chiefjason

I was doing natural veg tan. So I can barely tell the difference in a cut and a non cut hide. Now if it was bridle or something that was dyed it would be a whole different issue.

I only hand stitch. This is exactly what I do for my stitch holes. And I don't use a stitching pony. I just hold the holster and stitch it. Usually while in bed with a drink watching a movie. lol My only recommendation would be to lay a thin piece of cardboard under the leather. Sometimes the hole for the awl will imprint on the leather. I use 346 thread and 00 needles. Fingerless gloves for pulling tension so you don't get cut, I use original Mecanix gloves with the thumb and pointer cut out and the rest intact for pulling. Small pliers for back stitching and tight spots. A home made stitching palm for pushing the needle.

I don't line my holsters. Anything you put a gun in will eventually wear the finish. I have a Sig that has serious wear on the finish from my t shirts. Nothing else touches those spots. If you do line a holster it usually makes a stiffer holster.

I use Mop & Glo cut 50/50 with water to seal my holsters and sheaths. The are worn close to the body, over or under clothes, and get sweaty. No complaints on bleeding. And I've even worn mine in the rain, or days of camping in damp weather. I brush it on good until it bubbles up a bit, then wipe it off. I do the finished outside once, but do the edges and insides twice. If you want it to shine more, I use Atom Wax as a final finish and polish. Before any of that I apply a 50/50 mix of beeswax and paraffin wax with a splash of oil in it. This also helps water proof it and adds some oils back into the leather.

As an artist you either stay away from them or use a template. Circles are either right or wrong. There is no kind of right with a circle.

A patch sounds good. But you are not going to be able to stitch it on, even hand stitched. There is not enough room in the holster to deal with it. Best option is to build something he wants.

Keep in mind W&C only lists a few heavy weights in some leathers but they will split for free. It might add a week to the ship time. I have them split a hide to a level 8 oz and it has been fantastic. I use the tooling/holster/carving sides for my holsters. Absolutely fantastic leather.

It's called "pull up" and it's pretty natural with leather. The grain side of leather has high and low spots. If you dye with a dauber you get the high spots, but not all the low spots in the grain. So when the leather bends those light areas "pull up". You could try dip dyeing to see if the dye gets deeper into the grain. Or try one of the oil dyes to see if it works better. About the only absolute solution I know of is to find tannery dyed leather that is struck through. Drum dyed is usually good, even when not struck through. But struck through leather is dyed all the way through the side. Most of it seems to be dyed outside the US, I don't think they can use the chemicals that work like that in the States.

4-5 should be good. I went heavy with 7-8 and it was a bit much. I don't keep that weight in sides so I order them as straps when I need them. I'm 6'1" tall and a men's large, sometimes XL, in t shirt. I use a butterfly looking patch on the back of the rig. Top straps are 23" and bottom straps are 22".

I use weldwood too. The only issue I have with it is when it's cold. I keep it in the house, and try to bring the leather in to get warm. But if it's cold in the garage it does not bond as well. Even using a heat gun to dry it and glue it quick. I think the next go around I'll get the smaller can of it so it does not sit around for 6-8 months before I finish it.

OWB cross draw holster for a S&W 500 6.5" barrel WITH a full reload on the holster. Same guy, made and over sized belt with a L frame holster on it that was mounted so it would not move. He wanted to put it on over his coat in the winter if he had to go out to check the barn. But this might be the best. LGS- I have a guy up here that want's a shoulder holster. Me-I don't really do shoulder holsters. LGS- No, you have to do this. It's for his Desert Eagle's. Me- Eagle's? LGS- Yeah, he wants to carry both of them. Me- He wants a NY reload with a Desert Eagle? LGS- Yeah, one is a .50 and one is a .357. Oddly enough, those were some of the most fun holsters I've made. The odd ones spice things up a bit.

I really like the clip on that cross draw rig. Really simplifies getting it on and off. Nice work. I occasionally get asked for those but they rarely seem to follow through on getting one.

I have a buddy that is left handed, but shoots with either hand. I have to double and triple check now. First holster he ordered was right handed. Then next 2 were left handed when he realized I didn't care which way I made them. I usually catch that mistake after cutting. I've found that most lefties are adamant about you knowing, but I could see a close friend or family thinking you knew. Good on you for making it right.

