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!!

The tough thing with e-commerce is SEO.... Search Engine Optimization, There are BOOKS upon BOOKS about it. I have read a munch and am still scratching my head trying to figure out how exactly it works and how to maximize my site's potential. Oh... and two other keys.. Facebook and Etsty. Etsy hase actually brought more people to my site for sales than the Etsy page itself.

I use Leather Sheen as a final wax ONLY and not a sealant. I seal the project with a 50/50 mix of Resolene and Water.

The 3200 uses many of the same parts and operates much like the 4500 so..... You can call Cowboy Bob and order an "Open Center Foot" that would allow you to see the needle strike the leather. There are also some great videos that can help you. Here are my two favorites.... Basic Skill Developing.... And the basic 441 video... It's not the 3200 but there is some great info in there!

This is where we buy our leather jackets for work... They repair and refurbish them as well. If you are feeling funny about doing it yourself, give them a call, I bet they would do it for you. http://www.taylorsleatherwear.com/cleaningleather.htm

If you figure out who invented the pancake holster, let us all know so we can thank him! Love the phone case!!

Wow.... just.... wow!!

I'm by no means "experienced" compared to some here but.... I once had to make a THIRD holster for a customer before I was satisfied that it could go out the door. On the first one, I blew the stitches out by cutting my stitch line too close to the edge. On the second, I got sloppy when I was hand-boning and nicked it with a bone folder. I had to walk away for a day I was so hot..... then I came back and #3 turned out just fine. I dyed the one with the nick black and gave it to a kid down the street who's always running around playing Army. I suspect even the biggest names have bad days.

Lessons to Learn From..... Feel Free to Add. I always sew a test piece before sewing a holster or belt just to loosen up. Lucky today I did. I get about three stitches in and hear a moaning noise coming from the machine. I stop immediately and try to remove the test piece from my CB4500 without success. There is a bird's nest of thread coming out from the bobbin housing. I cut the piece loose and start over with the same result. I finally figure out that the top thread has popped out of the lead tension disk somehow.... most likely when I raised the presser foot at some point. No idea why it happened tho. Always check your thread before you sew!

If you are going "all in" then spend the money and get the 4500. You may not need "all of it" at first but you will be happy you did down the line and will kick yourself needing a new / different machine later. Holsters / Belts you will be good with anything that will sew 1/2" (most holsters and belts are a wee bigger than 1/4") and can work 277 sized thread. There are a bunch of machines that will do this. One day however, you may decide that you want to sew something close to an inch in thickness and will be crying that you didn't get the 4500! Want to guess what I did??? lol

I wonder if there is a wax of some sort that soaked into the leather there.