SteelcityK9Cop

The wet moulding will add a certain amount of hardness to the piece... and then bake as described above. Dye and finish will also add an additional degree of strength to the piece.

Sounds like a problem with the leather and / or the leather preparation not the dye itself. Tell us about the leather and what type of prep work you did before dye.

My opinions on much of this have changed greatly since my original post. I have been working hard on SEO but it's a bioch to say the least. Pulling traffic from well established businesses is an uphill battle. Your stuff can look great on your site but people like to shop with who they are comfortable with, especially when they are dropping some significant coin. Etsy... I have all but given up here, but I think that's just for my niche. It can work for you but I think it's product dependent. Social media is the way to go... Pay to click can get quite expensive but it does work. I have not noticed an increase in SALES from pay to click coming from FB however. What I have noticed in sales increases however ar ethe simple "like" campaigns from FB. More like have brought HUGE increases in site traffic and huge increases in sales for just pennies a day. If you are not hitting Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+, and YouTube, you are missing out on some serious exposure for your business and some serious ching in your pocket. Also, there are a ton of free e-books out there on how to use each of these platforms to your liking. If you are not tracking your site-stats, you are also not paying attention to where you need to spend your time, attention, and money directing your mare ting. And believe it or not... time you spend goofing around on Facebook and YouTube is marketing!

Do you guys make custom belt punches? I'm getting tired of the old "round punch and chisel" method of belt slot punching my holsters.

Not to many people carry 1911's in a "hammer down" position. OP... I generally don't mold the safety into the sweat shield unless I have the EXACT gun to work with. There is too much variation between safeties. You could have a great match with your mold only to have it fit miserable with your client's gun and then the sweat shield pops away....blah.

I assume you guys are leaving the inside layer "natural". I would think that a dyed interior would wear ugly over time.

Never thought of a cleaning mat.. I like that idea. If they are that bad i was thinking apron.

I like the design... I have carried a bunch of different ankle holsters over the last 20 years. The sheepskin breaths quite well. I would not be interested in neoprene... it will get too hot and sweaty. I have had a few that were made with a wicking type material that was padded, this was quite nice as well. I would question if your strap and buckle are wide enough. I always liked a WIDE strap that velcro'd so you could cinch it REAL tight... you may end up running with the thing on and it needs to not only be secure but hug the ankle tight. The best thing to do is make it and wear it a bunch before you start producing it... go jog in it... you name it. You will then know if you have a winner.

They are described as "Very Low Grade" so I would not expect a whole lot from them. I ordered two of them to use for experiment pieces for new designs. They are perfect for that kind of stuff.

I have a set of Weaver strap punches.... very very good!

Outstanding for your second holster!!! Only thing I would do with the brown one if it were mine is round the edges.. the pointy ones will roll on you over time.

It's not easy being green! Great Holster!!!!!

Here is a more modern version....

Having spent 1/2 my career handling dogs and the other 1/4 training them, when it comes to working dog hardware (leashes and collars) it always boils down to quality. Simple yet rugged will win out in the working world every time. Double layered work collars with quality durable buckles and D-Rings. Leashes made of nice thick leather with stitching and rivets. Nice work!!