snubbyfan

I reedited the video to include a little stitchin' action.

Just go here; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOM3hbruUKHov9kquIxXKlA And click on Making a Ranger Style Belt

Thanks all, biggest problem I'm having is that now I gotta send it out.

He wanted a belt to match the crossdraw snubby holster I made for him.

Just Finished a Ranger Style Belt for a client. Recorded this with my laptop's webcam. Can't seem to get the sound to work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktc4yLzAl_w

I've been thinkin' (happens every once in a while) that maybe milled veg tan'd work as a lining leather. It's buttery soft. I make simple little soft sided pouches that sell well at area fairs and festivals with it. I was thinkin' (again?) of trying to use it to line a holster but was advised against it. It could hold moisture or grit that'd be detrimental on a hand guns finish. But maybe it'd work for lining other stuff.

Dry fit, still needs stitching and finishing. I'm really pleased with it so far.

My wife wanted to try pokin' a few stitch holes one day. "Be careful," said I, "that's awl's sharp." First thing she did was jam it directly into her finger. "Don't get any blood on the leather!"

Just make sure the awl's sharp, polished and stropped. Also be careful of where you put your fingers on the back side, that sharp. polished, stropped awl'll go right into a finger. I use pricking irons and give them a good whack with a mallet. That gives me an angled starter hole that helps to guide the awl.

I don't always line but when I do it's usually veg. tan leather. Actually it's more like double layer glued and stitched back to back. Sometimes it's 7 ounce lined with 5 ounce or 5 ounce with 5 ounce or 2 layers of 9 ounce etc. Depends on what I'm making.

That's pretty much the process I use.

I was diggin' through my scrap box today lookin' for a hunk of leather to use for a belt stay and found the first piece of leather I ever stamped, Then and now. The first test scrap and the latest.

Looks good, nice job.

Plywood, masonite, mdf, osb? Any'd last longer than cardboard, make a stable surface to walk on, protect the carpet and be easy to move.

Very nice. I'm a hand stitcher but sometimes when I'm hand stitching a belt, I gotta admit that sometimes I think how convenient a sewing machine'd be.

Those are nice, interesting inlay work.

That's some nice lookin' stuff you got there.

Lookin' forward to seein' it. There's so much leatherworking talent here and on other forums, I'm just trying my best to get somewhere in the same neighborhood of being in their league. Since I can't do the fancy carvin', I pay extra attention the little details.

I'll go this high and only if it's going to be carried on a proper belt.

There was something, I stared at it for a while and I think I got it figgered out. It's the basketweave. I like to overlap my stamping. I feel it helps to tighten up the pattern a little. I'm lookin' forward to seein' the holster finished.

Now that the gun's in it. It looks pretty good. But. Just a couple of personal things about fit and cut. It looks like the rear sight's resting on the holster, I try to cut 'em so they're a little bit clear of the rear sight. The cut of the upper resembles a traditional Mexican Loop holster. This isn't one of mine, it was made by a member of a gun forum I frequent. He's also on this forum but hasn't posted much. He did a beautiful job on this holster but had to reduce the price way below what it's worth to get it to sell. Notice that the cylinder's covered but it's cut down exposing the trigger. It's a traditional design for the Mexican Loop. Personally, I prefer to keep the trigger completely covered. This is one of mine. I just figure it'll help to keep a persons finger off the trigger until ready to shoot. Guns can be deadly and I take great care in my holster designs with safety, secure retention and end use in mind. But they still gotta look good.

A few weeks? Wow, that's beautiful! I'm lookin' forward to seein' what you come up with after a few years.

I have a degenerative peripheral motor nerve condition and I can't maneuver a needle and a stitching awl at the same time. I make all the stitching holes ahead of time. First I'll either mark or groove them depending on what I consider appropriate. Then I'll mark the stitch holes with a pricking iron by puttin' it on the line and givin' it a good whack with a mallet. Then open the holes with a stitching awl.

I've gone to using pricking irons myself. Just put 'em on the stitch line and whack it with a mallet. You can use 'em either with or without a stitch groove. Then open the holes with a stitchin' awl. Generally, I glue the pieces then punch the holes.

Now that's the way to start off a new year, good job.