BOOMSTICKHolsters

They are notorious for that kind of service.

Denster, I managed to get pics of one holster before my camera died. I don't try for a lot of detail with IWB holsters because I think it is counter productive, but I still showed the lines that I boned after getting detail from the press. The top two are of the front and back of the holster right after I pulled it out of the press, and the bottom two are after I boned the lines to tighten the fit of the holster.

If you have a bad feeling about it, there is probably a good reason. Here are my thoughts on the matter: I would refuse to make any changes once the construction of the holster has begun. Some folks can't make up their minds as long as you give them leeway. Make sure they realize that they are paying for your time and experience at developing a working design as much as they are paying for the time and materials involved in the construction of the project. It also wouldn't be a bad idea to get a non-refundable down payment for any custom work you take on. If you take money down, people are less likely to stiff you since it will cost them something if they don't keep their agreement. Also be aware that some people will even contract custom work and balk at the price when it is time to pay, sighting any excuse they can muster (even complaining about a design feature that was their own idea, which you tried to talk them out of). They know it will be difficult for you to sell the work to anyone else because of the customized design, and with that in mind, they try to pressure you to take less than you agreed on so you can recoup as much as possible. Taking money down can help that situation too, since it will weed out most of the swindlers from the get go, and the rest of the time you can at least cover your material costs (and a portion of the time spent building the project). If an agreement can't be reached and a payment made before the job begins, don't take on custom work. It has cost me dearly to learn those lessons the hard way, and that is one of the biggest contributing reasons that my lead time has gotten out of hand. If you're gonna do custom orders, get paid what it is worth and protect your interests or it will cost you down the road.

Beretta 92 is sold.

Hey folks. I am in the process of phasing out holster offerings for certain guns so I can specialize, which means I am selling some of my dummy guns. A few of these casts have never even been used after the initial clean-up, and some only used once. I have just decided to change directions with my business so I won't be using some that I originally planned to (my loss is your gain). All aluminum models have gone through a clean-up process where any extra material [that would be detrimental to making holsters] was removed, and a sight rail was welded into place for molding holsters to accommodate front sight clearance during the draw. Each cast has machine shop time invested, so they are a bargain at the offered price. Blue Guns: Taurus 24/7 like new/never used, no paint, (no sight rail) - $34 shipped Colt Commander 4.25" bbl hammer down/safety off config., used, no paint, sight rail installed - $30 shipped Beretta 92, used, hogue grips and sight rail installed - $30 shipped Duncan's Customs*: Taurus Judge 2.5" chamber, 3" bbl, never used, sight rail installed - $60 shipped Taurus PT145 (1st gen W/O rails), used, sight rail installed - $60 shipped Smith & Wesson 325 PD, used, hammer removed, sight rail installed - $55 shipped Smith & Wesson SW99 Compact, used, sight rail installed - $60 shipped Smith & Wesson Model 39*(NLETC cast, not Duncan's), used, sight rail installed - $55 shipped Hi-Point C9, used, sight rail installed - $50 shipped Smith & Wesson SW1911 hammerdown/safety off config., never used, sight rail installed - $60 shipped Kimber Pro TLE/RL II 4"bbl w/accessory rail hammerdown/safety off config., used, sight rail installed - $60 shipped There is a good chance I will be offering other models up for sale in the future as I fill orders and no longer need them. Shipping costs will be included in the price only if shipped to the lower 48 states. If you have any questions, please let me know and I'll do my best to answer them.

I can't answer for Denster's specific reasons, but both of those pistols are single action, meaning if there is a round in the chamber, the hammer must be back and the safety must be on. To decock the hammer on a live round is folly; any drop safeties would be bypassed, and it is risky to manipulate the hammer manually. Carrying without a round in the chamber is a tactical mistake; it will severely limit the user's ability to respond in a safe and timely manner in some situations which might mean the difference between life and death. It isn't a stupid question at all, Tkleather1. There is no inherent danger in a cocked pistol - only in poorly trained or negligent people. Denster, it looks to me like there are positives and negatives to both methods. The basic shape comes through enough to find the lines and chase them with a boning tool when using a vacuum bag, so it looks like it is deffinitely a viable option. I do think that more detail is exposed with a press, which might be beneficial if you didn't plan to bone the leather further. It looks like the vacuum bag forming method might yield "cleaner" results in some cases, as the possibility of over compressing the leather exists with a press if one is not careful (not to mention breaking a dummy gun if there is a fault in the material...ERRRRR). Time involved and preperation seems to be comparable with either method. I will try to get some better pictures taken today to show the detail exposed in a press without boning.

