D Fingers

Yes right after forming dip in vinegaroon, neutralize with baking soda rinse then double check forming set aside for drying. I have sometimes repeated the process to make sure I get it black.

In the future you could use vinegaroon just after you mold. Will not effect the thread in the least.

Not bad for your first time. I also hand sewed 1 belt and have vowed to not make another until I have a machine, lol. Your going to want to get some cow hide as the horse hide makes a much less durable product IMHO.

Billymac- that black looks great! I have never had success like that with black dye. Dickf- I will take any advice from you on dyeing, I think your colors are about the best I've seen. I have never invested enough in one color of dye to be able to dip dye maybe this is what I need to do.

The problem with Kydex or hybrid is that it is going to destroy the finish on your nano in a very short time. I realize many just accept that for their carry gun but if your like me and fussy about the condition of your guns probably want to go all leather.

I'm with Katsass, vinegaroon is the only way to go for black, just make sure you search the forum for the correct procedure. Plus that is the best way to use white thread with black and for me the thread has got to be white.

I feel like custom leather holsters are grossly underpriced. The fact that people sell good custom holsters for under $100 is absurd!

Eric You won't get good holsters with horse IMHO. They do not hold their form for long, retention will be crap within days(maybe hours) of the holster entering service.

I realize I missed this tread when it was current. I just wanted to mention that I dunk my holsters in the 50/50 mop-n-glow, sometimes twice. I am very happy with the results. Does anybody else do this?

You must have honed your skills elsewhere, knife sheaths or something? This is probably the best second holster ever!

Looks good for early holsters! Get yourself a set of French curves to help make your patterns flow.

Looks great! Would like to be able to see the knife though.

I can't imagine how you got a Nazi Eagle stamp, but as a life long WWII history buff I think it is cool as heck. The finish, style and workmanship is all totally excellent as well!

Layout the stitching lines on your template, then make a trace of your stitching layout with tracing paper, lay that on the leather then transfer that to leather with stylus.

Is that how it's done?

This is why one should not live in Illinois:(!

I have found that 1/4 belt slots are just not big enough for a holster that will be used with a gun belt. I have standardized a 3/8 slot, which happens to be the size of the smallest Dremel sanding drum and that cleans them up nicely.

Go2Tex I respectfully disagree. Kydex is for military and law enforcement, in which the pistol is an every day tool and there is no hope of maintaining a decent condition for the pistol. Private owners usually want to maintain the highest possible condition of the finish of their pistols over the long term. This is the advantage leather has over kydex/injected plastic. 1 day in kydex is equal to 100 days in leather as far as wear to the finish of a gun, in my humble opinion and empirical experience. This of course is the point that we must make to our customers and the market generally as custom leather holster makers. This is all to say that I don't think leather IWB's are going anywhere.

Katsass That is an interesting idea I will give that a try.

Yeah I could use one of those.

I like the stitching groove without stitches I do it on all my holsters now. I might be more inclined to stitch it if I had a machine but I don't. It looks more finished than if there is no groove at all that is for sure.

I guess I'm not familiar with the forming stick technique.

Yeah I learned a while ago to run the handle of my mallet down into the holster to open it up, but difficulties still exist. I like them tight I guess.

Getting the gun to seat that last half inch can be a maddening process, one that has almost left me in tears or chucking the whole thing across the garage. If you keep at it though you can get it.

David that really does look nice. I don't like what kydex does to a guns finish but if I was going to use a hybrid I would want it to look like that:)