I use neutral shoe polish on my holsters. It's something that the end user could easily replenish and without damaging anything. I wouldn't use Resolene on dress shoes.

I agree with JLS. Custom order and get exactly what you want, no compromising. I also second his recommendation for Texas Custom Dies. Good people and good service.

Hey Dwight, Thanks for the hot tip on those ebay dummy guns. They are actually affordable... and you can choose your favorite color. They don't have very many models available at this time (not even a standard P365) but this is one of the very few S&W BG 2.0 that I have seen anywhere.

Optics Planet $48 https://www.opticsplanet.com/blue-training-guns-by-rings-blue-training-guns-colt-1911-pistol.html Also, Knife Kits -- https://www.knifekits.com/vcom/holster-making-moldsprops-c-585.html I really like Chuck's idea of using a BB or Air Soft model. Some are exact copies, which you may be able to buy for say, $50. Then, you would not only have a useful mold but a fun toy at the same time. A couple of things to consider. First, the sturdiness of the mold. It has to be strong enough to endure the molding process. A vacuum press should be okay with any mold... a shop press, would not. Some gun molds are available with a sight channel molded into them. Mine does not have that. I use a chopstick whittled down to fit between the front sight and the rear sight. I taped it on with some of that blue painter's tape and it has held well.

I agree veesee, it does look better but I have to be honest and say that with more practice, you can get better. There are gaps or voids between the layers in some places. I am not sure what is creating this. It could be the type of glue that you are using, not using enough glue or not applying enough pressure after gluing... I'm just not sure. It could be the leather itself. I have had crumbly leather that looked like that. You are at least half-way there. Glad to see your effort. It's definitely an improvement. What type of glue are you using?

I use poundo board or scrap leather.

Yeah, that's lookin' good. Apply the Tokonole! Good luck!

Yes, you have the right to use artistic license and do anything the way your want but my opinion is that the edges are not "rustic" but rather totally out of congruence with the rest of the project. Everything looks well finished, nice leather, good stitching, etc... except for the edges. Because of this contrast, they do not look "hand-made" or roughly made, they look poorly made. If the wallet were rough-out leather, it may work just fine. As others have mentioned, the first step is to use the proper gluing technique to create a good bond with all the layers. Second, the edge needs to be sanded, probably with progressively finer grits going to 600. On a small project like this, it won't take much. A few strokes with 220 and a little more with 600. Use a sanding block to keep the edge flat and level. Sanding will remove any glue the seeped from the edges. It should feel like one piece of leather. Then burnish with Tokonole using the tool of your choice. Apply enough Tokonole to cover the edge without getting it on the grain side. Spread it with your finger and et it soak in for 10-15 seconds. Then, bear down with the tool as firmly as possible, without mushrooming or rolling the edge over. Use rapid back and forth strokes and pressure to create heat and bond the fibers together, as if you are trying to start a fire. As it dries, it may start squeaking. It should be very glossy in the end. I think you will like the results.

I would include PROFIT in the formula for pricing. The price has to be at least double or triple your cost in any reasonable retail scheme. I think $20 would be a fair price for that particular custom made piece. $15 is okay if you are trying to do someone a favor or promote your business. Hey, I'm just a hobbyist so my opinion doesn't really count!

Things that help to stiffen the leather... Dunk the leather in very warm water. Not hotter than 120°. If it burns your hand, its' too hot. Leave the leather submerged until bubbles stop surfacing, maybe 30 seconds or so. Remove and blot off any excess water. Lay the leather on a rack to dry. Such a rack as the air can circulate all the way around the leather. Like an oven rack. When the leather starts to return to its' original color, squeeze it in a press or use a rolling pin to compress the fibers. This is akin to a tannery process called "holstering" the leather, packing the fibers and making denser. If the leather is too wet or too dry, it will not work. It should be to a point that when you bend the leather, it somewhat retains its' shape. After compressing, cut the pieces to shape and mold them the way you want. To go a step further, force dry them with 120° heat and a fan. In the beginning, check them every couple of minutes to make sure that they are holding the shape you want. Reshape them as necessary. Get them very dry but do not let them burn. You don't want grill marks on your finished pieces. If you are worried about burning them, lower the heat to 80° or 90° and when they are 90% dry, finish them by air drying at room temp. If edges start curling, bend them back as soon as you notice and maybe cut back on heat but even with air drying there will be some curling because the edges dry faster than the center. This is the general process. Use your own judgement. Figure out your own methods. If you live in the desert, setting the leather in a hot garage works pretty good in the summer. If you put it in the sun, it will brown. That could be a plus or a minus.