Double Daddy

Great work, Josh...as always. Saw this rig when it landed on FB...wasn't expecting the pictorial on this side of things...appreciate the extra insight into your process!

Thanks for the review, YinTx...very detailed. Nice items, as well! What does the flesh side look like on these sides? I'm not expected Smooth & Clean overall at this price point but was wondering if it needed a set of sheep shearing clippers taken to it followed by sandpaper (you get the idea)...I asked on their YouTube video feed a few weeks back and didn't get an answer

Well...don't that purdy!?! Love that braided look!

I agree with Plinker...gonna be nice to see what your work looks like once you've got some more practice under your belt Seriously though, excellent work overall...I especially like the look of that bolt holster...novel concept!

A craftsperson is, generally speaking, their own toughest critic. Excellent work as always, Josh...love those lever guns!

I'm with JLS...I simply need my tools to do what they're intended to do. I care not a "tinker's dam" about whether or not it has this maker's name on it, that type of steel/wood in it...when I pick it up and put it to leather (me doing my equal part, of course), does the tool do the job. I've slicked leather edges with the brown/black Sharpie that I just touched 'em up with...no sense in buying that which you might have already have laying around. My father-in-law is a taxidermist...ever-now and then I can get a piece of antler to polish and use. As far as knives & cutting goes, I use plain utility knives and X-acto (#2 blades, I believe). Ol' Sam Andrews gives good advice on how to use an X-acto knife, especially in tight corners. Check him out on YouTube...his holster videos are full of valuable information. I use a pair of heavy cutting shears from HD for bulk leather cutting. I don't do much stamping work...wasn't a granite supply place in my area...went to HD and got a 12x12 garden patio paver and similar sized granite tile 1/2" thick...heavy-duty construction adhesive smeared around on both for 100% coverage...left to cure in the summer sun...has held up great the past 6+years on the corner of my bench (a post underneath to avoid bounce). Harbor Freight has those acid brushes (25-30pcs for $3-4)...they great pretty good brushes...I save old glass pickle jars to use for glue pots, get a rubber grommet at Tractor Supply, drill a hole in the lid for the grommet, stick in the brush...now you can tightly slide the brush up and down.

Thanks for sharing! And now another thing to add to my shopping list...

Like Dwight, I'm a "Weldwood Original (red can)" disciple...been using the stuff for years on woodworking, laminations, etc before I got into leather...the stuff just plain works...also keep Acetone around for thinning. I've used mason jars or (currently) an old pickle jar as my glue pot. But...leave it to Dwight to give us the empty Jiff jar for glue....practical size and resourceful. Works for me!

Outstanding! Heirloom quality craftsmanship, sir!

Thanks, Mutt! I just checked it out...have always enjoyed Don's content on YouTube. This new FB page is no different.

Very nice craftsmanship, sir! The copper rivets are indeed strong...and classy! Many thanks for sharing the "internals" to your handiwork!

Exactly right! I'll have to give the left-over dish sponge thing a try. I already make use of old shirts and socks, etc in my shop as wipes and polishing cloths. Old glass food jars are extremely useful as well (dye, finish, hardware, etc.)...been doing that for years in my home shop long before I got into this leathercrafting moneypit obsession hobby.

Like some of the others on here, I recycle cardboard boxes (the long ones that my hides arrive in, misc. shipping boxes, etc)...keep one or two around just for light-to-medium brown dyes and a separate one for black 'cause I've found that diabolical stuff wants to migrate all over ever'thing it gets near if one's not extremely careful. I'm so cheap that I even use a separate paper plate/pair of latex gloves/dauber/lambs wool for each color...sort of like a little color "kit" for the smaller items/projects that I just stack up on the shelf out of the way until I need that particular set of color items. I can make a dauber last for a LONG time if'n I remember to squeeze it out really good back into my dye container when I'm done (I reduce my dye 50/50 so's it goes further). I'm currently moving to a larger workspace in my outside shop- I was operating from a workroom in my house - when I'm finished with the setup, I'll have a separate dye table and keep these "kits" in large baggies so they're sealed off yet handy. And, yes, I'll probably still use cardboard boxes for the larger stuff...I've found it to be hard to beat, especially since I have pretty much free access to it on my regular job. Good luck!