Check out this thread on DC. It's where I found out CT leather is fine. FWIW, Red Nichols has likely forgotten more about designing, selling, and making holster than some of us will ever know. He comes off a bit brash at times, but his knowledge on holsters is unmatched in the industry. He worked with Bianchi and others. http://www.defensivecarry.com/forum/defensive-carry-holsters-carry-options/228758-sof-tuck-chrome-tanned.html

When I'm doing a pattern I label each piece front RH or back RH. Then usually label the other side Front LH or back LH. Figuring I'll see one or the other before I screw it up. Even that does not work all the time. But what gets me is cutting the right piece from the wrong side. I hand draw my patterns so they are uniform looking to the eye but subtle variations. If I mock something up and like it, then accidentally cut the front piece with the wrong side up it just does not fit right. Which is why I started labeling them front and back. I've had to do some creative trimming and sanding to save a couple sheaths.

FYI, the Desantis Sof tuck is chrome tanned. I don't think they are ruining guns with it. Had to track down the thread where that came up. Chrome tanned leather will have no effect on a gun that veg tanned leather won’t. It’s an old wives tale. We use both types here and have done so for many years.I personally carry a G19 in a holster that is chrome tanned with no ill effects.Gene DesantisDesantis GunHide(800) 424-1236

Chrome tanned can't be used for holsters is an old Wive's tale. I believed it for a long time. But lots of small IWB holsters are made with Chrome tan from major manufactures. It's stiffer for it's weight than veg tanned so you can use lighter leather and get the same result IWB.

A few things to keep in mind. Most of us have spent countless hours tweaking what we do. And that is what you are chasing. You can cut down the learning curve, but there is still a curve for most folks. An hour? It takes over an hour for me to case, mold, and dry the holster. Don't rush things too much. I'd like to see those youtube holsters that were made in an hour. If you take pride in the details it will take time. And folks start paying attention to those details. Yes, time is money. But I'm not one for sacrificing quality for time. It's not my style.

Got any more of them nice, shiny daggers? Nice sheath.

I use the tooling/holster/carving sides. Veg tanned. I did not use a lot of HO but the WC is nicer than the HO I did order from SLC. Cleanest hides I have ever seen. The color is a very light cream color. Flesh side has a nice grain to it for the majority of the hide. Not as fleshy as cheap stuff. You can have them level the side for free, it just takes about a week longer to ship. I ordered a level 8 oz for the front of my holsters and it is fantastic. The 8-10 oz sides can be very stiff, nearly too stiff for the fronts. So I ordered 2 sides and had them level one for me. I deal with Dave and he's been great to work with. I have never gotten a hide that didn't have a mark or two from clamps, they have to clamp them when they dry so they don't shrink. But these hides have less marks and defects than other hides I have used.

Same here. I thin all my dyes with alcohol.

Yeah, the Springfield videos looked amazing. IIRC he was going to use a liner at some point. Have not seen an update in a while.

I made my shoulder holster vertical to avoid a snap. lol Being a CZ 75b, the length pushed me that direction too. When I deal with revolvers and woods holsters I usually put the snap on the outside. You could possible do that here. Shoulder holsters are not know for quick draw anyway. The snap on a vertical holster is outside the holster, not a thumb break. You could also run the snap higher to the top of the slide away from the safety. Or on the opposite end, wrap it around the beavertail instead of over the hammer.

I'm not an expert on safety sheets, but my reading is that the Naphtha is the bulk of the ingredients they label as dangerous. So most of that is Naphtha. But I can tell you that most of the product is certainly not naphtha. It's a light oil. Pretty much smells, looks, and acts like any other light oil used on leather. I'm not going to drink it, but I don't drink any of the others either. What I like about it is that you don't get any residue if you get a little too much. Neatsfoot can be a bit oily if you are not careful. But use whatever works for you.

I use the same type of finish Dwight does, but I use U82 Saddlers oil in it instead of Neatsfoot. Melt it together in a crock put then pour it in a dedicated container. You can either buff it well like Dwight does. Or I put a light coat of Atom Wax on it and buff that out. Gives it a nice shine without being plastic looking. Technically my process is oil/wax mix with heat gun, Mop & Glo (one coat on the whole holster and another coat on the inside and edges), then Atom Wax and buff. Yeah, I'm sure it's overkill. But I've never had a complaint and never had a problem with my stuff.