vaalpens

Piddler, Congratulations on the beautiful gun. If I had to design a holster I would probably make a BBQ holster that will showcase the gun and holster. Hopefully you will find the design you are looking for.

Jack, thanks for the nice comments. I just use my Dremel tool to sand the edges flush. The aligning issue I think has more to do with the additional 3/8" and making sure everything is still in alignment with the bend in the middle. It will probably get easier once I have a few more pancake holster under the belt.

After Jack's great tutorial I decided to attempt to make my first pancake holster. I tried not to over think the fit and design, but rather try and put a process in place that is repeatable and easy for me. What I did was to actually scan my gun (yes a gun in the scanner) and then import it into a graphics application. There I was then able to rotate it to exactly 15 degrees and put the size belt I also wanted to go with it. These are all done in layers so I can pick the cant and belt, move it around a bit and then print it. Once it is printed then I can just do my design by hand knowing where the belt should go. Another suggestion I followed from Jack was adding 3/8" to the front panel. I think this worked out great, but you have to be careful when gluing the pieces together. I put in two or three stitching holes on each side where I could put a needle through to align the pieces before gluing. What also helped was wetting the middle of the front panel so I can bend it, and then also use wax paper between the layers on the one side while I align and put together the other side. Once the one side is together, then I would separate the other side, remove the wax paper, align the pieces with needles, and put them together. The wax paper idea I got from one of Katsass' posts. Another first for me is using an acrylic finish. I used Angelus no 600 and applied it with an old t-shirt. I had no problem applying it and only used a little bit. I also did not cut the Angelus. Following are some pictures and any comments will be appreciated. And a Merry Christmas to all.

Thanks Dwight. I also only saw OWB holsters. When I looked at the holster you made I just saw the two thing belt loop/straps and thought iw was maybe an IWB holster. Sorry, my mistake. Looks to me the design feature that sets it apart is that it is a reverse holster with the fold around the trigger guard, but only around the trigger guard. It is also low cut on the site side which probably lends itself to a quicker draw. I really like the simplicity of the design and will need to try one out. Thanks again for starting this thread. This is the first time I have read about a Rhodesian holster.

Dwight, sorry for the ignorance. What is the origin of the Rhodesian holster? Does it have it's origin from the country Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), or something/somewhere else. I have looked up on the Rhodesian holster and found some for OWB and a belt loop. What is the single design trademark that sets the Rhodesian holster apart from other holsters. Oh by the way, I like the holster you made. I would love to make a Rhodesian holster since it is close to where I came from.

Jack, Thanks for the kind words and thanks again for giving me the idea to incorporate the collar brass.

Red Cent, Thanks again for the advise. I looked a bit closer at my edges and I can now see what you are describing. It seems I used the edge beveler after sanding which left it without smooth edges. It is probably because I finished some of the edges then did the assembly and trimming and then edges again. Looks like one of those areas where my execution was not that good. Thanks again for the constructive input.

Red Cent, I do bevel, sand and burnish the edges. Maybe I'm just not doing a good enough job. I thought I did a decent job on the edges, but probably not yet up to par. I will take some pictures of the edges during the day time and I would appreciate if you can give some additional comments on where I can improve. Edging and burnishing is probably one of those areas that takes time to master. Thanks for the constructive comments.

Dwight, thanks for the advise and nice comments. You are correct, the strap was incorporated because I was looking for less retention, but obviously got more than expected. The position of my stitch line probably did not completely include the thickness of the lined leather in the calculation. I was also thinking of using Chicago screws, but my concern is that it would be too much hardware in the back. I am probably leaning towards just stitching a piece of leather stop on the inside of the belt loop but I will first try an stretch it more. The nice thing about my design is that I can remove the strap from the belt loop if I want to redo the strap or add something to the belt loop.

Ran, thanks for the nice comments. Sig is also my favorite gun. My next one will probably be a Sig 1911.

I just finished a holster based on a previous holster I made, but this time I added collar brass my Dad wore in 1949 in the South African Engineer Corps. All hardware used on the holster is brass to go with the collar brass. The collar brass is mounted with the original pin in the back and can be removed if it needs to be cleaned. I did not want to make it a permanent mount since I wanted to keep the collar brass in its original state without any modifications. I think overall it came out as planned, but I had a few execution issues. In a few areas the stitching line was not a consistent distance from the edge which is something I should focus on a bit more next time. The leather selection also wasn't that good, but that is all I had left. The leather selection is not a big deal since it is my holster. The holster retention is also better than I was hoping for, but I am thinking of trying to stretch it a bit more. Since the band holding the collar brass is so low, and the retention is more than what I anticipated, the holster is being pulled up when I draw the gun. I think what I want to do is put a piece of retention leather on the inside of the belt loop at the belt width distance from the top. This will then keep the holster from being pulled up. It wasn't part of the original design so I will probably stretch it first and then see if I still need to include it. Any comments will be appreciated.

