TwinOaks

Welcome to Leatherworker.net! First off, NOBODY (except maybe Peter Main) decided one day "I think I'll turn out a masterpiece in leather." We ALL started modestly with pieces that we would now probably consider hideous (though to be fair, a lot of new members are turning out better work because of knowledge base in this site). I feel pretty confident in telling you that you'll probably spend more in tools, materials and especially TIME, than you would on ordering the nicest custom holster you can find. But, you won't have the satisfaction of knowing YOU made it. It's a pretty rewarding addiction hobby, and you'll find yourself exploring different avenues than you originally thought. Ferg has it right- do a lot of reading on this site, there's a ton of instructional material and even more inspiration. The basic tools you'll need to make a holster are as follows: Leather, a needle, thread, something to cut leather, something to mark leather, something to punch holes in leather (so you can get the needle through it) Things that will help you make a better holster: the right kind of leather, in this case- vegetable tanned, stitch hole marker (usually a stitch wheel), stitch groover, a good diamond awl (blade shape), possibly wing dividers, a second needle so you can saddle stitch, an edger, a boning tool, edge slicker, the right tools to cut the leather, glue, snaps, dye, oil or conditioner, a finish for the completed holster, and a pattern. Add more leather for the 'new' holster you make to clean up all the little mistakes you make on the first one, and more time. If you want to do any tooling, you'll need stamping/carving tools including a swivel knife...... LOTS OF NEWSPAPER to keep the drips of dye off of the table/counter/carpet. Just think of all the fun you're about to have! The good news is that you can get a lot of the basic tools in the little kits available from one of the vendors, and you can call the leather suppliers listed at the top of the page and tell them what you want to do and they'll help you get the right leather....all online. We'll be here to help out when you need us, Mike

Check out the thread called "copyright infringement" on this site, it covers a lot of the possibilities and issues we run into. In a nut shell, there's only so many ways to wrap something in leather, so don't worry about copying a type of style. If you start using others' patterns, logos, names, etc., then you can run into problems. Asking for something that is a copy of, and sold as , copyrighted goods is asking for trouble. A well used example is Harley Davidson gear- You can make a tool roll, and even put the HD logo on it (personal use), but if you make one with the logo and sell it as a HD tool roll, you've committed infringement. *Note: I'm not a lawyer

A pro petal tool is a lifter....with an edge. You can buy one, or make one (or a few) if you have an inking of 'tinker' in your little finger. Basically, it's a shaft that's cut at an angle (and sharpened or not) and is used by pushing into the leather at leaves, flowers, etc., wherever you want to raise the leather up. You place it at the edge of the tooling and slide "sideways" into the tooling so that the leather is lifted around the tool. Here's a pic of one found at Greyghostgraphics.com

Yep, I've had several that I didn't want to let go of......but my opinion is readily swayed by cash.

For .22 bullets......I wouldn't even bother forming loops. Just measure 1.5 times the width of the shell (or call it 3/8ths) and stitch it down with two holes (basically a saddle stitched loop) between each one. Dampen the bullet loop strap with a sponge and push in some shells. You're stretching the leather such a small amount that you'd spend more time trying to make actual loops than you would just wet-stretching the leather.

Welcome to Leatherworker.net! Don't hesitate to ask questions along the way. We've got a large and diverse group of leather workers, from novice to pro, and we're almost always happy to answer questions.

First off, let the dye dry completely....a day or more if you have to. THEN buff it until no more dye rubs off. Once you've achieved that, apply your sealer/finish. Black dye is notorious for being the one with the most rub off. If you're going to do solid black items, type "vinegaroon" in the search box (lots of topics on it) and try that out.

You'll definitely want to speak to one of our sewing machine specialists, one on one. That aside, there's more than one solution to the problem. A walking foot moves the materials together. A needle feed can use what's called a 'jump foot', and relies on the needle to move, and keep aligned, the material. The third and probably best option is to get a UNISON feed, which uses walking feet AND needle feed to assure that the materials feed together while the needle helps keep it aligned. That's an oversimplified explanation, but I can't accurately describe the details.....so I'll leave it to the pros. However, there is a very good reason why unison feed has become somewhat the standard, so it's something worth considering.

