TexasJack

Great tutorial! Thanks for taking the time to put it together.

Nice!

I work at a plant that makes the stuff that goes into epoxy. I don't think I'd want to drink any hot water that contacted that stuff. Even when cured, some unreacted chemicals remain embedded.My $0.02.

Just about everyone starting out has a hard time with an awl. The secret is that it has to be SHARP! If it is, it will go through several layers of leather. (And right through your hand if you're not careful; the pain is bad enough but then you have to try to keep the blood off the leather.)Practice a bit before you try it on a sheath. Al Stohlman's book on Sewing Leather is well worth the price. It shows you tricks that will take the fear out of hand sewing. (Like, what do you do if your thread's too short.)

On a Dremel tool?The problem with making a hole like that is that you are removing leather. In your case, a lot of leather, which is leaving very large holes. An awl sort of splits the leather open and then it closes back on the thread, holding and making a much less noticeable hole. Yes, it's a bit of an art, but you really need to do that if you want your stuff to look better. Also, a deeper stitch groove. (It doesn't look like you have one.)Some of the pros could probably dissect this sheath and give you a hundred things to improve. As I said in my first response, your inlay looks really good and I don't want to take anything away from that. There's a lot of art to leatherwork - even at the level of stitching things together. I think you've done a terrific job and am only pointing out a direction that might let you do even better.As for using a machine, the lockstitch produced by a machine is not nearly as good as the hand-sewn saddlestitch. A machine just lets you screw things up faster. I don't want to be too down on machine sewing, as I've seen some beautiful inlay work done with fine thread machine sewing.

The inlay looks very nice!What are you using for your stitching? From the size of the holes, it looks like a drill bit.

The owner of a company I worked for some years back used to say, "This would be a great business if it wasn't for those d*** customers!"Honestly, it was a great saying that helped us get through those days when we had to deal with the impossible.

The clip is attached to the outside piece of leather, which is then sewn to the side of the holster.

Cool!

OK, this holster was a prototype that I made to try to work out an IWB for a Ruger LCP. This is also not a very good picture. I made the kydex clip so that it curves approx. in half, then had the bottom of the outside come up about 1/2 inch so that it would catch the bottom of a belt.

From Al Stohlman's "The Art of Hand Sewing Leather", page 63:

Nice looking sheath!

A few observations:1. Using an awl takes a bit of practice. I'd suggest using thinner leather to start with.2. Awls from Tandy are OK, but not always sharp and (in my experience) not always the same diameter! I had one that made a great hole but the needle wouldn't go through when I went to sew.3. Drilling holes works, but using an awl is much better as it doesn't remove any leather and that means the thread will be held tightly.

It didn't take long for me to find some 'how-to's: http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,9631.0.html http://eightbits.home.att.net/Crafting8_web_Ammobelt.PDF I'm sure there are some around here and I know Chuck Burrows has something posted somewhere.

First, it's nice to see someone who takes worse pictures than me. (Thought maybe you were an optometrist trying to drum up some business!)You do get what you pay for when it comes to leather. However, if you're still in the learning stages, I would think Tandy's leathers would be the right way to go.You shouldn't have to use rubber tubing to keep the frame from getting scratched. Assuming you want to repeat a similar design, use a piece of leather (or several) as a welt (between the sides you are joining).

[Any question that gets Chuck to post pics of his awesome work is a worthy question indeed!Some people don't express themselves well when they type. Maybe we should give him the benefit of the doubt this time.It took time for someone who has enough experience to read the post and reply with a definitive answer. You got the answer. Be nice about it.

Nice idea. Somebody posted a version of this using wax inside a coil of wire. Re-waxes the awl on each pass.

Pocket holsters are more popular with the LCP or the similar Kel-tec because of their flat design. Your's looks pretty nice! Q. Are the Chicago screws on there for a purpose other than decorative?

Nice holster for concealed carry. Glock would seem to be a pretty good choice, since the shape is pretty simple and stays the same for most of the pistol.

WHAT you use is not nearly as important as HOW you use it.I know of guys who have sharpened a knife (in a pinch) on the bottom of a coffee mug or on a car window. Seriously.The simplest, cheapest method is something woodworking folks call 'Scary Sharp'. It consists of a series of sandpapers - from maybe 200 grit to as high as you can go (800 grit or better). The paper needs to be mounted on something very flat - a piece of glass works great. Tape it on the glass, wet it with a light oil (e.g., gun oil or WD-40). As you get a decent edge with the most coarse paper, set up the next highest grit.Key to this is finding the right angle and MAINTAINING that angle. That's why so many people end up using commercial gadgets - they just don't keep a constant angle. Like anything else that takes practice. If need be, cut a piece of wood to the angle matching your blade and keep it nearby.When you get done sharpening the blade, there will be a 'wire-edge'. Steel flows a bit as you're sharpening and this wire edge will feel very sharp, but will fold over the first time you use the knife. Strop it on a piece of leather to get rid of the wire edge and you'll have a quality edge that will stay sharp. (Assuming, of course, that you have a decent knife steel to begin with.)The basic same techniques also apply if you are using diamond sharpeners or stones.As for practice, don't do that on your best leather or hunting knives. Go to the kitchen; there are ALWAYS knives that need sharpening in the kitchen. Work out your techniques on them.

Nice!

Very nice - both the leather and the grips!!

Thanks!

A neighbor showed my wife a purse she has that is "lime green". (I have not seen it yet.) The color is fading. She wants to restore it. My wife volunteers that I might be able to help. So it occurs to me that a person should be able to strip whatever coating is on it and re-dye the purse, and maybe I can help. Usually when something starts out sounding simple like that, it turns out to be extremely screwed up. First: Is that a reasonable idea? Second: What would you strip it with? Third: If this is totally a screwed up plan, is there a better alternative?

I'm very disappointed that you didn't post a better pic of the knife.Anything done with help from Tai has to be special. The man is a true artist.