wizard of tragacanth

Okay... I going to take a wild guess... could this be a stun gun case???

Yeah, it looks much thicker than 6 oz. but it could be the angle. To clean up belt slots, I use some sandpaper wrapped around a paint stir stick. Something like 150 to 400 grit, depending on how much work has to be done, but always ending with 400 or higher. nick

This is just my opinion, there are no hard rules. Just think about proportion to the waist size and what it is used for. As an example, you wouldn't want a 1" dress belt on a guy with a 48" waist. Also, be aware of the size of the belt loops on the pants. Blue jeans will accept a 1.5" belt but dress pants may not. 1" -- for a smaller man's belt 1.25" -- for an average man's belt 1.5" -- for a gun belt or big guy 2" to 3" for a police duty belt or really big guys nick

Another nice project, Ross, and it is just so cool that it was done in collaboration with your son! nick

Well, I should let JLS say this, as it is his motto... Your stitching needs to be much closer to the gun. As close as you can get it. After a very short while, the gun will be flopping around in there. Adding Neetsfoot Oil will only make this worse, because it softens the leather, and this is not what you want for a holster... shoes, yes, holster, no. I would add that 6 oz veg tan is a bare minimum and most people would use 8-10 oz. or two layers of leather that add up to that. It's a learning process. As the saying goes around here... after 8 years of experience and $3000 investment, I can make the $80 holster that I didn't want to pay to someone else. Credit to bikermutt. nick

That looks pretty normal to me. Are you expecting it to soak all the way through the leather? nick

Do you mean .50 AE? What is the model of the gun, if I may ask? May I add to TRL's comments that you should be using probably 8-10 veg tan leather and possibly 2 layers of it around the mouth of the holster. Wet form it and then dry it in an oven between 110° - 120° to harden it. I tend to believe that several applications of dye may harden it even more but I have not tested this hypothesis. There are other processes that may contribute to hardening, such as the rubber cement used between the layers of veg tan, close spaced stitching, double rows of stitching, and top coats. nick

Yes, you are off to a good start. That is an interesting design, I have never seen anything like it. I like the contrast of the colors. What is the stamp on the back? Is that you maker's mark? It makes for a nice detail. My only suggestion (and a tiny one) is to maybe round off the corners of the strap, above the rivets, rather than leaving them square. That stitch spacing looks pretty small, but maybe not. because I don't know how long the sheath is, but I'm guessing that your 4mm chisels are tip-to-tip of the tines, with 2mm in between the tines. If so, Tandy would call those 2mm chisels. If only we could get some uniformity on such naming standards, it sure would make things less confusing. nick

Man, I LOVE the look of that. It looks like it was made at least 150 years ago and came from some European castle. Love all of the detailing that you put into this. That is an heirloom.

Yeah, on that 1-ton HF press, I had to set the bar so that it was horizontal when making contact with the stamp, so that I could put all of my weight on it. Mine is not bolted down (so that I can easily move it if necessary) so I have to press with my strong hand and steady the unit by placing my other hand on top of the unit. Then I just lay into it for 10 seconds or so. This is for a 1" stamp. I have one of the 6-ton presses but I never bother with that for the 1" stamp. Of course, you could just slip a 2' piece of pipe over the handle for more leverage, if needed.

Wow! You really captured the style of the knife, in that sheath. Fantastic! Truly looks like a matched set. nick

I recommend granite over quartz. I recently got a red quartz (man-made) stone from Tandy and I hate it. This is weird and I will understand if you don't believe it... no matter what I clean the stone with, it always feels dirty. I can wash it with soap and water, then as soon as it is dry, rub my hand across it and it feels like little particles are all over it. I cannot figure out how this happens. Is this real or is it just a perceptual thing? I don't know! Anyone else have this experience? nick

Oh yes, this is one of the first lessons in leather craft. I remember someone saying that you should clip your nails the day before you start the project. File them and knock off the edges. They will also wear down a little over the next 24 hours just from handling things. However, the lesson is... be very conscious of your finger tips. It took me several projects, making holsters, before it became natural. My first few holsters had marks all over them, but a little less each time. Usually got them when wet forming. Now, I don't have any nail marks. Haven't had any for a long time, and never even have to think about it when working. Making holsters is a little different than making a belt or a coaster, at least the way that I make them. I never use a pony, so I am constantly handling the holster and turning it around. After the finger nail lesson, I learned that one must be careful not to lay the "good" side down on the cutting board because scars in the board from cutting can mark the leather. nick

Sometimes burnishing the edges darkens them, but not always. Would be worth experimenting if you haven't already. Could you use edge paint? nick

Totally agree. Fact is, I have not upgraded any of my tools from my originals (all Tandy).

If that doesn't work, you can try a 3/64" drill bit. I failed to mention before, how stunning I thought the keeper is on your sheath. That is a very nice, unique touch... and the way it highlights the star, super. nick

Real nice! I love those lined sheathes. Both sheath and knife have an elegant look.

