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Hello, I am new here and just starting to discover the wealth of talent represented here. I have a question and if anyone can help me It would be much appreciated. I am building western Mexican double loop holsters. I think I have mastered the building of them and now have been learning carving. I think I am ready to carve my first holster. Does anyone know if there are any carving templates available for MDL holsters? I have the Stohlman holster making book but none seem to fit exactly. I am artistically challenged so have really enjoyed using the Craftaids from Tandy. I am using Will Ghormleys patterns which are wonderful. The carving tracings are nice toward the center but seem to drop off around the edges so I loose my way. I am thinking I may have to take bits and pieces from other templates and try to fit them together. If anyone has any suggestions I will welcome them. Thank You, David

Thanks for your input. Do you know a web site where I can look at or order the one you have? I am about to the point where I am just going to use a sharp point and free scribe my decorative border. Thanks.

Actually it's the radiuses that are giving me fits. Straight lines are easy. I read somewhere that wetting the leather slightly helps keep down chatter. I am also making a template for an inside decorative border out of 1/8" matt board from Hobby Lobby that I will run my groover along for steadiness. Thanks guys for your input. I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks but that is the one I am using. Sorry if I was not clear. I am thinking about making an acrylic template for the decorative border then just running a freehand groover around the edge of the template to make my groove. Any other ideas will be appreciated.

I have tried that, it still seems unstable. I am wondering if I might just draw or trace the border I want and then use some other kind of tool to make the groove. I am going to stamp along it any way. Anyone have any other ideas? Thanks

Hello, I am new to this forum and very happy to have this resource available to me. I am having problems using my Groover that I got at Tandys. I am making double loop western holsters. I have made 3 already and they have turned out better than I thought they would. The problem I am having is when I try to groove a decorative border around the pouch part of the holster. I can do the left and right and bottom borders ok, but when I try to groove the border at the top of where the trigger recurve is I never can seem to get it right. It is never a nice curved line and when I go over it again sometimes it grooves outside of the first groove line and then it really looks like hell. Other holsters I have looked at seem perfect. I have figured out that It is almost impossible to keep the tool exactly parallel to the edge as I did on the first pass. I must be twisting my hand or something. Anyway it is very frustrating. I am almost ready to give up and just wet the leather and use a pair of dividers to see if it comes out any better. Or draw a line and use a swivel cutter or something. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.