One of the reasons I got into leatherworking in the first place was because it was another "natural origin" material...much like wood or stone...every tree, stone and animal is unique...therefore any products derived from them would be equally individual in nature. I do not fight it...I simply toss the wrinkly belly leather (if I even order it) and make sure the major scratches/bites are gone and flesh side isn't hairy. "Structural" quality "grade" decreasing over time is one thing...but appearance? How does one honestly expect a supplier/tannery to even maintain that when they have no control whatsoever over the conditions their source material is "manufactured" under? Life of the cow on the range, in the field, up against the fence, exposure to insects, disease, diet, predators, etc...all things that can affect the hide. Seems to me, the best one could expect is some sort of "here's what we've got on hand right now, as of --/--/--". Otherwise, it reminds me of that lady, years ago, that came into our cabinet showroom, asking for oak cabinets but wanted all the door grain to exactly match

Very nice craftsmanship, indeed! He'll be passing that one down as an heirloom for sure!

I've used veg-tan leather from a variety of sources...Tandy, W&C, HO, misc import hides that were on sale, etc, etc. Like Dwight, I exclusively use Fiebings Pro Oil dye (reduced)...applied with either daubers, lambs wool or dipped depending upon the size/scope/sequence of the project. When using Black, I try to work in a "clean area"...for some reason, that color tends to migrate or create little splashes all over my other work area/pieces if I'm not very careful when working with it. After dyeing, the usual rub-down (similar to Dwight's method via dedicated rags just for this purpose)...then final finish (Resolene 50/50). No rub-off experienced here as you are describing

Here's the BlueGunStore's page...they have 'em (large and small)...as well as the little plastic caps that go in your snaps to keep from scratching the handgun. http://www.bluegunstore.com/thumbstiffenersbreaks.aspx

I believe Corter gets their custom-logo snap hardware from Scoville Manufacturing, one of the oldest manufacturers in the country for such things...they even made uniform buttons during the Civil War era. I know this because they are local to me and, over the years, I have spoken with various CAD/engineering trades folk who have worked there. It's quite the interesting place. They are the makers of the Pull-the-Dot snaps... http://www.scovill.com/resource-center/

Ditto what Plink said... Good grief...that's a pleasure to behold!

Twelve minutes of my time well spent...and the only thing I had to pay for it was attention! Very good, cut-to-the-chase, info on the flat-back (saddle style, as he calls 'em) holsters...no fluffery. Thanks for posting, Jeff!

Exemplary work, sir! The serpentine border stamping is a very elegant touch...just enough detail against the black leather and contrasting white stitching...the buckle and molded/sewn keeper are nice pieces as well. Very classy rig for such a wheel gun as the Anaconda.

Quality heirloom work as always, sir!

Ran across this online...his last FB post was the day before his death. https://ohiocremation.org/obituary/kenneth-e-hockenberry/

I will echo Steve 75's recommendation...Leatherstampmaker.com crafted my new makers marks stamps last year outta solid brass...quick turn-around time and not too expensive either. They also do custom font sets...and stamp/die combination sets (stamps the impression with an outer groove for the cutter die to lay in...custom tags, coasters, things of that nature) https://www.leatherstampmaker.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5q-Nxozy3gIVq_7jBx0f_QC_EAAYASAAEgJlEPD_BwE https://www.facebook.com/leatherstampmaker/

Great information, @JazzBass...most appreciated. I've been playing music for 30yrs but I'm a sit-down type player and have little to no need for straps...I've made a few for other musicians but have always used the slotted design (what they wanted). Your info is very insightful.