workingmanleather

Do you still have the sewing machine?

OK I bought the machine from an older gentleman that worked a lot in car upholstery. Thinking I could potentially use it for holsters. I had the machine serviced at industrial sew tec in cincy. He put a new motor on and went over the whole machine, said it was in very nice shape and hadn't been used much. Knowing nothing about a machine myself I wanted to consult a professional. Well when it came to sewing my holsters it would go through both pieces but would skip a stitch here and there. When using one piece of 9-10 oz. It sewed through flawlessly. It would be a great machine for either an upholster or someone doing light leather garments or wallets. I am looking to get what I have invested which is $600 I prefer pick up I live between Dayton and Cincinnati Ohio but am willing to ship if you pay freight I may move a little on my price but sew-tech said they would ask 1000 for the machine after they serviced it and put on the new motor anyway if interested please message me and I will answer any question I can I can also send pics via email or text thanks for looking

Oh and I'm not trying to promote any company by any means I've just had good luck with Tandy myself others may feel different. Seeing that ur located in NH. There's actually a Tandy in Boston Google maps puts you about 1 hr from there be worth your time to check it out. I'd suggest bringing your savings account lol because you won't wanna stop buying stuff once ur there. OK hope this helps

For your first holster it looks like you done pretty good. My suggestions would be get an edge groover for your stitch line that will help clean up your stitching. Also to clean up the edges of your leather get an edge beveler then a burnishing tool. Tandy carries these tools for relatively cheap. Your retention looks good nice tight line around your trigger guard and frame. That's a big cant for myself but to each there own. As far as the RIA with the tac light. Have you thought of trying your hand at a hybrid. I've had pretty good success out of kydex for a gun with a tac light. Actually done a full size SIG with a tach light using the hybrid style. And if its strictly for range purposes being a big gun you can make it with belt slots or even on the thigh/leg. Again kydex is also avalible through Tandy its about 7 dollars for a 12"x12" piece. There's some good in depth videos on you tube about forming and molding kydex. Anyway if you want to go the route of all leather most of the ones I've seen for mounted tac lights all have thumb breaks due to what you pointed out about retention. Although being that its for the range a thumb break wouldn't be an issue IMO. Hope this helps if you have any questions about the kydex or anything I'll help the best I can. Good luck with the next one.

Could you post a pic of the holster being worn it looks great love the boning work

I've been using the tool from Tandy that punches 6 holes at a time I have a single punch for corners is this the same thing you all are using? I simply lay out my lines then punch with the chisel accordingly.

I'd like the ruger lcp and the XD9 sub compact emails workingmanleather@yahoo.com

Not sure which one this is but its from cheaper than dirt looks like the cm9/40 but the pm9/40 are so similar looking

I was thinking the weight may be an issue I use 8-9 oz and I don't glue the leather around the clip should I? Also i may sew it alittle wet I'll try to let it dry better before I sew it thanks for the help!!!

I made a belt for a co worker recently basically just a blank from tandy and a buckle. After seeing yours I should give him his money back :-) but I only charged him for materials lol. I am curious though what weight and material do you use to line your belts?

I have been making holsters for awhile and I am not happy with the way my clips look once I sew them on. I'll post pictures later of a holster this is a sheath same thing though but I feel like the leather behind it looks bulky and just plain ugly lol. I would really like some tips or pointers on how some of you sew on your clips. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I gave dad a call he said if he remembers right sometime in the 70s he said maybe 76ish thanks glad you liked it

Well as promised snake skin inlay for my granpaws old hunting knife thanks for all the tips!!!

Thanks for the posts I kinda had the idea but really didn't want to mess up some nice snake skin but I'm sure I can do it now hopefully post pics within a couple days thanks again Oh and neat checkbook cover and nice sheaths!!!

