chiefjason

My prices figure in any fees and shipping. You want to pay cash and pick it up, we can talk about it. It's like the guys on ebay that charge $12 to ship some little thing and they think they are getting away with something. Ebay figures the total price in for fees too.

All my leather goes USPS Priority Mail. I figure shipping into the price, and just charge one price. If you take paypal, you can print the shipping label there and get tracking as well. I use the ebay service to print labels on stuff that sells there. Paypal and ebay are also cheaper than going to the Post Office and paying. And you get a nice label printed as well.

Depending on how you do the holster it may fit the Bodyguard .38 too. And some Rossi's. The LCR is considerably different.

As a part timer, this is why I don't do a website. And currently, I'm glad I did not. I have quit taking money at this point. I've got a list of folks that want a holster. When I can work on theirs I told them I would contact them for payment. I've got one about ready to ship. Three about ready to dye. I might mold another tomorrow. Next week I might start on the waiting list. Being one guy with a limited amount of time outside of my real job, it does not take much to get me more behind than I want to be. I'm considering raising the price again to slow things down as well. Busy is a good thing. Hopelessly behind is not. lol

I've used denatured alcohol to strip it off when it acts funny. I've had to strip and re-seal a couple. The question is, can you get enough off to get the groon to take well? Good luck.

Craig, Thanks. A bit more searching after I posted told me the same thing. I worked up a batch today. It seems to have a consistency close to my saddle soap. It gives when I push on it in the egg crates. I have a couple holsters in the works and I'm going to use this for the finish. I'm not big on shiny. It's just easier to beat up IMO.

Are you guys using this as a final finish? I'm not happy with the recent results of some of the mop and glo or super sheen. And I cut both with water 50/50. Looking at other finish options now. Thanks.

I usually clean my leather with denatured alcohol before dying. I try to dye before it completely dries too. If I'm having a difficult time I'll sometimes rub over the area with alcohol and immediately dye it. The leather wet by the alcohol seems to soak up the dye better. After it dries I oil it which tends to darken things too. I've also read where guys dyed brown first, then black. But honestly, if I want black I vinegroon it or used pre dyed.

Any single stack 9mm mag will get you the right dimensions except for the over all length. I've subbed a Kahr single stack 9mm for LC9 and Shield if you have one of those. So, just mold it on any single stack you can get, and cut the back to cover the right length.

I would guess that the wrinkles are coming from the leather compressing when it bends in for the curve of the belt. The front side stretches, the back side compresses. Does it always happen? Or have you just noticed with the leather you are using now? Maybe it's the nature of that side or shoulder? The only help I've got is to ask if you can mold less on the back side to lessen the amount of flex in the holster? The more mold you have on the back, the more flex you introduce. I would think flex would introduce the wrinkles.

That is a large firearm. As long as the holster is not ridiculously large the longer distance can help make it more comfortable to carry. Obviously there is a point of diminishing return. I just did a hybrid for a Ruger Alaskan .44. That thing was monstrous. The backer was the largest one I have ever worked with for OWB.

Not as many firsts as Particle, but a few. First double mag, first brown dye, and first contrast stitching. I have been wanting to do something like this. But besides just making one and hoping to sell it, I had not gotten the chance. Well, I got a request for a full size 1911 pancake. Then he wanted a mag holster. Then double mags. He wanted chocolate brown to begin with. But I sent him a picture of a hybrid I did with medium brown leather and went with the medium brown. I gave it a more mottled look than solid. Then I talked him into cream stitching. I decided to try leaving the interior natural to see if I could and he liked that too. So here it is. The last coat of finish is drying and it will be in the mail on Friday. I kind of hate to see it go. I really like it. Retention came out pretty tight. So I'll be sending instructions on loosening it up a bit if he chooses too. Comments and critiques are appreciated.

IMO, the worst part of cross draw is trying to keep a decent area free on the grip. It's darn near impossible in some cases. The holster is beautiful though.

