NoName

Spend some time sharpening your awl blade and you wont have to use so much force on it. The edges and tip of the awl should be knife sharp and the flat sides should be mirror polished. Once it is sharpened properly, strop it every time you use it and it will stay sharp. As Workingmanleather stated, a stitching groover will improve the look of the stitching as well as an over stitch wheel to mark out the hole spacing. The Art of Hand Sewing Leather by Al Stohlman explains it well. Happy stitching!

Thank you J Hayes for the quality of information. (without the display of ego)

Ditto on the Royal Meadow. Made one for myself out of the same.

I would leave the billet end no thicker than about 10 oz finished. If it is much thicker it may be difficult to get the tip through the keeper once it is buckled. I like it lined all the way to the tip of the billet end but I would run the liner piece through a splitter on the billet end. No offense Katsaas, you have a great looking product.

I gotta say, it doesn't look like rookie work to me. I like the pictures you are posting of the progress. The picture in my avatar was my first. Much of the credit goes to the Stohlman books on saddlemaking. I hope it turns out good for you and I will be following your thread as you post more pictures.

Mine is 3-4 oz chrome tanned leather.

I sharpen and polish mine with this system: http://usaknifemaker.com/sharpening-supplies-c-52/cardboard-10-wheel-razor-sharp-system-3-4-arbor.html In fact, I sharpen everything I own with this system!

Very nice looking holster. I carry a Kahr PM9 (blackened stainless) in a holster very similar to this one. I have used this holster for about six months now and have not noticed any damage to the finish of the gun. In fact it looks quite good for the hard use it gets. I do agree with the advice on stitching. A sharp and highly polished Osborne awl blade will make prettier stitching holes. I would like to know where you get the blackened screws and washers. I used rivets to fasten mine together. It has worked well but I like the look of the fasteners on yours.

Some don't like 'em, but I think I can spend more time cutting and less time stropping with a ceramic blade. I don't think the ceramic actually dulls. I think you just have to clean it off every once in a while on some white rouge on leather.

The item pictured on the right was sold in the late 80's by Tandy Leather as a "Concho" hole punch. Winter Bear's initial guess was accurate.

Search Google images for pictures of holsters. You may get some ideas that you could incorporate into your project.

The ceramic blades never need to be sharpened. Strop them often however (on jewelers rouge impregnated leather).

If I were you I would start with the books that Northmount recommended (on hand sewing and case making). You will see ideas in there that will inspire your imagination and show you what different tools will do, then begin purchasing tools as you see what is required for the types of projects you intend to build. As always, buy the best quality you can afford. Quality is far better than quantity!

Definitely not bad at all. To add to what has already been said, I would suggest this: If you were to have to draw it from the holster, you would want a little more clearance for your fingers between the grip and the leather around the trigger guard.