PappyUSA

Very nice!

This goes back a few years but I did that when I first started making belts. The way I did it was using way too much water while saddle soaping the finished product prior buffing.

http://www.jrmclips.com/thumb-break-stiffeners.html

I learn something every time I read one your posts!

I use a forstner bit backed by a piece wood and a chisel. It takes a bit longer than using a punch but they always come out perfect. I like to make them 3/8” thick and 1/8” - 1/4” longer than the width of the belt because I found that using a too tight of a slot leads to more squeaking.

After many years of selling holsters to LE I came to the conclusion that they come from all walks of life.

Not all cops are gun savy. I have a Glock 23 with a stainless 22 upper and when my son showed it to a friend of his who is a local cop he didn’t recognize it as a Glock. Even tho the PD here uses Glocks!

WOW! Beautiful work!

The last one came in at $230.00 after shipping from Ca. to Tx. for a side and a little less for a back. Very little more $ than SLC & Weaver but much more quality. edit: I should have mentioned that the side was a rather large piece, close to 24 I think.

I would be unfair for me to comment on it because I've never used shoulders from ZW but I did get some good horse butts from them a 2 or 3 years ago. And I found ZW just as easy and quick to deal with as most others.

I used to get good B's from SLC when they first started selling HO but after they started selling those little HO squares for the hobby trade I just couldn't get any good B's anymore. They looked like C's & D's. I quit buying leather from Weaver & SLC since I found Goliger. I still buy other stuff from Weaver, Tandy, & SLC but not leather.

I'd go for HO grade A or B sides or backs. I've bought HO from just about everybody that sell it and have found what Springfield calls grade B looks like the cow ran through a mine field. Weaver sells tannery run HO but that’s a crap shoot as well. From what I've found from actual purchasing experience is that Goliger has the best stuff there is in A & B grade HO unless you buy grade A's 10 at a time direct from HO. http://www.goligerleather.com/index.html

Great Job! Looks Good!

I think your makeing very good sence. Guna get some tomorrow and try it. Thanks..

Hmmm, now why didn't I think of just reading the can when I get it? Thanks!

Thanks! Love it when I can learn something new!

Well, same as Barge but for half the price and no shipping I'd be stupid not to try it.Thanks!

I've always used Barge and tried some other stuff at different times but always went back to barge. That being said I'm guna try weldwood just because everybody else seems to like it. But I'm curious, what do you use for clean up on brushes with Weldwood ?

The problem with the 3650/2500 is it's difficult to get a folded holster close enough to the needle to sew up close and it doesn’t have enough presser foot lift to use a holster or stirrup adapter. It's fine for pancakes and belts and some mag carriers but it would not be my choice for and all around machine. Also I had to get a light presser foot spring from Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines to ease up on the feed dog marks. Oh, and the feed dog is wide sticking out 3/8” to the out side of the needle and the needle plate sticks out 1 1/2” making it difficult to sew up close of folded holsters at the edge. It's a good machine but it ain't no holster machine. Edit: Oh yeah and that silly-a$$ed table blocks access to the end of the machine so you won’t be able to sew recessed ends on bags and archery quivers and such even if you shorten the needle plate. Dam good belt machine tho...

I have a Tecsew 3650 which is the same as the Cowboy 2500 and I can tell you for sure the it ain't no holster machine. It’ll do belts and pancake holsters but that’s it. My machine is for belts only so it suits my purposes but if I had to do holsters too it would be a 4500. or a Boss.

I use a 3” paint roller with oil dye or 50/50 trag and just lightly drag it along the edge and seldom make a boo boo. I don't use those fluffy type rollers I use the thin cheap ones.

Springfield and Weaver are all very good people to deal with and I deal with them on a regular basis but the only place I've found to get Grade “A” Hermann Oak is Goliger. I get all of my leather from Goliger now and they are also great people to deal with. http://www.goligerleather.com/saddlery.html

Oh, ok. I just mix small amounts of trag as I need it and toss the left over so I guess I'm ok there.. Thanks!

That is beautiful work! I'm guna try your 40% distilled water mix. I normally use about 50/50 tap water and haven’t had any problems but there’s always room for improvement and I try not to miss a chance to learn something new..

When I use trag it's "after" staining. Never use trag if you have to dye or stain over it. Also if you have to wet mold be sure to bees wax over the trag before wetting because trag wont stand up to too much water without something to protect it from the water. BTW bees wax also makes a good looking edge but it's not a tuff as a trag, oil dye, or saliva edge.