Randy, thanks for the information. I have not made a belt yet, but it is one of those things I still need to try out. First of all I need to a big enough piece of leather for the belt and the lining. I still do hand stitching, so stitching will take some time depending on the length of the belt. I just have a couple of more questions. What size punch do you use for the holes, and what do you use to cut the leather. Thanks Charl

Ran, Nice looking belt! Your Brother-in-law will love it. What are the specs on the belt? Is it 1.5" wide and what weight did you use for the outside and the inside lining? I just realized how light the color for the lining is. How do you get it so light? I get a darker color just by not dying and putting some neatsfoot oil on. You must have some super secret to get the light color.

I used to buy guns with the same action and about the same size and feel so that I can use any one of them for SD without any problems. Now that I am making holsters I am actually looking at guns not just how they would go with my other guns, but also if it would lend itself to a more elegant or old school type holster. I don't have a 1911, but I am actually now thinking of buying a 1911 just so I can design a holster around it. Leather working is getting expensive now, but I'm not complaining if in the process I can add to my gun variety.

Your holster are elegant and beautiful. One nice think about the 1911 is that it lends itself to a more elegant holster. Keep on hanging out on those pistol forums. I think we all hang out on the pistol forums and the leatherworker forum.

I just wipe my gun down with Remington Oil wipes then stuff the unloaded gun in the holster. I also let it sit for an hour or so and then will take it out and feel how stable the holster is. Once I feel the holster is stable enough then I will remove the gun gently and put the holster somewhere safe to dry. Now comes the fun part. I did not wrap my gun so I will now field strip the gun, and make sure everything is clean, oiled and greased as it should be. The outside of the gun is also wiped down with oil like I normally do after a clean.

Jack, thanks for the answers. That explains everything. I have never made a pancake holster before, but with your directions and everything it kind of inspired me to design and make one. It is not my preferred type of holster, but I think I need to make sure I can design and make one if necessary. Also, one of your last holsters you included some collar brass on the holster. That also inspired me to try the same thing. I will probably just use my last old school holster design and add some brass to it and also some collar brass from my dad in his army days. I will probably include it on the band around the holster so that I can remove it if it needs to be cleaned. It has to be non-permanent since I don't want to modify it with epoxy due to the sentimental value. Thanks again for your great advise.

Jack, great job! You either love writing or you have too much time on your hands. Either way I appreciate the time and effort you put into sharing your process with the forum members. I like the way you broke it down into specific steps and also the links you provided to other tutorials. I obviously have to show that I actually read the complete tutorial, but asking a few questions: You indicate that that for the pancake you make the front panel slightly larger. Does this give you a natural backward bend for the holster, or do you bend it backwards during the forming process? Otherwise, what is the benefit of making the fron panel a bit wider? 8) You indicate you case the leather and then apply the dye. I understand the benefit of casing before tooling, but what is the benefit of casing the leather before dying? 25) I have seen in other posts also where an acrylic finish is applied and then some wax or maybe Montana Pitch Blend is applied on top of the acrylic. What is the reason for putting the finish on top the acrylic since the acrylic seals and waterproof the piece? Thanks again for the great tutorial

Jack, the holsters came out great as usual! You know I am still learning so I have a few questions if you don't mind. Which JB Weld did you use, and were you able to tighten the screw very tight or do you need to be careful? I see the inside of the holster is a lighter color so i assume you are not dying the inside. How are you finishing the inside of the holster? One final question. I see the edge of the sweat guard is very dark in comparison to the inside. Do you dye the edge before you burnish it, or is the dark color just from the burnish?

Very nice. I like the clean and rounded lines. It gives the impression that it has been "dehorned" specifically for concealed carry. Beautiful piece.

I have learned a lot today regarding finishes. Now it is up to me to practice and apply what I have learned. Thanks again for all the great advise.

Cybetrasher, thanks again for your advise. I will remember that the key is LIGHT, LIGHT and LIGHT! I had a quick look at your facebook and etsy sites. All I can say is I am impressed! You are doing some great classy looking pieces. Keep up the good work and thanks for the help.

Cybertrasher, thanks again for the detailed response. I will definitely have to try the Resolene and MPB approach and see how it works out for me. Do you apply the Resolene with a damp sponge or something else?

ChiefJason, thanks for the excellent insight in how you apply the oil/wax. Now we know why some of us are Chiefs and some are Indians. I am definitely going to experience with your oil/wax method. I just have a few clarifying questions regarding how you apply the oil/wax; Do you apply the cooled down mixture with a shoe brush or pad to the outside of the holster (not just the edges) and then heat it with the heat gun, or do you apply the liquid mixture? With this mixture, do you apply neatsfoot oil after dying, or do we now have enough oil in the mixture to replenish the oils in the leather?

Cybertrasher, thanks for you insight on finishes. Applying the correct finish to get the desired result is one of the areas where I need to improve. At the moment I am still using leather balm with atom wax which is supposedly not water resistant, but I do look the finish I get. I like to use it since it is easy to apply and it gives me the natural look. I have been testing a few pieces using Angelus but is not at the point where I feel comfortable to use it on a project of mine.I'm not sure if I can use the leather balm in conjunction with an acrylic like Angelus. I have also seen the use of SNO-SEAL for waterproofing leather. Have you used it and have you any comments on the use of SNO-SEAL?