wizard of tragacanth

I'm impressed... for your first project... I would say you are a natural! Nick

So, do you use linen or nylon thread for hand-stitching your holsters and belts? Why do you choose that one over the other? Thanks, Nick

I seriously hope that is not your gun belt because that is just not sufficient. That looks like a rather soft, 1" belt from here. I would highly recommend a 1.5" belt of sufficient thickness that you cannot bend it vertically by pinching the top edge and the bottom edge together... (I don't know how else to describe it). That would make another good project for you! A holster needs the good foundation of a proper gun belt to be any good. A good belt makes a huge difference. Once you experience it, you will never have anything else. I would also recommend that if you make a belt, you should consider making it the same color as your holster. It looks much better that way. I would also recommend that you look at what other "veterans" around here are making. I learn so much just by looking at their creations. Nick

Very interesting and quite attractive. I had no idea that horsehide had such attributes. Nick

When I bought my first piece of leather, I had no idea what to look for. At that time, to me, leather was leather. I bought it in person at Tandy and did not even consider what the flesh side looked like. So I wound up with a side that is far from what I would like to have. I found that I could use 120 grit sand-paper on a sanding block and with not too much effort, remove much of the offending stuff. Sanding sometimes works better in one direction than another so, if you do this, try it in more than one direction. I haven't tried gum tragacanth for smoothing the flesh side... I have used Satin Shene though. I put Satin Shene on a dauber and rub it all over. It lays the nap down nicely. I will have to do an experiment with gum tragacanth to see if there is any difference. I started using Satin Shene because I was finishing the inside of a holster where there was one side of flesh and the other of grain. I didn't want to put gum tragacanth on the grain side so I just used a dauber with Satin Shene to do both surfaces simultaneously. Here is a pic of the back done with Satin Shene.

Thanks markush, I will definitely try to use only a single dip next time and give the 'roon time to color up the leather.

Some day, I will get a bench mounted punch press but until I do, I will probably use a ruler and an awl to mark the two ends of the ovals on the center-line of the belt. OTOH, I may take the easy way out and just make round holes!

Hey Guy, Those are Chicago screws. They are two piece screws that you can get in different sizes. On the back side of the belt you would see a slotted head for the screw. You can get them in lengths such as 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" depending on the thickness of your belt or other project. I got mine at Tandy. You could use snaps or rivets but I think most people on this forum use Chicago screws because they are a better solution, overall. Nick

Thanks for the info!

Finished my first gun belt. It was also my first project using vinegaroon (vinegar black). The gun belt was made for a friend. It is 32", 2" wide, single ply (I don't have a machine), 12 oz. cow hide. Since the leather is thick and the Tandy buckle is rather massive, I used oval holes. They are spaced 3/4" apart. This was the first time that I had used an oval punch. I should have sought advice on this forum about how to keep the oval holes parallel to the edges of the belt but I recklessly forged ahead with a silly idea. I put blue painters tape across the belt, such that the top edge of the tape was at the center-line of the belt. Then I tried to follow that line by eye-balling the oval punch head. Well, it didn't work well. A couple of holes were skewed, tilted from the center line. When I removed the tape, it took a little hide with it. I was not happy about that. Later, in an attempt to correct the tilted holes, I cased the leather, inserted an oval punch and twisted it to straighten it out. It actually worked pretty well but I don't know if they will stay that way or later relax back to their tilted state. The vinegaroon was my first batch, brewed for two weeks. It worked great. I had no problem with that. However, I did three dips with the belt, which pretty much soaked it. Now the smell is pretty strong. Next time, I will dip it and wait 30 seconds or so to see if the leather gets dark enough with a single dip. Then, if need be, I will dip it again. Hopefully, I can get the deep black with less saturation and less remaining smell. Also, I only let it air out for a day before I put the top-coat on, so I would imagine that that only sealed in the smell and now will take even longer for the smell to dissipate... if ever. I may be making it sound a little worse than it is. You can really only smell it if it is an inch from your nose, it's not like it stinks up the room. Questions, comments or advice are all welcome. Nick

Nice work. What kind of machine did you pick up? Looks like you used an oval punch for the holes on your fiancee's belt. I just fininshed a 2" belt with oval holes. It was very difficult for me to get it right. Well, it was my first one and I had trouble keeping the axis of the ovals parallel to the mid-line of the belt. A couple were tilted, so I cased the leather, inserted the punch and twisted them pretty close to where they should have been. Maybe that's a hack fix but it was the only one that I could come up with. I will post a pic of it in my own thread. Nick

Since I always like to have several options... are there any other sources for a Landis P-30, other than Pilgrim? Thanks, Nick

Lobo, that's a great post... puts it all in a nutshell. I was a little peeved that I had purchased two different leather destroyers... I mean, skivers... and now I don't use either one of them. I found a drum sander works much better for me. I guess everyone ends up with stuff that they don't need. I feel a little better knowing that I am not the only one. Nick

You certainly did use the feedback to your advantage. IMHO, both holsters show improvement in every area... better designs and better execution.

I'm feeling sleepy... sleepy... I feel my resistance fading... slipping away... falling... okaaay Mike... whatever you say... I'll do it... Oh, wow, I feel llike I just woke up... where was I, oh yeah, thanks Mike for helping me to achieve the high level of quality and appearnce that your holsters have and not allowing me to wallow in mediocrity. Seriously. Thanks for not giving up on me! Nick

Well, I Googled "snap backer" and got a link to a leatherwork.net post.. You can find them here... http://www.highdesertleather.com/id74.html Nick

Really, that is quite surprising. I may give it a shot but I'm not promising anything.

Handsome stuff!

Mmmm, very nice.

Mike, Thanks for the tip, I may try it but I think that using an awl is going to be too much stress on my hand, wrist and arm.

It might just be that piece of leather. The first piece that I had took about five strokes or mort to cut through, even with a brand new blade in my utility knife. The next hide I got, cut like butter, in comparison.

It's a good first prototype. I can see why you would want quick-release on a crossdraw. You would have to take your belt off to put the holster on or take it off. It's a good concept and a nice color too. When you do it over, you might want to consider a body shield to protect your tummy from the hammer. BTW, I have carried a S&W 638 Bodyguard for 5 years, IWB. The holster did not fully cover the alloy frame near the grip and the finish corroded. Yes, I admit that I was negligent in not wiping down my weapon when I put it away every night. Anyway, my point is that any metal parts should be protected from perspiration. Nick

Okay, here's a tip. I started my first project on the drill press with a 1/16" bit because I read a post where someone was using that size. The holes were so tight that I had to use pliers to pull the needle through. I went up to the next size... 5/64"... bingo, that was it. Hand stitching went so much faster. One drawback is that the 5/64" bit is larger than the stitch groove. It goes somewhat out over the edges of the groove. It doesn't look bad but it would look better if stayed completely within the groove. I will probably contine with the 5/64" bit because I get repetitive motion stress to my hand and forearm, so it is more important to avoid that, than to have perfect stitching. Most people would never notice the difference anyway. Maybe I can find a larger stitch groover. Nick

Guy, Did you find this thread regarding the use of EVOO, Neatsfoot and other oils? http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=27237

Nice, clean look! Glad you came out of lurking mode. And for the rest of you lurkers... olly olly oxen free! Nick