Steve75

Nice results. I like the way your dye job turned out. Good job!

Thank you for sharing that piece of history with us.

Thanks for sharing the information Driften.

Nice work. The basketweave pattern on the knife sheath is very well done.

Very nice looking pair of holsters. The white thread provides a nice contrast to the black finish. The embossing of the prancing horse is a nice touch.

Best piece of advice I received from the guys on this forum was to invest in some of Stohlman's books. I have How to Make Holsters, Belts Galore, and How to Hand Sew. These books are loaded with great detail on the procedures and also outline exactly what you need in the way of tools and supplies. The other piece of advice was to buy the tools as you need them for your projects. This will help you save money to buy leather to work. I have not regretted following any of this advice. If you are interested in doing the fancy carving Stohlman has also covered that area. Visit the Tandy website, or even Springfield Leather Company, which Katsass recommended to me. SLC has much lower prices on the tools than Tandy in most cases.

Nice job. I like the tooling you did on the shield, it really stands out with the contrast in dyes.

I have been handling firearms sense I was 7 years old. My Dad taught me from the very beginning if I was handing a firearm to him that he expected the action to be open, or the cylinder to be flipped out of the frame. He taught me so well that I will not accept a weapon in any other manner. This was reinforced at the Police Academy when I surrendered my sidearm for inspection. As to the idea of accepting possession of a weapon for the purpose of constructing a custom holster-not something I would do. I like the idea of getting the initial drawing and dimensions as Mike said. When it is time to form the holster to the weapon I would make a time when the person could come over with the pistol and allow the fitting work in his presence. If that is not possible then I would find a replica of the weapon to complete the project. I like being a law abiding home owner to much to risk having a person's pistol even over night. This is my .02 worth, but then I am only getting into this as a hobby at this point.

I have yet to start making holsters as I am still in the process of acquiring tools, books, and knowledge shared on this forum. The first two pictures appear to be a kind of IWB holster. I like the use of the snap on system. I like how the dye job on the 2 final examples turned out. Thank you for sharing the pics.

sgb that holster looks more comfortable for tucking in the waistband than some of the larger holsters I have seen labeled for such use.

I am of the same opinion RoosterShooter. I have seen what is out there. I know given time I could produce a much better quality holster. As a newbie I am glad that I found this forum. I have learned a great deal from reading the many posts made by experienced hoslter makers. I am still in the process of getting my tools together, and look forward to sharing my first attempt at making a holster in the near future.

Great job on the saddle bags. Thanks for sharing the patterns, and providing a great example of the completed project.

Thanks mrdabeetle. I have been looking for something like this for sometime. Should have an opportunity to make this item I would appreciate seeing a write up or tutorial done on the project. Thanks Steve

Thanks for the advice, Mike.

I just got started in leatherwork. I got the deluxe leathercraft starter kit from Tandy as a birthday present from my Dad. He got the kit for me when I told him I really wanted to try my hand at leatherworking. While the kit has provided a fun start my interest lies in making western holsters and gun belts. I also plan on trying to make some concealment holsters.