Really beautiful. Love everything about it. Would it have been possible, or practical, to drill the holes on a drill press? If you could glue the layers, mark the holes and drill all layers at the same time, I think it could work. You would have to drill through the back so that the sheath would lay completely flat, so that the holes come out "right" on both sides. nick

The thread used on that sheath that you are showing is way too thin for those holes. It doesn't fill them up. I can see the slant of the holes very clearly. I should not see them at all. We don't know what gauge thread was used there, right? Regardless, I think that your choice of 4mm would be very good for the scale of such a project and 0.8 Ritza would be a good match it. I totally agree with Rockoboy that you could probably get away with 1.0mm Ritza if you like the "chunky look", and I think 0.6 would be too thin. Antiquing is used on tooled leather to create the contrast that you see in that pic. You can put the project in the sunlight for a few hours and give it a "tan", if you want some light coloring. Don't let it get a sunburn though. I never do this but many people do. Just remember that anything too hot for your skin is too hot for the leather, so don't leave it in the sun any longer than you can stand there yourself! You could use some Sno-Seal (basically softened bees wax) to darken it slightly too. I am not a fan of Neatsfoot oil because I heard that it can go rancid over time. But maybe that's a -- long -- time. nick

Yes, as zuludog said, watching videos is really the first step. Do not buy anything until you have watched several tool selection videos and some building videos. There are dozens of helpful videos on YouTube. Watch Nigel Armitage, Ian Atkinson and Sam Andrews... you will be amazed at how much you have learned in such a short time!

I second the recommendation to avoid kits. You would get too many things that may be worthless to you, and often cheap versions of what you will eventually want. As much as I like Ian Atkinson, and it won't hurt to watch his video... be careful. He discusses maybe 25 tools for beginners but you should only be buying a few tools in the beginning and only those that you need to get you through the project. You will need some cutting tools. You can start with a box cutter for large pieces and something like an x-acto knife for smaller pieces. If you do not have these already, I would recommend getting the ones with the snap-off blades so that you will always have a sharp blade. Dull blades are very difficult and disappointing and can result in injuries more easily than a sharp blade. Get something like the Olfa brand, 9mm and 18mm. Lowe's or where ever. You will need leather, of course. Holsters will need something in the range of 8-10oz veg tan, or two layers of 4-5oz if you plan to line it, gluing the layers back-to-back. You will need needles and thread. Try #2 Harness needles first. You will want waxed thread for hand-stitching (0.8mm - 1.0mm) nylon or linen thread. Buy the color that you need for your first project. Ultimately you will probably have several colors on hand. Black, brown and white are the most used colors, but just buy one for now. You will need a way to mark your stitch spacing, 5-6 stitches per inch (spi) most likely. Then you need a way to make those holes. I started with a drill but now I use stitching irons (one, two and four tines). You don't necessarily need dye right now. Many people leave the leather the natural color but if you dye it, I would suggest dark colors to start, like black or dark brown. Fewer problems. You may want to top-coat or finish the project. The cheap but very popular way is a 50/50 mix of Mop & Glow with water. Apply in a very light coat or it becomes problematic. Before you buy or do anything, watch some YouTube videos on holster making. Here is one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFsXw3gabqkYou will want an edger, if you watch the above video, Hank shows how it is used. You will want some sandpaper and a sanding block. 120 or 150 grit up to 600 or higher to finish your edges. I like the Warner sanding block https://www.lowes.com/pd/Warner-Sanding-Block/3078153 It is small, inexpensive and very useful, having a curved edge, wedge and flat side. You can use water to burnish the edges but Gum Tragacanth is better and Tokonole is still better, IMHO. You will need rubber cement. I prefer a small bottle of Weldwood because if I am not doing many projects the glue will dry up. It is MUCH better when it is fresh! Lowe's or anywhere. Some things should be bought in sets, such as round drive punches, but again, wait until you need them. You need a cutting surface if you do not have one. Kitchen cutting boards, like the white poly ones from Walmart will do for starters. You will probably want a Poundo board at some point, maybe soon. https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/poundo-boards Choose the size based on how big your expected projects and work area are. I only do holsters, so 12"x12" is enough for me. Same for Quartz slabs. https://www.tandyleather.com/en/category/quartz-slabs which I use to back up the poundo board for using stitching chisels. Tandy Pro Line Diamond Chisel 2mm spacing, for 6 spi https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/pro-line-diamond-stitching-chisels You will find out that these things are both a curse and a blessing. Maybe start with a drill press or Dremel on a stand. I cannot remember the bit size, I think it is 3/64". So, you may have much of this already and may require only the "specialty" leather craft tools, hopefully. I probably left some stuff out, we will see. nick

Very nice, clean work. I would dye the loops black, which will match the snaps and actually be a nicer contrast to the holster than the light color, IMO Thanks for including the specs. I always like to know the leather weight, SPI and thread size. I used 0.8 Tiger last time. I really like your 1mm.

Hey, Nick... from another Nick!

That's what I use.

Very nice! I like those. However... being shoes, don't you think that you should have taken the picture with the shoes on the floor rather than on the wall? Just kidding... I could not resist. I would like to try something like this myself. What did you use for the soles? That is, what weight leather and how many layers did you use? Can't wait to see more of you work. Would like to see your holsters too! nick