Southernbeau

You guys cost me money every time I see one of these nice western rigs I start thinking of wheelguns to buy for an excuse to build a holster

So I have just moved and am for the time being stuck in an apartment. Going from a house with a detached garage and workshop with plenty of space (although a mess and unorganized) has been a bit of a change. I haven't posted here much lately with the move and all but I'm quasi-settled now and am cutting up cow hide again. The going is slow but promissing for what I have to work with. So now to the point. My wife and I are house shopping and I am looking to how I want to set up my leather work area if I find a place with a suitable area. I'm still very much a novice, but with the experience of so many here I would be very interested to hear (or see pictures) of how you have your area set up. What have you learned does or doesn't work for you? What do you wish you had done earlier? What tools or setups could you not live without etc etc etc...? Thanks Joshua

No experience on my end, but knowing your work I would be willing to pony up a fair price. I see it as a matter of what your time is worth to you. You are the one with the skill and the request was made of you not from you. I don't see anything wrong with you doing it I wish I lived close enough to someone with the knowhow to make a similar request. Just come up with a figure that is fair to you.

Dig the colors. The whole thing is well executed. Oh and by the way your stitch line around the trigger guard looks perfect from the picture I am super jealous.

Hand stitching and lots of it...builds character. (In truth had I the disposable income I would have a machine)

I would be very interested to see the whole set especially the crossdraw rig.

Well done! This place (leatherworker.net) and you guys/gals are a great place to come to get humble. The work I see here is top notch and this post has me wanting to work with exotic leather bad!

I would be very pleased with that rig. Mike your work is always excellent looking (and I would imagine functioning). I enjoy how your lined work doesn't ever appear overly bulky.

Well I finally finished the set.... Here are the results very open to comments critiques etc. I want to learn and get better. This forum has been my teacher so if these are any good then I owe it all to you guys/gals!

That's definitely the plan but I'm still so new to this and its a funny looking rig so the reservations are there.

So an acquaintance of mine makes beautiful custom knives. He is kind of the reason I attempted making holsters in the first place. He has made a couple of leather sheaths, but prefers to work with kydex. He let me borrow the few leather working tools he had and off I went. He asked if I would be interested in filling orders for him when he has customers that request a leather sheath. While I am very interested in doing just that I am still very much a novice in working with leather. My question is this...(oversimplified I know but) If I can make a gun holster with fairly decent results (my opinion FWIW) is the jump to making knife sheaths possible with less of a learning curve? What is different in design and construction? How is the approach different? What do I need to know about making sheaths that I haven't learned in making holsters? I'm including some pictures of the 3 holsters I have completed to give you an idea of my meager skill level and to better give a representation of my limited abilities below... The pictures are in order from earliest to most recent work FYI.

Yeah I found those but was looking for more first hand experience.

Buddy wants me to make him a holster for a Steyr MA1. I had never even heard of these. It is terribly ugly but by all accounts very functional. So has anyone ever made a holster for one and have pics of said work? I'm all ears for any advice or specifics on this rig to be mindful of. I have attached a pic of the gun and am planning to make a pancake type holster for it along with a double mag carrier.

First thanks for the comments. I need a critical eye put to my work if I want to learn anything. I see what you mean about the long stitches I'm still spacing with a fork and using the $12 horse butts from springfield at this point. Will definitely keep that in mind for my next holster and get those stitches in closer. And yeah the little 'wings' are looks and looks only he wanted a "nicer" looking holster so thats what i came up with. He likes it I'm not nearly satisfied, but I'm having fun and if I can keep learning from you guys I hope to turn out a few decent holsters.

Well Glocks are still not pretty guns and I wish all my buddies shot 1911s (more fun to make a holster for a pretty bangstick), but a close friend carries a Glock and wanted a holster so I made him this. It's my first time making a holster for a Glock and my first time using vinegaroon. This is my third completed holster but I do have a nice box full of mistakes and holsters that won't work or won't fit or came out ugly as sin to show for it.

That is a great looking rig...almost a shame its an IWB. What weigh W&C saddle skirting is it?

Oh well probably best I hand sew for a while. Bob, thank you so much for the answer maybe you have a little guidance as to a machine to keep a look out for and what to expect to need to save.

So I am a complete beginner in leather but have made a couple holsters and a mag carrier that came out decent. Was talking with the wife about some things I wanted to try like belts and other misc smaller work and she is all for it. Was stitching up a new rig last night ( by hand of course) and mentioned how if we ever fell into some extra cash how sweet it would be to have a machine. Well she sends me this Craigslist link with a Juki of some kind its at a consignment shop and they know next to nothing about it except it has a $500 price tag on it. That is getting close to affordable for me so i was wondering if anyone could I.D. it and tell if it is capable of what i would want to do with it? See pics below.

I definitely see what you're saying about the stitch line I am going to adjust it on the pattern. I think I will just flip flop the lines so the inside line will be the outside line on the next holster. Thank you for the comment and encouragement! Here it is sealed up and mostly dry.

