BOOMSTICKHolsters

Thanks, Shorts. How's your holster business doing? I've heard some good compliments on your gear in the last month. mattsh, the holster mouth is backed with 4 oz. leather, but the ostrich on the mag holder and the belt are only a single layer with waxed edges. I usually use a stiffer leather for my avenger throats, but the leather I used for the body was 8.5 oz this time, so I went a little lighter on the reinforcement.

It's actually the "rough" flesh side of a sanded and pasted W&C hide, but it smooths out beautifully. I do actually use smooth in on the sweat shields for all of my pancake holsters, but it would get way to time consuming and therefore cost preventative for me to make the smooth in avenger style holsters (I used to make exotics with smooth lining, but they were already expensive and time consuming anyhow). Thanks everybody for the nice compliments.

I like the Hermann Oak better in the lighter weight cuts, and the W&C for the heavier weight. I use W&C 8 oz. premium grade that has been sanded, holstered, and pasted for my belt holsters (prepare for a little sticker shock if you go this route). For my ccw belts I use a top layer of 8.5 oz. premium that has been sanded pasted and plated, and for the inside layer I use 6 oz. with the same treatments. It's expensive to do things this way, but it yields the best results for me. For my IWB holsters I use Hermann Oak in multiple thicknesses and finishes, depending on what I want to do. The time and trouble you save by working with either of these tannery's hides will be more than worth the difference in cost. Make sure you don't use as much solution when you case either of these hides, as they won't take nearly as much water to get the same results as what you were using on your previous hides.

If you have the resources to bend the bar on a curve, you can do that but it complicates things a little. If that is the way you want to do things, I suggest you do the belt shaping after you have boned the holster around the pistol. A straight bar will work fine, as you really only need to shape the loop, and not the slot.

Thanks fellas. BradB, it was stitched with an Artisan Toro 3000 (and a lot of love ).

Hey folks. I got a request to make a complete carry rig w/ a matching belt (which is a first for me), so I thought I would post some pics of this one for fun. All black, W&C leather and Ostrich quill bump accents for a Kimber Raptor 5".

'Looks like you're off to a good start. If you tape a 5/16" dowel rod on top of your pistol you can mold a nice sight channel that will smooth out the draw, make the holster stronger and keep the front sight clean. I bought a 1 1/2" bar of cold rolled steel to use as a block to shape the belt channel in my front belt loop; you might give that a try to make the holster easier to thread a belt though. Keep posting pictures of your work.

Nice work. Since you're gonna make a new one anyhow, and you found this one easy, why not go ahead and line the inside with some 2/3 oz. leather? It will look that much nicer when you're done!

It's all good. If there weren't a lot of diverse opinions it wouldn't really be a "forum", would it? I don't claim to know everything about holsters. I normally hate retention devices, but for horseback riding I could definitely see the benefit of the retention loop.

Welcome to the forum, gavingear. I noticed right away that the design you have drawn would do an excellent job of keeping the butt of the grip in. I would consider making the holster ride a bit higher so the cylinder is just above the belt line (this would help the gun not print as badly, and make the draw easier). You will have to try the holster as is first, but you might also consider adding more surface area to the back side so the load spreads out a little (having all the pressure on a small area leads to discomfort in a short period of time). If you're a little apprehensive about making the IWB first, go ahead and try a pancake style. I would actually make one that snaps onto the belt, and looks almost exactly like what you've already drawn. I personally don't have much use for a retention snap in a concealed carry holster, since the cover garment does a great job of thwarting any grab attempts (open carry is a whole other thing, but it has it's own problems so I tend to favor concealment). Anyhow, good luck with your first hoslter project, and don't get discouraged if you have to scrap a few holsters before you get things right.

Howdy, Tom. Nice job! The dye technique is pretty cool, but I actually wanted to compliment you on what a noticeable improvement you have made in the craftsmanship of your holsters. Keep up the good work.

Nice work! I'd love to see you try a rifle butt sleeve with a leather covered cheek pad and cartridge loops on the opposite side. If you ever get the itch to make one post some pics.

Pretty cool hybrid holster, dbusarow. I think the retention loop is appropriate for the holsters intended use. I really like the blend between modern carry holster and western rig. Keep posting pictures of your builds.

I'm definitely not a hand stitching expert. When I hand stitched my holsters, I used a lock stitch so I had a sewing awl and a punch. That was a difficult way to do it, and I would actually recommend the two needle method. I suggest you give Kevin a call at Springfield Leather and tell him what you are trying to do, and ask which needles and thread you will need. He will take good care of you.

I would recommend this as a good place for you to start. http://www.eleatherworks.com/product.php?p...=503&page=1 Decent holster leather that isn't too expensive, and enough there to let you mess up once or twice.

