IngleGunLeather

What thickness leather are you able to cut with those?

Looks good Ash! Thanks for sharing.

Very nice work Kevin. True art right there.

I use several knives. Primarily I use the utility knife for rough cuts(cutting outside the line) and then I use my round knife for detailed cuts (on the line). I've also got the curved and straight trim knives that serve their own purpose as well. The curved trim knife for the sharp curves. The straight trim knife is great for skiving and cutting narrow long strips such as bullet loops or belt keepers. Regardless of which knife I use I never try to cut all the way through the leather on the first pass and I always strop with green rouge during use. The more projects you do you'll find yourself needing a specialty tool for.

Thanks Samalan. I learn something new on every project I do. It's amazing how the basics such as burnishing edges carry over from one project to the next though.

Thanks David. I had seen a few pictures of the two tone prior to starting this one. Not dying the liner is supposed to prevent dye rub-off. I also thought it was appealing to the eye as well. Thanks for the compliment.

Thank you very much bluesman. I owe the stitching credit to my Cobra Class 4, but thank you. First time I did something that was two-toned and not dyeing it a solid color. A little more challenging, but I think I figured out the best way to go for the next one. I love those Jeremiah Watt buckles. He does really good work and his stuff ain't very expensive. Oh, the edge...I propped the belt upon it's side and very carefully applied dye to the edge using a small dauber.

Thank you very much benlilly.

Very nice design. Thanks for sharing. Will have to try that out.

Howdy folks. Thought I'd post a few pics of the 1-1/2 inch gun belt I just finished. This is the first 1-1/2 inch belt I've done. My only other belts consist of a 2-1/2" gun fighter belt and a single buscadero. Anyway, this one is constructed of two 6/7 oz. layers of Hermann Oak B-grade leather.

Very nice. I love the color.

I think it's the best one yet Dave. I personally like the stamping in-set like that instead of butted up against the stitch line. I think you're making fast progress. If I could, I'd like to recommend this DVD set: http://smartflix.com...-Holster-Making If you haven't seen or heard of this DVD set or John Bianchi, I'd highly recommend watching them and studying his work. I bought the DVD set and I often refer back to them.

Beautiful work.

The stitching critiques on the last post seem to have been corrected. However, it appears there is no room to get a grip on the hand grip. No use in carrying if you can't grab the pistol effectively on the first attempt to grab. Pictures can be decieving, so I could be wrong. If not, I'd strongly recommend increasing the finger gap.

I guess I should have posted this photo in the beginning. But, the photo below is the look I'm trying to achieve. To have an over all color and the stamping to be darkened. I'm only assuming an antique did this. Will the gel work for something like this? This photo is from Brigade Gun Leather.

That being the case, I won't be able to order it either. I'm in Cali, for now, and they won't ship a lot of the Fiebing's products to me because of the VOC. Thanks. That makes perfect sense. I'm in the military so I know shoe polish. Or at least used to before they gave us the crappy suede boots.

The spacing per inch has been covered. So, I'll cover the stitch line itself going around the edges of the holster. Get an adjustable creaser or groover and set it for 3/16" and go all the way around the edges of the holster. On some edges your line is about a 1/4" and on other edges it's probably only at an 1/8". It's very inconsistant. Additionally, the rear ear has a sharp upsweap under the hand grip almost coming to a sharp point. It's a little too close to the hand grip. Drop the upsweap and round that corner off some more. Personally, I don't like the design. I'm not a traditionalist stuck in the 50s, but I don't like all these holsters that people are making that have over the top swooping curves and stuff. I know it's hard to make your mark in the holster world because there's only so many ways to crack a nut, but I'd recommend sticking to a basic (traditional) design in order to learn.

not seeing a paste on tandy's site. can you be more specific with brand? and what didn't you like about the gel?

So, I've had a bottle of this stuff sitting on the shelf for at least a year now. I guess I bought it for a project that never got completed. So anyway, I decided to give it a shot on a scrap piece that I had tried some new stamps on. Wow! What a difference it makes on the stamp impressions. By the way, my last cowboy rig was my first stamping and I died it black. So, stamping and antiquing is a pretty new application for me. All of my previous holsters have been dyed solid color with no stamping. But now I am diving head first into cowboy rigs. Now my question is....How long should this stuff dry for before I buff and apply some carnuba cream on it?

Very nice!

Most of the molding would be covered up anyway by the pants wouldn't it? The few that I've done had just enough for retention. I don't think a few extra creases in the leather would affect the concealment at all.

+1. I have his western belt pattern pack and western holster pattern pack. I would highly recommend his patterns. Comes with great instructions.He doesn't go into detail as far as how to edge, burnish, dye and finish though. I would say you need to have some experience in leather working to understand the process.