BOOMSTICKHolsters

I've upgraded to an unused "holster garbage bag". When I have made it all the way to an unused "holster bin" I'll consider myself a real pro! :D

A lot of folks think it's harder, but I just think it's different. I actually really like working with horsehide. I wish it wasn't such a pain to get it.

Sorry, Warren. No such thing . I drive to springfield Leather about once a month to buy "horse butts". Some times I go home with several, and sometimes I walk away empty handed. The quality is always hit or miss. You can order horse butts on line as well, but I prefer paying more to pick them out in person. The really fun part is finding them long enough to make belts. WOOHOO!!! Go ahead and try some horsehide next time. Just remember when it comes to boning the leather that it is an entirely different "animal" than cow hide (pun intended).

Hi Dave. I like the sheath a lot, but I REALLY like the knife. Kind of looks like a Loveless knife. Nice work on both!

Lining makes a smoother draw and still gives more surface contact with the gun (which minimizes wear over time), if you use a smooth faced leather. When considering materrials to use, I don't like pig skin, and I really don't like suade. Pig skin is often too clingy, which defeats the purpose, plus some folks don't realize they should only use veg tanned and bad stuff can happen to a blued gun this way. Suade is usually added to give the holster a softer contact with the gun, but reallistically, suade just ends up holding more dirt and grit in and eventually can wear the finish off faster than a non-lined holster. I always line exotic holsters, either with cow or horse hide. For what you want to do, it makes sense to use lining. You can also accomplish the same thing just sewing an extra layer over the metal, so it's really up to you. If you do decide to use lining, remember to stitch the lining in everywhere along the edges, or eventually the material will try to separate from the stress of re-holstering.

This is the most fun I've had reading a thread in quite a while! Sign me up for the next 1911 give away! usmc0341, you should probably spread the loops farther apart for one thing. Also, if you add more material below and behind the holster you add stability and surface area, which makes it more cofortable. You might also consider rasing the loop placement (but make sure you're not obstructing your grip when you do it). The reasoning behind this is that you have a pistol with a short barrel riding high, so the weight of the loaded magazine tends to make the pisol want to lean out, which also makes the barrel end want to press in. After a while that is no fun. To summarize, give it a little more support and spread the pressure over a wider area and you will have a more comfortable IWB rig.

I'm not a big fan of pig skin lining, personally. If you're going to use it, make sure it's not chrome tanned or it may urt the finish of your firearm. The only cowboy style holster I ever made, I used two layers of 6/7 oz back to back, and it turned out beautifully. There are several others on this forum that have a lot more experience with classic rigs than me, so hopefully one of them will chime in.

I think they look pretty good! You might consider using a dowell rod for a sight channel in future holsters, but you may not find that necessary. The stitch is a little close to the belt slot on the glock holster, but I have been known to do the same thing on occasion. Over all, I say nice work. They look clean and well designed. Keep posting your holsters as you complete them.

Yep. I've been there. I have a whole garbage bag full of mistackes. I use the bad holsters to try new finishing techniques or other new ideas. It's just part of the territory. Try making someone a custom exotic rig for a rare pistol and remembering upon delivery that they are left handed. That's been my favorite mistake so far......

Man, that is a beautiful sheath! You do some excellent work. How long have you been working leather? I would love it if you could explain your edging process (I'm kind of obsessed with edges right now). Keep posting pics of your outstanding leather work!

Nice job. You're really starting to get the hang of this stuff. I look forward to your next post. Oh, and BTW, nice Kimber!

WOOHOO! It's done. I've been waiting to see how this one was gonna turn out. It really is a unique spin on a classic design. I think that's your best one so far, Jordan.

Hey Randyc, you're really coming along. This is much smoother looking than the last holster. BTW, in my experience with the Artisan (which admittedly is not much), the stitch length only changes when you are taking the curve too fast , which allows the foot to slip, or if you are going extremely slow and turning the material when the needle is not burried in leather.

WOW!! You could herd cattle with those just by walking into the field and scaring them to the other direction. Those are wild. Nice job. I am a little disturbed by freak's admission though....church and city hall?

Thanks again guys. You're too kind . BM, I only use the customer's pistol when I do custom work locally, and then I do everything by hand. Otherwise, I use dummy guns (preferably aluminum, but also plastic and very hard rubber models when necessary) to mold my holsters, and press them before I bone them. There are traditionalists that don't like that, but the truth of the matter is it saves time and makes a superior product. I prefer dummies because I am pretty hard on them when shaping the holster. As for pointers, check out the holster section here and you will find some real jewels of information from some of the posters. As for longevity, my mom recently showed me a holster I made eight or nine years ago that is still holding it's shape, so that's something (but to be honest it hasn't been under every day usage). Sizing the leather correctly comes down to practice and then experience, and I still make mistakes. I typcally make the holsters very tight, so the customer can break them in to the point of their preference. Concerning metal, I add it to reinforce the holsters on the customer's request. superchute, did you honestly think someone would go around packing a pachyderm?

Thanks guys for the replies, and to the OP for letting me hi-jack your thread for a moment. I am not the best maker by far, and there are some folks on here who could definitely show me a thing or two. That having been said, I have considered making a video showing how I mold my holsters cause there just isn't really anything out there for folks to learn to bone modern holsters (or at least nothing I have seen, so if you know of one, please point me in the right direction). I've even spoken with a local that shoots hunting videos for a living about the cost of filming and all that fun stuff. Figthnbullrider, post some pics when you get some examples to show us. I'll bet someone on here can help critique and instruct you on how to improve your efforts.

I assume you two (wildirishrose and Billsotx) are talking about Nelson and Bianchi? If so, what a fortunate opportunity to spend a little time with the guys that pioneered our trade. It would be great if you guys could share a little about your experiences with us, if you ever get the time. To the OP, get some scrap and practice a bunch, until you're happy with the looks. I try to remember one thing when it comes to molding: less is more. The more I mess around with trying to improve my boning, the less the holster looks clean and professional.

Nice job, and beautiful color! Keep building holsters and post some more pics.

Howdy, John. Welcome to the forum! That's some beautiful work there. I would say it's enough to make Crockett or Tubbs jealous . Kayak15 - Yep, it is cocked (and locked), as that particular pistol was designed to be. Until the safety is deactivated you can't even rack the slide on that beautiful pistol. Correct me if I'm wrong, thewildirishrose. Oops- looked at the picture again and noticed it was a single stack! I thought it was a Hi-Power since I didn't notice a grip safety. It is still designed to be cocked and locked, though. Again, that's some great work!

I got my maker's stamp from Springfield Leather for $45. It's the one I used to make my avatar. I hear there is a guy making custom polymer stamps for a very reasonable price, but I liked the fact that this one is made of metal.

The throat and the tunnel loop are one piece, sanded down to a lighter weight where there is trunk on top of it.

If you're talking about blue guns, I would say the Springfield 5" 1911a1 C&L, the Glock 17, and the Springfield XD9. They are some of the most popular models, and they can also be used to make holsters for the smaller versions of the same gun if you are familiar with the other guns' dimensions.

For the record, this is made of elephant leather; it is not a device for carrying your elephant :D . I built this holster to order for a customer's new Sig P229 Elite (lucky fella). The body is ear (to my knowledge) and the throat is trunk. The base material is horsehide. I decided a little while ago the next time I made an exotic holster I would post it on here and see what you all think. Constructive criticisms welcome. Thanks for looking.

Cool. How does it carry? Also, let us know how you ended up with the right pattern. I'm always interested in how other people do things.

I like botach.com . They are quick to ship and usually pretty fair on their prices.