I rarely use a head knife - I think they're great for folks who make bridles, saddles, etc, but holsters have too many sharp turns and inside curves for a head knife to be effective (at least in my hands). I typically use leather shears and round punches to cut out my holster shapes. Using them correctly is a skill in itself, but it can be done quite efficiently. I highly recommend you give hand boning a try. In my opinion, a press should be used for saving time - not as an alternative for hand boning. It's a lot of hard work, but I know you will enjoy it, and you will learn a lot about what makes a holster work right. One of the true marks of skill in a holster maker is their ability to hand bone a holster. Also, I really recommend spending a little extra the next time you order leather and get some Hermann Oak or some W&C leather, even if you get the C grade or utility grade stuff. It is so much easier and much quicker to case and mold, and makes a better looking holster in the end. You can order directly from W&C or get some tannery grade Hermann Oak from Weaver. It is worth the difference in the time you will save working the leather, trust me. Finally, try using a 5/16" or 3/8" dowel on top of the pistol to make an exaggerated sight track. Not only will it improve the draw, but it will actually strengthen the holster. BTW, I applaud you for posting your stuff up for critique. I understand that it is a humbling task, but it sure will help you improve. Be sure to keep posting pics of your work, as I really look forward to seeing your progress. Have fun!

Howdy, Randyc. How are you cutting your leather? Do you use shears, a head knife, an exacto knife, etc? Your holsters would look a little bit cleaner if you could cut the leather so the edges are continuous, with no angles or points. It sounds silly, I know, but it makes a big difference. If you do end something in a point, try to make it flow into the lines of the holster, if that makes sense. When cutting larger belt slots, I like to use a round punch at either end and a bag punch to cut the straight sides. It is easy to do, and you get a uniform size (you determine the width you want by which round punch you use). Another way to improve the look of your holsters is a boning trick. After you have formed the basic shape with your hands (when I'm not using a press to save time, I like using my thumbs and knuckles to work out the shape of the gun, but as Brock Morgan mentioned, I have a "take no prisoners" approach to making holsters), chase the outside edges with a blunt, round object like a butterknife handle or a screw driver handle, or whatever else you can find that is large and smooth enough not to leave a scratch on the leather. Then chase that line again with a bone folder, or anything else that has a finer edge, in order to leave a more distinct line in the leather where the bonning starts. Doing this will really make the molding of the holster "pop out" at you. Finally, what brand of leather are you using? If you use sides, there is a trick to make your patterns easier. Take the belly portion of the leather that is not suitable for holsters and cut out a piece larger than your holster would be. Wet it, and shape it around your pistol. Now bone the edges in really tight to the pistol so they are very defined. Once that is done, use an ink pen to mark a line about 1/8" from the edge of the "defined edge" of the boning. Now step back and look at the leather, which is covering a lot more than a holster would. Use your pen to mark the shape of your holster; where the muzzle will be, how much clearence you want for your grip, draw thwe belt slot out, and draw the contours of the entire holster, as well as drawing where the belt looop and the reinforced mouth would be. All of this is done while the leather is still fairly damp, so that once you're finished you can flatten the leather out and voila, you have the basis for a holster pattern. Cut the leather where you drew your lines and trace half of the shape onto a manilla folder to make your pattern. Cut out along the molding line you made to mark where your stitches should be, and note where you marked the reinforced mouth so you can duplicate that on your pattern. I know that's a lot of stuff to think about, but I think it will help bring your gear to the next level. Good luck!

He got a bargain, alright. That looked like a lot of work. You should have offered him the lefty version as well, for an upgrade.... you know, so the pistol won't get in the way when he un-slings the rifle.......yeah..... that's it...

Hey Rhome. Welcome back to the 'States! Have you got things up and running yet?

It is my understanding that the leather gets harder after loosing the tannins (sp?) when the water (or any other solution) evaporates. That is why it only shapes really well one time. The denatured alcohol probably displaces too much moisture, and evaporates so quickly it has a more drastic effect on the tannins as well (this is only my hypothesis, and I could be completely wrong). The oils you would use to fix the problem are made specifically to soften and condition leather. The problem is, the oils will stay in the leather and keep it soft for a long time. If you do nothing to it though, it will probably crack prematurely because it is too dry. I would suggest starting over and chalking this up as part of the learning process (believe me, I have had to scrap plenty of holsters).

Thanks, Srigs and Shorts! Okiwen, you had me goin' for a second....and the last comment was just plain TMI!!

I really don't recommend using oil in a holster - normally it would hurt the retention qualities of the leather. I know you are trying to use oil to salvage a dry holster, but In my opinion, once the edges turn up like that it's too late. You could probably still make the holster look good, but you have most likely killed its service life. Try diluting your dye with 97% Isopropyl Alcohol instead.

Cool! I always like hearing the crazy tools that leather workers come up with to do build their gear. If the customers only knew.....

I am pretty partial to Linhanyl Bonded Nylon, myself. I use 277 top and bottom for all of my holsters. I would probably switch to 346 for the top thread if I were to make a western holster.

Wouldn't you like to know.... JK! It is used in the presses that some holster makers use to form holsters.