bland

I'll go with repair. Looks like some of the original parts may have been used (buckles). Looks great.

I think it looks great even better than the original.

Cutting all depends on the projects you have planned for the hide. There are numerous ways to cut the hide. For belts and straps goods the higher in the back at the butt end to toward the shoulder is best in my opinion. Depending on the length of your straps or belts you can measure up the butt end to the desired length and cut it to length all the way across leaving the but end and shoulder end. Or you can cut the bend (butt to shoulder minus the belly) again to your measurements. Leaving you with the shoulder and belly attached. Or trim off the belly and leave the top. The belly and neck are good for molded projects. If you are trying to stay away from the brands you can take that into consideration as well. Or you can incorporate them into your project. When working with brands you need to know the leather is generally weaker in that area and doesn't stretch or form well. Anyway, there are many ways of cutting your leather for the projects you have in mind. Have Fun!

I think it looks great here are a couple things you might want to look at. To my eye I think you could drop/extend your front jockeys lower. Follow the contour of your front skirt rounded off to an imaginary line running under your seat jockey and meet up with your back jockeys. Another thing is to have covered stirrups or at least leather treads. I'm not a big fan of the breast collar dee on the hangers, although I have put them on a couple, I've never had one fail but I'm not working in them every day. Anyway, I think it looks great and asking for ideas and critiques can only make you better.

Sounds like you got into a bad piece of leather. Don't know what or if there is tooling but from what you described it sounds pretty far gone. If it were me, I would throw that one in the give away (Goodwill) pile and start again. No sense losing a customer over bad leather. You can push one and get it finished in a day, you're a pro.

Then as others have said. Make the spread about the same as the width of the lace maybe a little longer. i.e. if your lace is 1/2 make your slots 1/2 to 3/4 inch apart depending on the look you like. I would do a test piece to see what is appealing to you. If these are for working chaps I would use lace smaller than 3/8 inch 1/2 inch or something in the 10mm to 13mm range. Then on the backside spread you could go up to 2 to 3 inches or 50 to 75mm. Again your test piece will show you what you like.

Are you using conchos to lace through? If so use slightly further apart than the concho.

Stylistically you'll want them to compliment your yoke design and the style of chaps. So there can be a variety of sizes. Generally the size range fredk recommended is perfect.

In my opinion, I would carve then line. Carving and stamping requires a solid surface to get good impressions. Then add the complexity of carving a rounded object. A swell cover on a western saddle at least has a solid surface under the leather but you're carving at odd angles. I'm thinking with a holster it might be more tricky to keep the solid surface where you need it. I think the bond for gluing will be ok as it will inevitably slightly bigger than it needs to be when you get get the holster closed up. Just another opinion.

Top 1/3 of the back for strap goods, breast collars, rear cinch, guitar straps (could be toward the shoulder area of the back it will be a little more flexible). Lay out the projects you have planned for the side. Sounds like the taps depending on length may be your biggest item. Toward the butt of the back will be your firmest.

Do you have the Leather Crafter's Journal they came out of? They usually have a picture of a finished product. What I'm seeing on the fold back pattern looks like your buckle piece will be sandwiched between the face piece and the billet strap. Then a keeper will also be through the bag punch holes and is sandwiched between as well. After the billet goes through the ring it will go back through the buckle and the keeper. In the thread through the billet looks like it goes through the 3/4 inch holes but it doesn't show where the buckle will go. Is there another piece of the pattern? Here is a similar style from southtexastack.

What do you have planned for the rest of the side? I always liked to cut a set of Stirrup Leathers (top of the back toward the butt end 66" to 72" long) off first. Always good to have an extra set on hand. Then you can cut other straps needed (rear cinch, billets, belts...) This can include your breast collar. Do you have a sketch of what you want? Do you have a favorite to model one after. Here's a pretty simple design all straight cuts. I prefer a ring or d ring in the center. You can have a plate behind or just have the three straps coming off of it. Are you sewing or riveting? You'll need to skive some to make the turns around the rings. I can answer more questions you might have when they come up.

What type are you looking to make? Tripping, pulling or roping collar? Are you going to line it? Generally you want to cut strap type goods from towards the top 1/3 of the back. Sometimes however it is what you have left from other priority cuts. Any cut moderately firm skirting will work. Especially if you line it and stitch it.

I think I kinda understand why you're not all the way pleased. I think it is the edges. I find with some exotics they need to be inlaid to get the clean polished edges. You could try one with the croc inlaid on the reinforcement piece. Looks great though. I'd proudly carry it.

I think trying to re-work the holster you have will be a gamble. You might run yourself out of material to work with. The cut of the original pattern is not right for a cross-draw. You will find it unbalanced and uncomfortable to wear. Just my $.02.