vaalpens

On my next sheath/holster project I would like to try something new by doing an inlay. The inlay will not be a different type of leather, but rather a coin, medallion, pin or something like that. I would appreciate it if you have any good tips on how to approach such a project and some of the pitfalls I should try and prevent. The questions I currently have in my mind are the following: Glue to use between non-leather object and leather. Is good old contact glue good enough? How to finish where the outside leather layer touches the outside edges of the inlay. Do you fill it up with something or just leave a place where dust/dirt can accumulate Does it maybe make more sense depending on the thickness of the inlay to form a deep enough indentation in the leather and then gluing it, instead of cutting out the outside layer for the inlay. Any advise will be highly appreciated.

I just finished another small project while vacationing in a cabin. Had to keep it simple. The aim was to create a pouch that will fit my current BK2 sheath and try and keep it simple and natural. I did not use any dye, but just used neatsfoot oil and a leather balm finish. The back of the pouch does not have any belt slots, but rather slots matching up to the sheath for Velcro to attach it to the sheath. Any comments will be appreciated.

This is a great question! It will be nice to know all types. Maybe somebody knows a great source to find out the history of holster design and how it evolved. This is probably a great question for katsass with his wealth of experience and knowledge.

I think I am also a more traditionalist and prefer the old school type holsters. I actually have a #6 overstich wheel, but used a 1/16# drill bit, which is too big. I will need to get a 3/64" bit and try it again. My initial design for the last holster was actually a small overlay piece, but I wasn't sure if it would actually be a good reinforcement, or just look like one. I settled on the bigger overlay since it looked to my eyes that it flowed better and matched the lines at the bottom of my holster. Do you have a picture of one of your traditional pouch style holsters? I would love to see a well crafted pouch holster, and obviously get some design ideas.

This has been a great learning experience for me with all these great comments I have received. Using an awl will be a work in progress for me, and is something I will have to work on. With my first attempts I drilled the holes, but used a 1/16" bit. I felt I did not have enough leather between the holes, which could be a strength issue. The current retention on the gun is very good but I can see that it could loosen up after some use. Your comment about the space between the rear sight and leather is correct and I did not realize it until I looked at the picture again. Stitching around the trigger guard should help with a tighter and more consistent fit in the rear sight area an overall better retention. I am trying for a minimalistic and clean look with not too much wasted leather. That is probably why I prefer the avenger type holster over the pancake, and even less than an avenger looks better to me. The next holster will definitely have some stitching around the trigger guard. I just need to decide if i want to expand on my current idea with only the back belt loop, or maybe go with a avenger style holster. Thanks again for the great feedback. It is an honor receiving this detailed feedback from katsass.

Thanks for the nice comments and the suggestion regarding using an awl. I will have to try it on a smaller project to see I will be able to keep the holes uniform in shape using the awl. The holster is purely my design I am experimenting with. I left the trigger intentionally open with no cant just for a quicker draw for me. This holster will probably only be used as a range holster. I will include stitching around the trigger guard at some time when I do my first Avenger style holster. Another option will also be to keep the open trigger guard and incorporate a thumb-break that should also make it more secure.

I just completed my second holster and tried a few new things. Following are the steps I followed this time: 1) Included reinforcement piece (new) 2) Stitch before forming. 3) Use stitching chisels to punch stitching holes (new) 4) Dye after forming 5) Use gum tragacanth for burnishing edges (new) 6) Apply netsfoot oil after dye (new) 7) Finish with leather balm with atom wax (new) So I have tried a few new things and I am happy with the results. I am still trying to find the correct thread to use with the stitching chisel. Any comments regarding the result will be appreciated.

I have just completed another small project where I replaced the belt loop on my BK2 sheath. I tried to keep this as simple as possible and only used olive oil, some time in the sun and then some kiwi polish on it. I also installed a snap for the first time. The keeper strap implementation is an idea I saw on a knife forum from Dwayne Puckett and Nick. The belt loop actually has two 1.75" slots to alter the carry height. I wasn't to concerned about the edges since it will be used outside, but maybe I'll put some edge kote on just to seal it a bit.

I am a novice at this but have two different outcomes regarding stiffness of the leather. My first an only holster was stitched and dyed and then formed with the pistol. It was a tight fit. I just finished it of with some Kiwi clear polish and the holster came out very stiff. I then did a mag pouch that I formed ahead of the stitching. Left it outside in the shade (AZ temperature) for a while, and it came of stiff and hard. I then dyed it with an alcohol based dye and finished it with clear Kiwi again. This one came out stiff again. I then did just the belt loop for my BK-2 knife, which I just put olive oil on and then outside in the sun to get some color. I then formed it for the belt and finished it with clear Kiwi again. This one did not come out stiff or hard. My feeling is that if you don't oil it a bit and your form it a bit (lot of stretching), in conjunction with the drying will leave it stiff and hard. There are lot more knowledgeable members on this forum that will be able to tell you exactly what to do to get the desired leather softness/hardness. Good luck.

