renegadelizard

I go a different route alltogether...i get my leather as wet as it can get, stretch it till it moos at me, then let it dry as im constantly working and reworking it...i do it this way because i set my stitch lines on the too close side...ive had a few factory holsters that wore out fairly quickly due to streching...i figure if i pre stretch it, it will stretch less with prolong use...baking it at 170 for 20 minutes with the door cracked open sets it real nice and stiff...

+1 on the mop and glo...it works well for me...another thing I figured out after my first couple of holsters was simple, yet often overlooked...clean..like surgically clean hands when molding your leather...if its on your hands when you start, it will be on your holster when you finish...that and fingernails...cut them to nubs or you will leave nail gouges in your leather...good looking rig overall...and beware, before you know it, your whole house will smell of leather and you will have dreams (sometimes nightmares) of stiching...its really addictive...

Because decorating a holster makes it custom...why does anybody spend 60 plus on a holster when you can get an uncle mikes for 12 bucks???..same reason....function of a holster is only part of an equation...people dont just want something..they want something they are proud to have...springfield armory selld a no frills 1911 for around 500-600 bucks...its a workhorse, tight slide to frame fit, accurate, and dependable...yet people by the droves still go out and buy kimbers, wilson combats, nighthawks, and les bear custom 1911...are they more dependable?..nope...more accurate???nope...more pleasing to the eye??..you betcha...same thing with holsters...and for me, buying a 12 dollar holster for a 600 dollar gun is like putting a cheap tasco on a Blaser....my 2 cents....

+1 on the liner...if you are not going to line, then dye the inside and rub it down with gum trag..(this is the only use i have found for the stuff...i would do your edges with either dye then finish when wet from the dyde, or just plain water..i did a holster last night damp from the dye and wow...try it, you will love it...glass smooth..finish the edges of your belt pieces before you sew it on...anything you cant get to when the holster is assembled should be done before you pick up a needle...these places are often overlooked, i still make that mistake frequently...+2 on the trigger guard area..expose that trigger ..lol....also, you might want to round off the botton edge a little...leather corners like to lift...all in all, you have just completed a monumental project, and for a first it turned out quite nice...cant wait to see the next one..

I kind of like the glocks...they are very understated...kind of like soviet architecture...and who can argue the beauty of a place like Chernoble... Seriously though, i do find them to be among the best looking of the tupperware guns....now a baretta NEO...that is ugly....plain old fashioned bone deep ugly....the glocks just aint pretty...

Great concept..is your buddy a lefty?. I'm just nit picking here, but the edges look a little unfinished...im not sure if that was intentional or not??? also, it looks like you used your thumbs for the molding right under the end of the forearm....i used to get those same cresent shaped spots when thumbing my leather down in certain spots..after a few times i learned to cut my nails stupid short, get my hands surgically clean (cause if its on your hands when wet molding, it will work its way into the leather), and use smooth tools whenever possible...now your stitching looks great, and i love the contrasting colors of the straps...

Awesome work as always Shooter...personally, im with you...i love the exotics...it personalizes the holster... thats what makes it custom..ive got some elephant ive been trying to figure out how to use for about a month now..cognac ...it just dosnt fit anything...i might tie it into a knife sheath for a buddy...and yes, the more exotic the better...duck billed platypus would be great..lol...love the belt to..very not off the shelf...keep it up muse...

Thanks...my wife said the same thing..."white...that wont look good"...after i was done with the first she said "wow..i really like that"...i think if i would have just sewn the outer edge of the pocket, it might have looked kind of lopsided, but doing the whole thing i think, just rally sets it off and makes it pop...the customer was thrilled....and for 90 bucks apiece i think he got a really good bargain... im really starting to like vinegaroon...i didnt care so much for at first, but it is growing on me...still have to figure out the timing for edging, but im leaning toward just edging everything i do before the vinegarooning...

Mike buddy, im no expert, if what you are doing works, well, it works...im just spitballing here, maybe save you a little time...i make a few revolver holsters and i know they arent really all that easy to mold...actually, i think they are pretty painful, but they do look nice when molded...maybe thats why you are sucessful, taking that extra time to set your holsters off...like i said, im just spitballing some different ideas...

If you get a chance, next time, or better yet, with a piece of scrap leather, do one without boning it, only lightly, very lightly mold it...maining just flair the throat...and put in a stitch line along the underside of the gun...it should give you the same orientation every time and spread out the wieght a little more evenly...remember, more surface area in contact with your body usually means better weight distrobution and more comfort...

Hey Mike, what size awl do you use...I got the cs osboursne stitching awl (diamond blade) from SLC...when i poke it all the way through, i usually dont have to use pliers until i start backstitching...im also using SLC's waxed linen thread..i tried using some thicker stuff from tandy, but i couldnt get the eye of the needle through with that stuff...i wonder if im punching too far through?