Bobby, I've got black pull the dots on order right now. Ordered them directly from dot. Just sucked it up and ordered 100 as it was the minimum. I'm going to make loops with them too. After much tinkering I finally got the hang of them. The video you posted is probably the one that got everything to click in my head about how to set them up. And those snaps are actually black line 24's, but there is probably a ton of glare on them.

M&G 50/50 here too. Usually do 2 coats and call it done. On my nicer stuff I'll use atom wax before I finish.

The baking soda rinse, or dip, is mandatory. It kills the chemical reaction between the groon and the leather. You have to oil it too. The groon can strip the natural oils out. You may notice that it looks or feels drier than it should after the groon has dried. I started using 2 light coats of neatsfoot oil. As a bonus it deepens the black too. I usually waited 24 hours after grooning before oiling. And don't go into it firm with your times. I brushed my groon on with a sponge brush. Sometimes one coat and it looked done. Sometimes 2. Sometimes 15 minutes later I still have spots not colored. A lot depends on the hide. And if your thread has a lot of wax you may notice that the sewn areas resist the groon longer. Though that may change if you are dipping. There were times I had to take a fingernail and work the light spot to remove the wax so the groon would take. It will take some trial and error to see how it works.

Two things come to mind. Do folks really wear different sized belts much? I know I don't. I've gone to 1.5" and stayed there. I don't think stretch is going to be a significant issue. Particularly with smaller guns. And I'm sure a second attachment point would help. Just a couple of thoughts that are worth exactly what you paid for them. lol And BTW, I forgot to say that it looks well done. I'm becoming a big fan of the contrast stitching look.

And oil it. Groon dries out the leather over time. And the oil makes it blacker.

I'm with Shooter on one piece. I've made 2 of them. First had add on straps. Total disaster. Second had integrated straps, it's on my side right now. BTW, ignore the stitch lines.

No, which I take as a good thing. Complaints come in quick. At a boys are slower. He told me he was going to try it first. I was upfront about cutting it short and why so he could test drive it with that in mind. I've got 2 hybrids going out tomorrow to a buddy of his and he is talking about ordering another AIWB holster.

I've been doing it as a serious part time thing for about 6 months. Been at it about a year total though. Last year I probably did about 15 all leather holsters. And several hundred hybrids. I also do my leather by hand, so I can't move them as quickly as the hybrids. But I am getting more requests for leather as I get better at it. Currently I have 2 1911 pancakes with double mag holsters ordered in leather. And just those four has caused me to pre warn one guy that it will take longer than normal for anything else. In the last 2 weeks I've sold about 25 hybrids with 3 more custom orders. I'll also tell you that holsters, like everything else gun related, seems to be spiking right now. I thought it was just the holidays. But it has not slowed down. I just ordered 3 blue guns and Ring's is so backed up that they are taking a bit longer than normal. It's just crazy out there. I have run clean out of time. And as my luck would have it, my real job has really picked up lately too.

Good deal, I stippled the one I carry as well. Love it.

Here you go. Nothing fancy really. Holding the rivet tool got annoying fast. I bought these magnets intending on using them to replace snaps. I've not gotten around to working that out so I used them here. It holds my rivet setter, hole punches, and snap setters. I'm considering having a buddy drill and tap the press to mount them in the press. I just wish my belt loop cutter fit in the press. It's way too long. The main functional benefit to this setup is that you don't get the setter jumping around and creasing the rivets. I use domed rivets. Personally, I do a lot of stuff at night after work. And now I can set rivets and not wake my wife and kids up with the banging. That alone is worth the price of the press. The more I use it, the more I like it. I've had it about 2 weeks now.

I've hand sewn 2 belts, I'm a slow learner I guess. No fun. If you have any glycerin soap, saddle soap, or candle wax around try that for burnishing the edges. An old toothbrush works well for burnishing too. Heck, it's my main boning tool too. Just steel wool any of the old dentist printing off of the smooth handle.

I use a 1 ton arbor press. But I probably set mine differently too. And I mostly use it for rivets. I have a rare earth magnet that holds the top setter to the press and built a bottom surface from a cutting board to hold the cups and punch holes. So, my arbor press gets used for rivets, snaps, and punching holes.