Welcome to Leatherworker.net! I'm sure you'll find some good inspiration and advice on how to proceed with your project on here.

Read the edge finishing tutorial by Hidepounder, located in the 'how do I do that' section. It's one of the pinned topics.

Do a search for "John Barton". He's a cue case maker, and had been gracious enough to post several threads on the topic.

You've posted 3 topics about this. Not all the members are on here daily, so give them a little time to catch up.

NOTE: The listed examples are not all-inclusive. I merely listed the members off the top of my head.

An actual apprenticeship is a hard thing to do via the internet, but you might find a local leather worker that would be willing to help you. As far as a specific mentor....well, here's the thing- we all have our areas of expertise and typically ask each other questions when we have them. For example: If you were interested in making masks, you'd get better advice from Leatheroo (in Australia). Want to make armor? Prince is one of the best armor artists on here. Sheaths - DCKnives. Holsters - lots of excellent holster makers, too many to list. Tooling/carving - Bob Park (Hidepounder), Bobocat (but he's in China and doesn't speak English very well), King's X. Motorcycle leather - Spinner. Period/reenactment leather - Luke Hatley. Sewing machine questions - Art, Sewmun, Ronnie, Cobra Steve ...............................The list goes on...... The point is that if you were to only have one person to ask questions, you'll be SEVERELY limiting your experience. Instead, just post questions on the open forum and our members will answer as they can. This way, you draw on the collective experience of lots of people instead of only one. That is one of the reasons this forum is here. This doesn't mean that you can't ask one person more than others, I'm just trying to express to you the incredibly large amount of knowledge available from the whole membership.

Take a look at the pics in this thread: http://leatherworker...showtopic=15961 If you look closely, you'll see that the clip at the bottom is merely to keep the muzzle in place, and the mare's leg is supported by the saddle ring, which is hung on a hook that's somewhat hidden by the receiver. You could fashion that out of just about anything, then cover with leather. (Something like a gate latch comes to mind) If you'll read post #10 in that thread, you'll see the recommendation to tie the muzzle in......if this job is anything other than an replica, I think having a cup for the muzzle might be more secure.

Well, you're in the right place to learn. Asking any of us to expound on the subject of leather work....you'd get some LOOOOONG responses. Start with the Paul Burnett series, then move to "getting started", then start reading the "pinned" topics at the beginning of each sub forum. If you have a specific question, by all means post it and we'll do what we can to answer it. My specific advice: Read a lot, experiment a little at a time, and don't expect to turn out works of art your first time.

Holy smokes! It's a Doc Holiday holster for a 12 guage!!!! Nicely done, Lobo.

Yes, a half twist in the loop....which makes a figure 8 and changes the direction of rotation.

Welcome to Leatherworker.net! We have a sub-forum set up for historical and reenactment related items, and one of the Abmassadors (Luke Hatley) specializes in 1800's gear. You might find some tips and inspiration in his posts. Pull up a stool to the tooling table, and stay a while. Coffee should be fresh, restrooms are down the hall on the left.

It's a 2 year old thead.....I don't think the OP is still looking for answers.

From the msds sheets, it's 30-40% emulsified silicone. I've seen silicone dressing for boots, so give it a shot......on scrap. Then test penetration with water and light oil. Let it sit for a week and flex the piece, see if it's dried out. ETA: They also make leather-specific products, so the original probably isn't really suitable....but try it anyway. My wife's grandmother uses armor all on linoleum floors, which isn't an intended use. It pretty much eliminates great grand kids from running through the kitchen as it's slicker than goose snot.

You can put stitch lines pretty much wherever you want, as straight or curvy as you want. As long as you follow the profile of the gun with at least one line per side, you should be fine. I think straight lines are appropriate on something like HKs, and Glocks. On others like 1911s, Hi Powers, etc., then the stitch line needs to bend to follow the weapon. It just helps the holster look like it's supposed to be with that particular gun.