So this is my stab at a pancake holster for one of my 1911s. Stitching spaced with a dinner fork started with an awl (first attempt with an awl) and broke that sucker so it was back to the DeWalt and a drill bit. This is my second holster and is made from a $12 horse butt. First pattern I cut came out AWESOME...It however also came out left handed . The reinforcement piece was "basket stamped" by yours truly, and I feel pretty sure I don't have much of a future in the basket stamping game, but such is life. I see after trying to make a basket stamp why the handmade baskets in Charleston demand such a premium. Would really love to have some critiques and comments good bad or indifferent. I am thinking I will hit it with a rub down of mink oil tomorrow, and then seal it up with a 50/50 bath of mop n' glow the next day. Is that a good plan? Got it to stiffen up a good bit more than the first holster with the wife units hair dryer machine so I was happy about that. Haven't burnished the edges yet so need to do that as well, but other than some stitching screw ups and the terrible basket weave swing and miss I am pleasantly surprised with how it turned out. Don't know that horse hide is for me but it was cool to work with and I have another piece so who knows...Contemplating putting in an order at Springfield for some Herman Oak to play with to see if I can turn something out for one of the wifes pistols using quality leather. One last thing MAN THIS IS FUN!!!!! Wife may move out soon though she's not a fan of my trail of leather scraps from room to room throughout the domicile.

I think that looks great. Not just the airbrush job but the holster overall. I would be proud of as job like that and I would be super pumped to have that finished product on a first attempt. Have you done any airbrush work before? How was the 155 as far as ease to dial in etc... Best Regards Joshua

Those are 2 really great looking rigs! I'm not a huge fan of black leather holsters but those look great. Don't know that I could get away with carrying something with the "bling", but those do look good. Make sure to post pics of the silver dollar rig when finished I would really like to see it.

Thanks for the responses, advice, and stories guys!!! I really like hearing how people got their start in hobbies and professions I have always found it interesting to hear how people get to where they are. I have decided to go slow and use what I can find around me until my skills (assuming they develop) surpass the capability of homemade or found implements. I did however place an order for a couple of horse butts from Springfield to keep me in material to mess around with for now. While I'm waiting on that to arrive I had enough scrap to make a matching mag carrier to the holster I made above. I see progress in the amount of time it took to complete and the finished product. I still have much to learn and practice though. Burnishing the edges of my work is still a huge weak spot, and I have been reading and re-reading the burnishing post here to get ideas and advice. I'm going to try and find what combo will work for me. I think the next couple holsters I attempt will be a few pancakes for my 1911s, and another avenger style for my wife's PT111 millennium pro. If and that's a big if, those turn out I'm going to attempt something IWB. QUESTION: Do any of you guys make your own dyes? I am obsessed with Will Ghormley's work and read through the step by step on his "Hand of God" rig and saw where he used rust permeated water to give that rig it's unique finish, and that got me wondering if anyone experiments with similar things or makes their own dye. Another question I have is what kind of finish I should try if I want to seal the work but DO NOT want the "glassy" shinny look to the finished product? I'm looking for more of a satin finish if that makes sense. Here is the mag carrier I made. And I'm completely open to advice, suggestions, criticism, etc...so please feel free and encouraged. (the dark spots in the tan coloring are just some areas that are still wet from forming it is not dry and those spots are gone...)

Well that is my first attempt....boy oh boy do I have a lot to learn! That said I am hooked I am already trying to figure out what to try next and how to make belts etc etc etc. I made this "holster" with borrowed tools from a guy who made a leather knife sheath for a customer. He normally makes kydex sheaths, and said I could used the tools as long as needed. I didn't want to lay out cash on tolls only to find out I couldn't make a holster if my life depended on it. I am very aware I have a long way to go with lots of practice before I can even think about making something as beautiful as I have seen you guys/gals post here, but my intent is to try! That said I have TONS of question such as what got you all started in leather work, and why holsters? I have always been of the opinion that you should "buy once cry once" so I want to get myself some good tools and good leather to keep on learning. The leather pictured above is terrible quality with all kinds of scars and rough spots, but again this was a trial run. I have been looking and reading and searching for a few weeks on this forum and am on page 59 of post in this section so far. What advice would you give me on beginning materials, tools, etc...? My wife and I have a few firearms and I want to attempt to make multiple style holsters for each. I have no illusions of selling these creations like many of you because I just don't think I have the artistry in me to achieve some of the results you all get. I would however very much like to be able to one day make something I'm proud to wear or give as a special gift. I know I will not need the specialized Leather sowing machines and such, but I would very much appreciate some direction on what I should consider purchasing tools and materials wise. I know the basics like overstitch wheels, awls, edge bevelers, stitch groover, and __________???? The real question is where do I source quality tools? What do you wish you had when you got started? Thanks Best Regards Joshua