horseplay

Thanks all for your thoughts. These are the same thoughts I had. I had talked with the customer extensively when he placed the order and he felt the grip down gave less tork on his shoulder. I do see how it's easier to drag the barrel across your body as you draw though so it's something I will once again talk to him about.

I've made alot of holsters but not a back holster. I see that most small of the back holsters generally hold the gun in an almost up side down position. I have a customer who wants his holster the opposite way so that the gun sits in the holster right side up at a cant. Would there be a reason not to make it this way?

Was wondering if anyone has tried using a strong double sided tape for seams rather than glue? I used to work in the sign industry and we used a high quality double sided acrylic tape from Tesa for banner seams etc. I have a little left over at home and found it works well for setting up seams to sew. It's quicker and cleaner than using my Barge glue.

Yep, I second everything Jr said. It's all about practice. Keep in mind it's a machine made for heavy leathers. Very lightweight leathers don't work well through it. I got one a couple years ago and love, love, love it! I did grow up sewing so my learning curve of the machine was minor. And I will say I prefer my big Cobra Calss 4 to any normal fabric machine now.

Thanks for the offer. $$hobby was able to take care of me and send me some that I needed.

I need just a few yards of 1" girth elastic. I can get a whole roll from Weaver, however I don't need that much and don't want to pay for the whole roll. Anyone know of where I can get it by the yard?

Thanks! I honestly don't know if they are just 2 prong or not. I've only seen them on the belt and didn't pull any out.

I have a customer that has a western belt with tiny silver spots on it and some need to be replaced. These are 1/16" spots. I haven't been able to locate any that are smaller than 1/8". Anyone know where to find these?

Thought I'd share my weekend discovery...We just bought a used SUV with leather interior. The dealership either didn't detail it at all or did a crap job so it was dirty. The leather was a very light grey and had a few scuff marks, a big pink stain and was dirty. I used a magic eraser (from the cleaning isle), Fiebing saddle soap, a little water and a clean cloth. I would dab at the soap with the eraser then lightly scrub the leather and finally wipe down with the cloth. The leather looks new! All marks came off and I even managed to get rid of the pink stain on the seat. I also used this method on the vinyl door panels etc. The eraser managed to get into the texture of the panels and leather to get the grime out without damaging anything.

I am looking for a metal tape measure clip found on most tool belts. Several of the commercial ones I see have "Tape Holder" stamped into the metal.

Yes, the braiding part of the reins will be split into 1/4" pieces but it all starts with a 1" wide water tie. So, it's a continuous piece of 1" leather that starts with about 8-12" at 1" wide then is cut the rest of the length to 4 1/4" strips that are braided to the end.

I have a project for braided reins where I need to start with 12-13ft by 1" pieces. Of course my hides aren't that long. I believe I can use the spiral cut method to do this but I have no idea how much of an area I need to start with. Is there a formula I can use to figure this out?

Wow, thanks so much for such great advise! I really appreciate that you took so much time to answer me in this way.

Thank you for your help. Wish I had more detail and photos to share. I have seen some photos of the bunch but it's hard to tell what each stamp is. It does look to be a good variety of stamps though. I don't know that I would use everything but I understand that these older ones are better quality and might be worth the risk to purchase and then sell what I don't want.

I might have the opportunity to purchase a group of leather tools from a local lady. They are all Craft Tools but all are marked Made in the USA. There's just over 50 stamps plus 2 sets of letters and a couple other minor items. They look to be in decent condition overall. I have no idea what a good offer on the whole thing would be. Anyone?

Love it!

When I invested in a machine to start changing this hobby into a hobby business, my friends and family were my first and are still my best customers. I always quote them a price first so no one is ever surprised. I will extend a discount to family or even barter with friends if it's a good deal for both of us. And sometimes I will throw in a small freebie. It's working well for me as they have been my best advertising.

I use a utility knife and rotary cutter depending on the cut. I've considered buying a head knife but I am happy using what I have and would rather buy other tools.

Try contacting The Hide & Leather House (hidehouse.com). I order from them regularly and love the quality I get. A while back I ordered a very thin (1oz?) hide from them and it should be what you are looking for. Sorry, but for the life of me I can't remember if it was lamb or something else but it comes in a lot of great colors, is soft and pliable, and should work great for that application.

A few pairs of chinks I've done.

Congrats Steve! You guys rock and so do your products! Love my Cobra Class 4.

This is so true! My family owned a sign shop for many years that I helped manage. I spent alot of time in production with an exacto knife in my hand. There were a few times a knife would roll off the worktable and I would jump to make sure I didn't get it in the foot. Because of that we instituted a no sandal or open shoe policy. Of course it didn't keep me from slicing open my fingers a time or two.

Keep in mind that a rivet puts a hole in the material which may mean that it rips the fabric threads. This could then be a weakness point in the collar where you might eventually get unraveling. I would say stitching of the fabric would be best unless you can find a fine pointed rivet that won't damage the material. Look for jean and fabric rivets in your local fabric store.

Types of products to bring to craft shows really depends on the type of show and type of crowds. Unfortunately if you haven't been to THAT show in the past you just have to guess as best as possible. Also keep in mind that the crowd dynamics can change each year as well. If you know of someone who has attended as a vendor in the past it will help to talk to that person some about their experience. I've been super cautious in picking shows to go to and I'm finding the better ones for me are a little more industry or hobby specific. Maybe that's because you can focus your inventory a little more? I still bring as much variety as I can as well as showcase all the custom work I've done through an album on my ipad. Good Luck!

Looking for a good supplier of the retention screws for holsters.