byggyns

My first holster was for my full size 1911. It was a flat back pancake style much like yours. I designed the pattern myself in the holster making class I took at my local Tandy. That class is what really kicked off my hobby. Yours looks good for a first attempt. As pointed out, there is still much room for improvement, but you're on the right track. For thread, try out the 1.0 mm Tiger thread. I think it works great for holster weight leather & stitch length. My biggest suggestion would be to put effort into your edges. The squared edges seem to dig into everything, especially your side. They also tend to fray and fluff out very quickly. Putting a good bevel and burnish on those will make them more comfortable and will let them look good longer.

Yeah, first holsters are full of lessons regarding order of operations, how much to do certain things, and patience. One thing I had to learn was how to slow down and make sure I was letting things get properly dry (glue, dye, the leather when molding, and finishes) before moving to the next step. Also, figuring out the proper order of steps was a challenge - like which piece gets put on first, second, etc.; and what edges to bevel and burnish before the next piece gets put on. I made a couple that I learned a lot of what not to do from the process. Getting the stitch lines just right is the most ongoing struggle, since I have only made a couple of holsters for the same gun model twice. If you want more detail on the outside, you can do some boning as the leather gets closer to dry without having to re-wet it.

this is the way I did mine:

I hand stitched my first and only belt. I have an ample waist, and mine took me around 4 hours. I won't do it for any belts to sell, because I wouldn't be able to charge enough for it to be worth my time. I will probably do more for myself and for gifts. Also, I used a comfortable length of thread and spliced it. Mine took 4 pieces. To do my joints, I just start the new thread about 4 stitches before I decided to end the prior thread. Both threads run through those 4 stitch holes. Cut the ends off the prior thread & a little spot of superglue to make sure they don't pull through.

Since I haven't done a lined holster, I can't say for sure, but I don't think you will be able to get as defined of molding around the gun as an unlined holster. You could still have done boning on the outside while it was wet. Overall I think it looks good even if it isn't molded to what you wanted. The reason I asked about the dye was that certain dyes can block the moisture from getting in to the leather. The fact that is lined may have prevented some moisture penetration.

What thickness and type of leather did you use? Did you dye before or after trying to form, and with which dye?

When the pieces have the stamp on the back with the square footage, then it was probably measured by laser at the tannery. Other than that, it was probably measured by hand by the distributor/leather store and is subject to the inaccuracies within human hands.

Most people use a single or double layer 1" strap (some will go down to 3/4" or up to 1-1/4") depending on the weight of leather used and desired look. Most will use the same material on a double layer to give a consistent look and finish on front and back. Then they make a shoulder pad that may be padded and/or lined that can slide on the strap. if you do a search for messenger bag on google specifying site:leatherworker.net then it will give you the results for this forum that can show you examples folks here have made. You can really do it however you feel works best. That's one of the great parts of this craft. If it works for you, then it's right. If it's the way that other folks do it, but doesn't work for you, then you need to find a different way that's better for you.

I used to have one that was lined with some tight weave synthetic, probably nylon. The leather was thin chrome tan.

I like to line the small point from the template with the edge of the punch, that way the spacing is maintained. You can line them all up either the tip side or the buckle side. As long as the punch is centered on the strap, you get equal spacing.

If you wanted rigidity but not the look of veg-tan, you can use a bag stiffener material to give the folio more stiffness. You just have to glue it between the inner an outer layers.

You are probably looking for something called a clicker. It uses metal dies to cut out the shapes rapidly. Do a search here on the site to see if that is what you are looking for. Newer technology to do that is a CNC laser which can cut multiple different shapes at the same time, but leaves a burned edge.

If you can have the rest of the tool, you have a great find. Plough gauges are quite expensive.

It depends if you want the back to be flat or if you want both the back & front to have the same shape. If you want them both to have the same general shape, the front & back should be the same size. I would suggest that you have the back side go higher to protect your side from the hammer while you wear it.

I think it needs more beveling overall. Also, some backgrounding to show a contrast between the stars and field, and to differentiate the stripes from each other would help a lot. (even if it's really light backgrounding) The chain needs beveling where the links go under/over each other. If you paint it, the backgrounding is less important.

My thought is that you would get the most out of your efforts to use patches of tooled leather attached to a chrome tan garment leather. Thin veg-tan does not give much depth of tooling, and as it flexes, the definition becomes lost. Even 4-5 oz, which holds tooling well for things like notebook covers would be too heavy and inflexible to wear. You could get a small piece of 2-3 oz and experiment, but I don't think it will work too well.

Resolene, being an acrylic product, does have a more plastic feeling than some other finishes. Its biggest advantage is that is is more water resistant than many other finishes. Tan Kote, Bag Kote, and wax/oil mixtures are all options that should leave the finished item softer and more pliable than the resolene. As with all leather products, it will absorb oils as it is used, and the fibers in the leather will break down slightly, which all cause the item to soften and become more flexible. A little neatsfoot oil will help accelerate the process, but with the resolene being so fresh, it won't absorb much. Many folks will use SnoSeal as a final finish. That's one I haven't used, but may work well for what you are looking for.