Thanks Guys...Jason, im contemplating the same..ive got a cowhide #2 belt blank that I was going to use for a liner, horsehide on the outside..i little thinner than i would like, but the horsehide is plenty stiff...the thing that is slowing me down isnt neccessarily the stitching, its poking all those holes....i figure a belt that will be roughly 48-50 inches long to accomodate my 36 inch+2 for CC waist will have to have about 650 or so stitches, thats alot of awl work...only about 2 hours of actual stitching, but a whole lot of punching..i was also thinking about putting in a band saw blade for a stiffener...how cool would that be...

Looks good Mike, the only question I have is why do the molding on a pocket holster?..other than maybe asthetics?...

Thanks Mike...you know, before i started messing with leather, i used to balk at some of the prices i had seen for some custom leather...well, not so much anymore...there are still a few i question, like 250 extra for sharkskin accents..., but then again, I've never worked shark hide and it really may be that labor intensive to justify the cost....and hand stitching...incredible amount of work in that....one day i may be able to justify a machine, but until then its numb hands and crossed eyes...

Thank you...although the sight of needles and waxed linen now gives me a slight tremor, i'm glad i went in that direction...mistakes seem to be a good teaching tool for me..i just pray that i don't have any more..lol...

i love the ostrich..very cool Mike...i may have to borrow your technique for inlay..ive got some elephant i haven't found a use for yet, and i got a buddy that wants a sheath for one of his custom damascus buck skinner knifes...awesome work!

Hey all...i finally got this set finished ...it started out rough...many issues with gum trag, dye splatter, vinegaroon, horsehide, rivets...pretty much everything that could go wrong....but i stayed the course and pulled these out of my 4th point of contact...my fingers still hurt so ill stop typing now..have a gander..any and all tips/comments welcome...

Good tip!...Also, will the smooth side of vinegrooned leather hold contact cement?....I have decided to do some elephant trip on these to make them a bit more special...

I agree completely. I'll not be using it again. For now, I solved the problem with vinegaroon. The holsters came out okay, but my hands were brown from it. Is that normal?.

i tried to vinegaroon the edges and then fade in with black dye....fail...then vinegrooned the entire thing...its black but you can still see a gloss difference where i tried to fade in with the black dye...so, they will become knife sheaths and other small little pieces....back to cutting and awl punching,....grrr...henceforth, gum trag is a foul word in my house...

Hey all...i ran into an interesting issue last night...i was making a few western rigs...nothing fancy, no tooling, and for some reason (probably becuase im new to thins and still wet behind the ears), i decided to edge the holsters before spraying with dye..now that i have sprayed it, it looks like i got some gum trag slopped around on the holster and the dyde will not take to it...it looks like poop..well, kind of red when it should be brown, but you get the idea...are these now scrap bin stuffers or is there a way to recover these holsters?

Thanks for the replies guys....i think I'm gonna try option b first and hopefully it will come out okay....my main concern is the leather coming out stiff enough for good retention...

Hey All...im starting to feel like a 6 year old..you know, you try to learn something and you hear all sorts of different opinions then eventually you think you have and proudly tell the teacher that William Tell discovered America after he escaped the African Penal Colony, and that if it weren't for Pocohontas he would have been eaten by the Pygmies on the Plains of Apache. So, I seriously need some guidance here guys. Here is kind of what I'm thinking... Option A: stitch and wet form holster, stick in oven on 170 (lowest mine goes) for about 10-12 minutes, let dry overnight. Dunk in Vinegaroon, then baking soda, then in clean water, re insert gun, and let dry again....(will redunking in all of these thing ruin my first molding?) Option B; Stitch and dunk in vinegaroon, backing soda, clean water, then wet form, bake and let dry.... How about edging...do i do the hard to reach places before I stitch?...and will vinegaroon color it after it has been edged with gum trag? Any help from you guys would be great...im bald and trying to find hair to pull out...

Its a single 10...i was shopping for a single six last year and when i looked down in the display case, there was a single six that had a few hard years on it, and for a few dollars more, there was this brand spanking new single 10...last year was the first year they came out with them, so i figured I would grab it up and if they didnt catch on, then i would have a rare safe queen...im glad i got it, it is a tack driver...the other is a ruger redhawk with an absurdly long barrel...my buddy deer hunts with it and asked if i could make him something cool to hold it in, and in my estimation, a doulble loop rig is about as cool as they come..

I really like that...not bad for a "scrap piece" of leather...i bet it was a chore sticking that though..what is it at the seam, 24 ounce?...i was gonna say you could space your sticking a little closer, but with the leather being that thick, i can see why it isn't 6 spi....good job!