Hi everyone, I've been amazed by the workmanship on this sight for holsters and especially inlays. My question is can someone give some detail on how to do it I recently acquired some snake skin from a coworker and I'm wanting to do a knife sheath for my dad for fathers day for my grandpas old hunting knife any help would be greatly appreciated Thanks Gregg Azbill WorkingManLeather

I had a recent issue where Tandy didn't have any of the clips I wanted so I found a site called theclip.com very good customer service and have a big selection of clips

I've only made a few shoulder rigs but the way I measure them is by the person my goal with a shoulder rig is I want it to wear like a good fitting suit jacket. I want it to be comfortable yet snug so it doesn't move around a lot with brisk walking or even if you have to run. I'm not a big fan of the adjustable rigs myself I'm a bigger guy and can never get the adjustment to be fit to me, or my customers. :-)

Well here's a couple I did yesterday. Wanted to try a pancake style and used my own gun as a Guinea pig lol stitching could be tighter I feel but all in all I think I like it will wear it more tomorrow and the hybrid was for a friends px4 storm sub compact he said he loves it but he's a friend hopefully he's not trying to spare my feelings lol feel free to critique (oh and for those who have seen some posts by me still don't have a brand stamp lol) but the one with the symbol was for me anyway :-)

Those kinda look like kydex clips that people make themselves but look at theclip.com they have a mass number of different style clips

Wow I never really thought of it like that that's a very good point. I will have to work on that for sure where did you get your stamps made. I've looked at Tandy and a custom stamp with a name is like 160 dollars. My dad is a mechanist and is going to be making me one but itay be a bit. I would love to have one I can just stamp on. As far as the Pfaff I went on a limb and picked it up for around 350 dollars I did however speak to the owner of an industrial sew shop who told me that it would work well for my application. Its in his shop now being timed and getting a brushless motor. The thread I am using is 207. I've been using the waxed thread from Tandy what size isiit. My holsters seem to be very strong as far as held together I mean. Do you feel 207 is to light for holsters? He has modified the machine to accept up to 277 for me and being a walking foot I thought it would do the job.

Thanks for all the pointers everyone!! billymac814 as far as the machine goes I purchased a Pfaff 145 walking foot got it at a good price put a servo motor on it and a shop is timing it and doing some slight mods to make it ideal for my leather size and thread size. I'm attaching a picture of the new way I have been stamping my work I think it looks much better now. St8linegunsmithing Definitely see what you are referring too the lines on the paddle look really bad I feel they will get better with a machine for sure but also I need to take more time when making my lines. Thanks again for all the tips I can only improve can't get worse lol one more thing on the detail work I have a bone tool that's what I was trying to do my bone work with I will have to post a pic of one I have done with that tool and see if it looks any better for now here is the other pic of my stamp now

Yes now that you say that I am a member of TCU I was building an 87 kaw kz750 hard tailing it and making a bobber. I still have some work to do on the design of the way the holster attaches to the shoulder rig but its a work in progress. Again thanks for the reply.

Olds cool Thanks for the reply I see what your saying now about the edges I can't wait to get out there and make a new holster lol. And as for the black hoster with the SIG it was pretty tight while holding upside down the main reason I did not put a thumb break on it was the gentleman was a bigger guy and he requested it that way assuming so he didn't have to do much to get it out. And lastly TCU, the college? Never went I work at a steel mill in Ohio :-) but again thanks for the pointers and oh and here's alittle better pic of the shoulder rig un dyed.

I feel I take criticism fairly well lol would anyone care to critique some of the pictures. I sure could use some unbiased opinions so I know where I need to improve. IMO by looking at the pictures I posted I definitely need to clean up my work any pointers on making my edges cleaner as far as getting it to look more even without sanding? Thanks Gregg Workingmanleather

So I started doing holsters around Feb of this year these are a few I have done and would like you guys to help me. Just some pointers about my edges and my sewing. I know my lines are alittle off which I purchased a sewing machine and they will be getting better. Ok enough of my rambling any tips will be greatly appriciated. The small 380 was my first and the paddle holster is my latest I did use my new burnishing tool attached to my drill press on it. I still want to get a small belt sander to even out the edges but the new burnisher is amazing ordered it from a guy in Utah off eBay good price and great piece. Thanks Gregg Workingmanleather