Thanks for the excellent how-to tips. I am just a novice with only two completed leather projects under the belt. The aim is to do small projects trying out different methods, especially the finish which is something I definitely need to learn and improve on. My two projects I just dyed the leather and then applied some clear shoe polish after everything was done. My plan is to also do a natural, no dye finish, at which time I was planning on starting to use neatsfoot oil. The method you described is probably what I will try next so I can compare it with my current dye results. If I may ask, what type of finish do you put on top of the dye and neatsfoot oil?

Thanks. I have just been using the Fiebing's regular dye (alcohol based), dark brown. http://springfieldleather.com/18542/Dye%2CFieb%2CReg%2CDk-Brown%2C4oz/

I have finished the second project and did a few things differently: Formed then stitched Formed then dyed Burnish the edges before applying the dye to the edges Wet with brush before using overstitcher Lessons learned from doing it differently: I could not use my groover after the forming since there was not enough space Seems like the color is a bit lighter if you dye after forming, but it could also be that I used less dye It seems that the edges looked better if you burnish before dye instead of after the dye Wetting before using overstitcher seems to work better. You can control it better with the leather being soft. Following are some pictures:

I am using the alcohol-based dye and there was a little bit of bleeding when I did the wet forming. I think you helped making up my mind to mold and then dye. This will also be a learning experience and will show me if their is any difference in the color between mold then dye, or dye then mold. The stitching after dye makes sense especially if you want to show some contrast between the thread and leather color. Thanks for the good advise!

Dwight, Thanks for the great information. My holster was stitch first and then form, which was a shot in the dark like you stated. My first mag pouch will definitely be form first and then stitch. The only thing I need to decide now is if I want to apply the dye before or after the form. The holster dye was applied before the forming process.

Thanks for the nice comments. It is addicting but also very rewarding. I am already working on my next project which will be a matching magazine pouch. Making a mag pouch seems very simple, but I have realized that the forming part and the stitching location needs to be spot on for a decent result. So I am taking my time a bit to make sure I know exactly how I want to approach the project.

Gun forums are always a good place to showcase your holsters. Maybe a small discount will entice some of the member to order a holster and then word of mouth will help in promoting your product. I participate on two SIG forums and the members are always looking for the best fitting and looking holster. The forums are: http://sigtalk.com/forums.php and http://sigforum.com/eve/forums Good luck with your new business.

Thanks for sharing some of your original work. When you did hand sewing, what did you find was the best way to get to the even spaced stitching. At the moment I am just using the overstitcher tool and the drilling the holes. The makes the front side evenly spaced but the back is not always evenly spaced. A also like the natural look on the original piece. Is that just from some oil left in the sun for a while or did you actually stain it.

Thank for the detailed information. It just shows my ignorance being new to leather work. I thought the stitching was done by hand. Finishing leather is something I still need to learn to do and I do appreciate the how-to information you provided. At this time I only finish my leather with some clear kiwi polish, but I need to expand and start experimenting with different finishes.

What beautiful work. Everything just looks like it fits, from the design to the finish. Can you tell me what you use to make the stitching holes and also what finish did you put on the outside of the holster.

This is my first post on this forum, and all I want to say is thank you for all the helpful information I have received by reading the posting from members of this forum. I have never worked with leather before, but I have decided to try my hand at leather work , especially in the holster and sheath making fields. I had a lot of questions before I started my first project; what leather to buy, how to finish leather, the art of burnishing, the art of hand sewing, how to approach a project, tools to use, what to expect. So my first attempt at leather work and my first project was a holster for my Sig Sauer SP2022. It is difficult to find holster for the SP2022 and I also had some ideas regarding cant and ride height that I wanted to incorporate. Also a holster is actually simple since you need the basic skills, a good design and no additional hardware. This is something I felt I could do without too much start up cost. Following are a few lessons I have learned: 1)Don't just measure twice and cut once, measure multiple time and cut once 2) Consider the thickness of your leather in your design. After I received my leather (8-9oz from Springfield Leather) I realized I had to adjust the design a bit, but I don't think I adjusted enough 3) Always think of the end product and what is on the outside 4) Practice hand sewing 5) Learn to get uniform stitching holes 6) Practice burnishing 7) Practice using the stitching groover I know my first attempt is not that good, but the first attempt at leather work is not always easy since you have to do a lot of research regarding what to buy. So if anybody is just starting out and want to know what basic things I have started with, just let me know and I will provide list and links. Following is my first attempt at leather work and my first project: