wizard of tragacanth

Wow, man, that has tons of style... very classy looking! Nick

Markush, I said Maker's Mark, I should have said Maker's Stamp... you know... the one's that have your name and say "maker" on them. One of these would work until you come up with a logo. I have a plastic one... it works fine and was very inexpensive. http://tuffcase.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=46&zenid=0auj18qra46agkrpi65lvhv8c7 If you want one that is smaller or larger, look here http://greyghostgraphics.com/Stamp%20Brochure.pdf If you want a steel stamp, look here http://www.steelstampsinc.com/ Nick

Nice work. The only thing missing is your Maker's Mark! I can't understand why the finish is coming off those snaps? Weird. I guess you could drill them out and use some new ones. Nick

Top notch stuff!

I used that blue-green DAP product many years ago, putting Formica on some speaker boxes. IIRC it worked fine but I would recommend experimenting on scrap before using it on a project. Nick

Pics are definitely needed for us to be of any more help at this point.

Very nice.

That's a gem! I like everything about it. Looks like the perfect design for that size of handgun. Nick

Are you going to cut belt slots for attachment? If so, it's hard to tell from the pic but it looks like the slots will be rather small, maybe not. My recommendations are to wet mold the holster, cut the belt slots, sew as closely to the gun as possible and hopefully, round off the square corners at the bottom of the holster a little bit. For sewing, I use a drill press with a 1/16" bit to drill the holes. Tandy sells waxed linen thread (or waxed nylon) and stitching needles (10 pack). The 25 yard spool of thread will do at least half a dozen holsters. After sewing, sand the edges, dye the holster if you want, slick the edges and finish with a top-coat. Nick

Bingo! http://tuckergunleather.com/beclforiwbho.html

Yes... but I can't remember where I saw them. May come to mind eventually. Nick

Beautiful work. The pictures of the log pile and barbwire fence brought back so many memories of my Grandfather's farm that I got a litlle tearful.

Yes, you should be proud of your work on these. Show them to some friends and try to get some orders. Then you can make holsters for other people's guns.

Nice work... again! LOVE the red insert and thread. I had been thinking about using red thread on my next project. Hmmm, now I will have to think of something else!

Thanks Madmaxx22. Both spools are the same weight. I've been searching posts regarding the quality difference and it appears that the Hungarian thread breaks more easily. It would be best to stick with Barbours, I think. The cost difference per project is negligible. I only wish that it came in black... I am sooo lazy. From what I have read, it really does not matter if it is left-twist or right-twist if it is for hand-stictching only. I know that there are a few people who would disagree with this though. However, since I do have a choice, and I am right-handed, I guess I should go with right-twist.... correct? Lastly, I need to decide between 5-cord and 6-cord. I know that this choice is somewhat dependent upon thread spacing. I am working with 7-spi. Any advice here? Nick

Okay, so I have read some posts about waxing one's own thread with home-brew rosin. I'm gonna give this a shot. I ordered beeswax and amber resin, now I need to find some thread for hand-stitching. Couple of questions... I have heard Barbours 5-cord touted as the best linen thread available for holster making. It is available from Campbell-Bosworth, however, it comes only in white with left-twist. Product # TH-BR5LNT @ $51 Campbell-Bosworth also sells Hungarian linen thread, also 5-cord, left-twist BUT it is available in black and is about half the price of the Barbours thread. Product # TH-LN5LBK @ $25 Link to Campbell-Bosworth linen thread selection: http://www.campbell-...q5o8mgjeut4ef76 Does Campbell-Bosworth sell to individuals? If so, which product should I choose. I need black but I would suppose that white thread can be dyed with leather dye. If C-B does not sell to individuals, can you recommend another source? Thanks, Nick

Nice work.

Thanks triage... it looks like I will be toddlin' down that road right behind ya. Unlike me, these guys know what they are talking about. I should just keep my mouth shut! I sure hope that I don't wind up having to make my own thread!!! And I mean sewing thread, not talking about posting a thread. And triage, my post wasn't nuthin, thanks for YOUR post. Nick

Ooops, sorry. I was composing this when you were posting your decision. BTW, I was not disagreeing with the experts, just putting out another idea. I will probably try a couple of suggestions in the above posts, myself. In my humble newbie opinion, I think for hand stitching, you are going to want a waxed thread, whether it is pre-waxed or do it yourself. The wax holds the thread in place as you stitch. Unwaxed thread is for machines or for people who want to do their own waxing. Just to get a little experience, why don't you start with some 25 yard spools of pre-waxed thread from Tandy for under $5 each. Yes, that's a high cost for a small amount of thread but you will get several projects from these and overall the cost is low for experimenting. Get some needles that will accept thick thread. Waxed nylon: http://www.tandyleat...s/1227-038.aspx Waxed linen: http://www.tandyleat.../11207-003.aspx Needles: http://www.tandyleat...s/1195-033.aspx Nick

Nice work. Lot's of curvy interest that I would not have expected in an HK holster .

Oh gosh... I'm not laughing at all... that is just sad. That holster was looking good. It takes courage to share our failures. Thanks for that. Nick

Oh... if you are cutting belts from sides, you will want a strap cutter!

Katsass, thank you for your comments. The pic of the back is at a low angle. The leather does not push on the mag release but it still needs to trimmed down for finger room to achieve a full firing grip. I could trim down both the front and the back about 1/8" to 3/16" , right next to the trigger guard as a fix. It may be a week before I can get around to doing this but when I do, I will post some more pics on this thread. Nick

Some things to think about... You either have to decide on how many stitches per inch you want on your overstitch wheel or get one that comes with three different sized wheels. I went with the three different sizes. Start with a #2 edger. I started with a #3 and IMHO, it just takes off too much leather unless you are using 13oz or greater. If the #2 doesn't do enough for you, then go get a #3. Tandy has a stitch groover that converts to a creaser and in either configuration, it can be used free-hand or with the guide attached. I recommend it http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/home/department/Tools/88081-00.aspx I don't know where your source is for sanding drums but I got a set at Sears for around $20 or $25. From my very limited experience, belt punches for buckle tongues do not work on thick leather. They are wedge shaped and cannot plough through thick stuff. It was a complete waste of money for me. For any slots, drill a hole at each end and cut out the center between them with a utility knife. Likewise a strap end punch was a waste of money. I just cut them by hand and finish them with the sanding drum. Make that Fiebing's "Pro Oil" leather dye and I will agree. Get some scrap wool, the real stuff, not the synthetic, to buff the dye before top-coating and to buff the top-coat after drying. If you plan to do any snap setting, you may want to get a mini anvil, if you don't already have one in your shop. I would choose what Tandy calls a "horn creaser" rather than their "bone folder". It does more of what you are looking for. Reaper already told you that a stitching pony ain't gonna work for holsters, so I don't need to repeat that, do I? Nick

Thanks Reaper... that's a real compliment, and I appreciate it. Yeah, I think a snap attachment is more my style. I had time to take some more pics. I know that when other people post pics of their new stuff, I always like to see the holster with a gun in it and one of the back, as well, so here they are. Nick