I agree on the pancake design for concealed OWB. Other designs tend to stick out too far. I made myself an Avenger, and while it's fast and comfortable, it's not especially easy to conceal. For IWB, there are several options including pancake and fold over with clips or straps. If he is wanting OWB, some people like a thumb break for security. That adds another layer of complexity. Also, you will want to use slots rather than clips or straps for the OWB. For pancake, I agree with the leather selection and weight Dwight provided. You can go up to 9oz without issue. When I do them, I prefer the flat back and use a heavier weight or multiple layers for the back side. I'm also not a dip-dye person, so I use spirit dyes before I mold the holster. You can look up tons of different designs on this site and others that have tutorials attached to them.

The .45 ACP Shield is out. They are just a little hard to find until Smith gets the production numbers up.

I use the oil after dying, before wet molding and finishing. Since you aren't wet molding, it would just be after dying. If you end up using the oil, use a very light coat and let it soak in for at least 12 hours before you apply the finish. 24 hours would be better. Not letting it fully soak and penetrate will prevent the resolene from adhering as well. I use distilled water with resolene and water stains because I have it for ink mixing. With inks, some minerals in water can cause a reaction with the ink components or change the PH. So, I use distilled for mixing most water based chemicals. That way I don't have to worry about any adverse reactions.

Here's an article about extra virgin olive oils and the rest. I think the main reasons as to why I was told to use extra virgin is the lower acid level and the lack of chemical extraction - which may alter its effect on the leather. http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-olive-oil-and-extra-virgin-olive-oil-word-of-mouth-218767

you can also search on google by putting site:leatherworker.net after what you are searching for. Don't put a space between the colon and the website name Like this hat site:leatherworker.net

I didn't realize you were going to be using the kydex. I must have misunderstood. I thought it was going to be all leather. If you are just using the 13oz as a backing piece for the hybrid holster, the thickness should be OK. I haven't used carnauba cream, so I can't tell you much about how it is used, but I do know the wax in it will resist dye and finishes. From what I've seen, people use it in place of a finish like resolene or tankote for a softer look and feel. Resolene does make the leather fell a little plastic and it has a gloss finish. Something I forgot about the olive oil - use Extra Virgin olive oil, and use the lightest color available. Around here it seems they like to sell some darker shades of the oil, which will affect the leather color more. I use oil after dyeing if I think the leather has become too stiff. As Dwight mentioned, stiffer can be a good thing for a holster. I'll agree with Dwight on the gum trag. I'm not a fan of it on holsters. To slick the edges on mine, I start with water, then use saddle soap. And, yes, I dye then slick the edges. The first edges you do will not be as nice as the ones you do later. You get better at your technique as you do more. I've found that light sanding with fine sandpaper - 320 and higher grit - after the first slicking with water can help get a smoother edge. Resolene, as it comes, is too thick to work with well. It's basically a clear acrylic paint. Diluting it helps it flow more evenly and easily and helps it dry without as many streaks and brush marks. Remember that leather working is an art, not a science, so you will make mistakes. You will develop a style and a process that works for you. Practice your skills with scrap pieces before you make mistakes on your project. Don't get discouraged if the first project doesn't turn out the way you want it.

13 oz is a little heavier than you need for most holsters. Generally, the heavier the weapon, the heavier the leather needs to be. 13oz will make a very stiff holster - probably stiffer than you want for an IWB holster. most mass produced holsters use 5-8 oz. I like 9-10 for most of what I do (but I am no professional with making holsters). I would use 13oz for an unlined woods/hunting style holster for a large revolver I don't see any mention of stitching tools. You don't mention gluing, stitching or wet molding in your steps Answers to your questions: 1) Dye can go a long way. I can't give you exact number of square inches, but that bottle should last you a while. A way to stretch it even further is to dilute the dye with alcohol - either denatured (ethanol) or isopropyl in a 1:1 ratio. you can even add more alcohol if you are still getting good color saturation. 2) you can dye the edge and slick it, you don't need to use the edge coat - unless you like that look 3) my general rule is once the dauber won't fluff back up to be soft again. If you wash the dauber out immediately after use, you may be able to use it 2-4 times before it just won't fluff back up 4) any saddle soap can be used for edge slicking. It's personal preference for the liquid, bar, or paste style - you'll see a lot of opinions, but the glycerin is the key. 5) if you can't get neatsfoot oil, use olive oil. The carnauba creme has a wax in it that will resist finishes. since you are dying black, you don't need to worry about color change, but olive oil darkens the leather even less than neatsfoot. there is no question 6 7) resolene will help to smooth the fuzz on the back of the leather, but the better approach is to sand the back to remove more of the fuzz. I like resolene finish on a holster. Just make sure that the dye is completely dry before you start applying it. Also let each layer dry between coats. you should also dilute resolene with water in a 1:1 ratio (I use distilled water to prevent unexpected contamination reactions)

What are you using for the gold? Is it acrylic?