1961Mike

Hi, your leather carving skills are great. On the other hand, I think you'd find more sales providing another venue for your artwork. I'm not in leatherwork sales, but even a leather butt pad would have to go $30 US. I'm not sure how many shooters would bother paying that for a 1/8 inch rise is stock height and art. Another addition to the butt pad could be to fill in the crescent shaped metal (brass or steel) butt plate. Americans are larger now than in 1873. You might get more sales with something that is more useful to shooters. NCOWS shooters that are in the working cowboy (1 pistol and 1 rifle) have to carry their equipment including ammo, cleaning equipment, etc without a cart like SASS uses. The saddle bags would have two flaps that could be decorated as well as the connection between the two bags. Just thinking out loud.

Hi So, my latest batch of Pecan Hull Brown Dye, was less that brown. In fact, the color that came out after more than 10 hours was a light tan. The leather got MUCH darker with a coat of Neets foot oil and a day on the dashboard in the sun dammit. My new plans include a new batch of Pecan dye and a seven minute soak in strong coffee instead of a 2 to 7 hour soak in strong coffee. What I got after 2 hours was dark dark (add more darks) brown chip of some sort. EVOO did NOTHING to it. Later

Hi The belt looks great. I've been to see wrestling at Kiel Opera House in StL back in the late 1960's or early 1970's. I think the Von Eric brothers were there, but I don't know which ones. If you go see wrestling live, don't get in the front rows. The audience is MUCH more entertaining than the wrestlers. I was no older than a Freshman in High school, but we could smell weed. We finally worked out who it was, a 60 plus year old lady in tight polyester pants and a gray bee hive hairdo with a long cigarette holder. Yes, this was when you could smoke ANYWHERE in public. There were at least 5 to 7 matches, an older guy (now my age) was yelling "we wanna see some blood, we don't wanna watch you make love." He was hoarse by the 4th match. Later

Hi, I live in Oklahoma, and there is a pecan orchard a few miles from home. I purchased a 25 or 50 pound bag of Pecan Hulls, a lingerie bag to boil them in, and now I have a dark brown dye. Walnut hulls also work very well. If you want DARK brown, almost black leather, use dark roast coffee that's been reduced by about half. It is HELPFUL to make some trial leather pieces to see how long to soak the leather in the dye. Later

Hi I had that problem with packing tape, I ended up just putting the gum trag over the top of the tape residue and then Resolene (half Strength). You couldn't feel the tape residue after I did that. Hope this helps

Hi, I agree, that whole setup looks beautiful. I'm trying to learn how to carve like that. I'm better at straight lines and stamping the same border that you used. I've done enough of them, that I broke the Tandy version of the double meander that I had. Now I use Barry King's stamps. For anybody who wears something like that, are the lifted edges on the leaves and flowers a problem? Do they catch dirt, tear off etc? Thanks

Hi Personally I'd have squared them both off. Easier to do and then it would match. Matching the rounded ends in size is a bit harder to measure, but matching the way you did the top part is just measuring. Of course, I'm an engineer, so I measure things... Later

Dang it, I'm having too much fun trying to attach the Civil War version. Later

Hi If the lady in the original post was gray haired, that was Barb. I took an introductory class that she taught. She's very good and knows what to get and what not to. Later

Dang, please post front and back pictures when you attach the adjustable part of the buckle. At least that looks like the Civil War version as opposed to the modern version. I have various kinds of ways to attach the belt on the back of the cartridges, but I used leather that was too thick on the first one I'm working on. Blockade Runner has a lot of that sort of thing. Hi JW, Hanover Brass is where he got that one, Parsley Brass is also good. I usually by Tim Parsley's stuff. Later

Hi I trial and error the distance between the two lines of stamping on the cut off end of a belt. When I get a spacing I want, I make the lines and start stamping. I find it helpful to start on the inside of the project instead of the outside. Later

Hi Realizing that I'm being Doktor Fronkenstine and resurrecting the dead, but how do the Brass and steel stamps last? I broke two Tandy Meander stamps, at $7 a piece and Barry's stamps are a lot more, but have already lasted longer. His are all steel. Later

Hi, you know, if you going to put the "swell" behind the trigger guard, you might as well use the extra space to put more slot area for the belt. Later

HI Thanks everyone. I was looking for the whole how to make this work next time. I already have some Hermann Oak 9 ounce shoulder leather to use on the next ones. I also have a Slim Jim about half done that will be lined and had a loop that is tight on the cartridge belt. I may try the Concho and strap idea just so I know how to do it. CASCity mentioned using a Chicago Screw to attach the holster to the skirt. The holster pattern doesn't lend itself to bumping out the holster like in a Mexican loop setup unfortunately. Thanks

Hi Dwight, this is more or less what Will Ghormley calls the Lawdog holster. I made one for practice out of crappy 6-7 ounce leather. I finished it with Neatsfoot oil and Skidmores after letting it get a tan in the sun for a couple of days. The holster practically jumps out of the strap when I draw it. How do you avoid that on this style holster? If I used Vinegaroon would the extra stiffness make it stay in place? Thanks

Hi That looks a lot better than my first holster. What color of thread did you start with? I ask because it appears to have taken some dye. If you dye the leather first, the thread stands out more. You can still do the edging last and put more dye on the edges and finish. With your application, I'd have used a matching thread anyway. The white thread would have stood out too much for Alaska. Later

HI I just saw this and it looks really good. Does it attach to your belt at the bottom? That might make it easier to draw. I have a shoulder holster that I haven't worn in years. Later

HI Bruce, That looks great. Your carving is very, very good. I'm curious how you finished the leather to keep it that light color. Is that unfinished (no Neatsfoot oil, no EVVO) with some sort of laquer? Thanks Mike

If you haven't put any Neats foot oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) on it, it will look gray. I'd let it air out, then put the oil on it. Takes some of the vinegar smell away. Later

OK, mine has NEVER looked that bad and I"m on my second batch. The first lasted a year or so, and I"m say 4 months into the second batch. I keep it in a tall skinny jar from Hobby Lobby. Tall makes for better belt dipping. I have a five gallon bucket ready, but would like to have a house first. Later

Hi I have had to sand the last two belts that I made on the flesh side because they were so rough. Sanding in one direction worked well. I'm relatively new at this sport, but I found out yesterday that using cheap leather can lead to interesting problems. I found a soft spot in the leather and you can't burnish a soft spot. This was 6-7 thick leather. This was for a practice piece, so I"m not that concerned. later

Hi, I'm more of the cowboy leather work sort, but I do have a question. The satchels don't have a buckle which is understandable being a 500 year old design, but did Renaissance ladies actually stick those itty bitty leather shoe laces back through those itty bitty holes when they went from store to store? Later

Hi I think what Chuck is hitting at is that you need to make the BACK of the holster right, the side against your leg, while leaving the FRONT of the holster to grip the gun. If that helps.

Great work, that's the first time I've seen the meander stamp with no opposing stamps. Interesting look. Later