TonyV

Well-loved and well-used holsters. Simplicity lends well to function and they look like they work exactly as they should. Noice oil work. I bet they appreciate the drink.

AI, meh.

I don't use a leather machine but, after watching my mother, a couple sisters, and a daughter use machines to sew many quilts, I would have to say that small spools do ok feeding horizontally because they can spin easily, but large spools like yours don't spin so well, so should be fed from the top and going through a hook on a riser so that the thread then comes down into the first feed hole. This prevents the friction when the spool tries to spin. I don't think clockwise or counterclockwise really makes a difference.

That's a perfect use for a 'what could happen..' project Chuck! Kudos to you and your bride.

Dwight's method is spot on. He forgot to mention, you will probably build a few holsters before you get it just the way you want. They will certainly be functional, but perhaps not just how you want them to until you get your process down. I have several of those some I use, some I don't. I started using some 1/8 inch foam sheet (Amazon.com: MEARCOOH Black eva Foam roll, (1mm to 20mm) Premium Cosplay EVA Foam Sheet,2mm Thick,49"x13.5",High Density 86kg/m3 for Cosplay Costume, Crafts, DIY Projects : Arts, Crafts & Sewing) to model new ideas or patterns, which gives me a better idea how things will work. It's a lot less expensive than screwing up your leather.

NOthing wrong with that video, except.... the title, which should read "How not to use leather dye"

That's a good way to go. Sharp blade = clean cuts.

tsunkasapa uses the traditional awl style of sewing. JUst mark it with a wheel, pierce with an awl as you sew. Arthritis doesn't allow me to hold the awl and needle at the same time, so I use chisels. A lot of people use the terms 'chisel' and 'pricking iron' interchangeably. I see a difference, with the chisels used to cut through all layers of leather to be sewn, and pricking irons used to simply mark and start the hole (similar to wheels), to be followed with an awl. See my dilemma above. At present, I am using Weaver Leather's chisels in 4mm and 5mm. I started out with the cheap Amazon chisels, but they didn't last long and are definitely inferior to Weaver's. Bent, broke and dulled easily. I have recently seen Kevin Lee's chisels in action. The tapered tines make it a lot easier to pull the chisel out from the holes. A definite improvement over standard diamond chisels. They're sorta spendy, so I'm saving my pennies to get a set.

That's a good start. Simple yet functional. What knife did you use to cut the strands? It could use some honing to give you a smoother end product. I think sharpening/ stropping our bladed tools is one of the most important skills to learn as a beginner.

Small detailed carving can be a real bear. Patience and experience is the only way to get good at it. So practice, practice, practice. An angled swivel knife blade might help initially. JLS's suggestion re dampening the leather should help as well.

Mostly I use Weldwood contact adhesive, especially on larger pieces. Sometimes I use white "leather glue" (PVA?) when the project isn't intended to undergo a lot of stress. Sometimes I use double sided tape, where all I need is to hold small or light pieces together while I sew or rivet. Contact adhesive can be messy and difficult to manage on small, thin pieces. You have to align the pieces accurately on the first try but it is very strong and long-lasting. White glue works here, but takes a long time to dry, which also gives plenty of time to align pieces. Where the tape shines is on thin leather where glue might leave traces.

When I built my 1st holster 25 years ago, I simply bought a likely-lookin' piece of leather. I didn't know belly from butt. I've made better holsters from better leather since then, but I still use that old Slim Jim for my '58 Rem NMA clone. I think that old piece I bought was a relatively firm piece of belly, perhaps the upper portion and I've made sheaths and phone cases with it, too. Belly ain't all bad. It's good for learning.

1 coat. Antique is a stain that can stain just about anything it touches if it is allowed to dry, even pro-resist. So don't let it dry where you dont want. Technique counts here. Apply the antique in smaller sections and quickly wipe off before it has a chance to dry. Practice on scraps to get the feel of it ( you get some tooling practice this way, too). It might still darken the wipe-off areas a bit, but you will learn to take this into account. You can try 2 coats, or more, if you wish, but practice working smaller areas anyway. Practice is good.

I tie the knot between the layers then cut the threads as close to the knot as I can get with my utility knife. I don't use the knife to slice the thread in a cutting motion, but pull the thread against the thread so that they make the cutting motion. This helps avoid cutting the leather. If there is any little tag of thread still sticking out, just tuck it in, then hammer the seam.

Yeah, that's the vid I was thinking of. Or, just upsize the purse-size pattern to your liking.