TwinOaks

It's just part of the skill set, grasshopper, part of the skill set. Remember...very few set rules to leather working, so go experiment!

Excellent DIY! The only thing I can see as an issue is the firmness of the foam. Actual presses use 40 durometer rubber, which I think, iss quite a bit firmer than the rubber....meaningr more pressure is required, but will also squueeze the leather better. Give it a try and let us know how it works.

You're stretching the leather in at least two dimensions, usually in 3....you should expect distortion. simply do your shaping first, and then do the decorative lines.

A S&W blue gun should work for Taurus and Charter arms guns. Ruger has a little bit different frame dimensions.

yes, there needs to be a second stitch line right about where the camo stamp is. And, you can add a hammer thong by punching a hole close to where the top piece meets the back. The hole needs to be just big enough to pull two layers of the thong string through with pliers...then make a loop and tie a knot in the ends. Feed the loop through from outside to in. Obviously, there will be some length adjustments, and that should done before cutting the final length.

No problems. But there have been ...'miners'....before. Given that the very first post was a request for someone's design assistance, it raised a few flags to me. Several of us have discussed new ways to do things on the open forum only to have knock offs show up in the box-marts a few weeks later. As a small business owner, I'm sure you can understand some of the hesitance. Now that you've offered why you were naming figures that to some of us seem pretty low, based on expected market exposure, and stated a willingness to work with the designer(s), I think there will be a bit more interest. If you are not familiar with this particular forum set up, we have a messaging system called "private messages" or "PM's". In the upper right hand corner of your screen, at the top of the forum page, you should see your name and a small down arrow. Clicking on the down arrow will activate a menu that will allow you to select your 'messages'. There should also be a small icon that looks like an envelope just to the left of your name. If there is a number by that envelope, it indicates that you have new private messages. Simply clicking on the envelope will take you to the new messages. Due to the nature of the internet, I propose that members interested in contacting you do so via the PM system so that business arrangements can be handled in a more private manner. This will allow you to converse with them in a one-on-one basis, eliminate non-serious offers, and share contact information in a manner that is far less likely to be harvested by internet bots.

Thank you. I have some questions about your offer to buy designs: Are you wanting someone to make/supply them at wholesale prices, or.... Are you offering a one time payment for the design, or are you offering the payment for the design + a percentage (which makes the request much more interesting)? And are you asking for exclusivity on the design? If the pattern is submitted and accepted, are you requiring the copyright to the design as well? If a design is submitted and NOT accepted, will you give up all claims to the design? I ask because for something that you're probably going to retail somewhere between the two competitor's prices ($25-$40), the design fee of $100-$150 seems somewhat low.....we, leather artisans, can design and sell just a few and make as much or more as your design fee. Given the cost of materials and the effort/labor that would go into straps similar to those your profit margin would be rather large, and it seems like you're low balling the designer on the fee.....especially since you are asking for not only the design, but a template and construction details. It appears that there's quite a few people that are viewing this the same way I am, because though over 50 people have looked at it, there's only two participants in the conversation so far.

Very nice job on the gussets. The ONLY thing i see is possibly putting a turks head over the whipping....just to keep the theme consistent.

Agreed. Most leather shops that are serious about staying in business will end up with a minimum of three machines....a heavy stitcher, a light/medium stitcher and a patcher...or perhaps a post machine. The initial expense of additional machines is quickly recovered in time saved from switching one machine back and forth and having to readjust the tensions.

Can we expect to find out who you are?

Dr. jackson's (conditioner and hide rejevenator) , and Lexol should be on the list of things you look into. There is also one called 'leather honey', but i haven't used it.

Very nicely done

Yep, tht's the one! You use it like any other buckle, but need to cut oval holes in the belt instead of round. Once the strap is pulled through and buckled, a small padlock is placed through the hole in the tongue. This keeps the strap from being un buckled by whoever is being restrained.

Thank you for you generosity!

Very similar to snap setters, the trick is many light taps instead of hard hits. Adjust as you go.

Well, the groove is going to be on the inside of the corner, so it shouldn't matter. You can certainly use it the groover, but may need to make multiple passes to get your depth.

Ohio travel bag, and the sister site, 'hardware elf'

The two little tabs are inserted through slots/slits in the leather and folded out or over each other,,,depending on how much room you have to work with. You may want to tap them down, if you can support the front of the clasp so you done damage it.

That first picture is absolutly horrifying! I hope you will adress that the with the head of that company, as the rusults are far below "acceptable".

The locking buckles are usually found in restraint gear.....unless i misunderstood the description.

If you can, find a local store that sells the bp guns and let them know of your enterprise. Turn out exceptional products and don't compromise....customer service above just about everything else. Let your customers sell your products to the next line of customers. Word of mouth is the best advertising you can get and as long as you are making good products and serving the customer well...it costs nothing extra.

Regular spririt dye....on a tandy purse kit....,looooong time ago, and I'm not ruling out user error either. But I have used it to pull dye off a spot or two since.

I've used the liquid latex used for model molding....found at hobby lobby....it WILL mask very well, but requires multiple coats. And....after several hours of fine detailed layering of diluted dyes to get just what I wanted, I found out that the liquid latex WILL remove all the dye from your carefully masked area. Be sure to seal your dye if you plan to mask over it.

The only way to prevent it in small areas like that is to mask off the other areas before buffing. You might also consider the Oil dye....USMC black is notorious for the amount of rub off it leaves.

You did a very nice job on making the holster, the color is consistent and the stitching looks well done. However....the holster was designed/built "without compromising safety and retention", but I have to say I see little of either. The molding is not tight enough in just the hoslter, and there's no strapping to back it up....I strongly recommend this be only for the range until you have the time to test it for proper safety aspects.