Bronson pretty well hit the nail on the head. After you're satisfied with the boning, "temper" the holster in an oven at 110 to 120 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. Remove the holster and re-edge it if necessary, then apply an acrylic finish (or whatever you use to protect the holster). Let it set in front of a fan on the highest setting over night and you will have a stiff, tight holster that is ready for the break in process.

When you do use veg tanned leather to make your sheaths, try using oil or leather conditioner to soften the leather. While it is a no go for holsters, it is just fine for sheaths. To my knowledge, Robert Loveless uses veg tanned leather and dips it in a neatsfoot oil and wax combination for his sheaths. I really like Lexol or Bick 4 as a leather conditioner for belts, and I would bet it will work to soften a sheath as well. Sometimes you have to encourage your customers to be realistic about what they are asking for. The knife is going to be a lot harder than cardboard anyhow, and they sure won't want it flopping around because you used leather that was too soft for the application. If the common sense approach doesn't fly, remind them that Jim Bowe and Daniel Boone got along just fine with veg tanned or brain tanned leather.

The front of the holsters with the snaps and the clips are rough out. They are sanded (but not pasted) Hermann Oak leather. The back of the holsters with belt slots are rough out, and they are sanded, pasted, and plated leather from Wickett & Craig. Both finishes get rid of the scruffiness and unevenness on the flesh side of the leather (how's that for technical terms?), leaving the cleaner look that you see on the holsters shown above. The difference is, the sanded only will have a little more aggressive finish which means more friction, and therefore less movement. That is one of the reasons I chose it for IWB (or Inside the WaistBand) holsters, as apposed to the pasted flesh leather. When making holsters in the more traditional way, the pasted flesh will put a smoother finish against the pistol, reducing wear and improving aesthetics. If you are selling holsters for a living, it is worth it in my opinion to spend the extra money on leather with mossed or pasted flesh. I actually really like the textured look of rough out holsters, and I have considered even making my belt holsters rough out. Forum member Billsotx makes some gorgeous rough out holsters that really make me want to play with the idea more. For now I just need to get caught up before I think about anything else.

Typically, yes.

JamesR, to answer your question to the best of my knowledge, if you are certain it is 100% veg tanned, you should be good to go. TwinOaks, I know that wasn't what you were referring to. I just thought my post was somewhat relevant to the thread. I agree with your assessment on the use of the rough side. That is how I construct my IWB holsters: I even use it on my belt holsters:

Duncan's Customs has the Thunder .380 in stock right now if their flier is accurate.

Thanks for the pics, Denster. It looks like your method cleanly exposes the lines of the gun, so it would work for the way I do things. How long does it take to accomplish those results? Here is a thread with a quick and dirty tutorial on using a press that shows one instance of what you're asking for. I'll try to get some more pictures for you if my camera will cooperate.

Something to keep in mind: the vast majority of suede is chrome tanned, so that is a no go as well (not to mention it makes a lousy lining for holsters that will see real use).

Could we see some pics of your results? I have heard of this before, but I've never seen the results. Thanks!

I may give it a try and see what comes of it. As I said in a recent e-mail, I have tried everything up to dancing around my burnishing wheel on a full moon and chanting just to get a decent edge...

I have used glycerine (sp?) soap to smooth edges. I was happy with the way it looked, but I could scrape the edge with just a scratch of my finger nail (as is the case with water and a wood burnishing wheel, gum trag, etc. unless you take extra precautions). The way I finish edges now takes forever, but they can take a pretty good beating before they show wear. How does the Neutrogena hand soap hold up to abbuse? Any idea if it's an oil based product or not? I'm guessing not since it is supposed to clean your skin, but I'm curious as to how it affects the leather, how much in penetrates the surface, etc.. Any info you can give i much appreciated. Oh, and pictures of your edges would be awesome! Thanks, Hobby Tom. I have used glycerine (sp?) soap to smooth edges. I was happy with the way it looked, but I could scrape the edge with just a scratch of my finger nail (as is the case with water and a wood burnishing wheel, gum trag, etc. unless you take extra precautions). The way I finish edges now takes forever, but they can take a pretty good beating before they show wear. How does the Neutrogena hand soap hold up to abbuse? Any idea if it's an oil based product or not? I'm guessing not since it is supposed to clean your skin, but I'm curious as to how it affects the leather, how much in penetrates the surface, etc.. Any info you can give i much appreciated. Oh, and pictures of your edges would be awesome! Thanks, Hobby Tom.

Hey Brinyar. I'm not gonna pretend to know half as much as these guys about dust collection. I plan to use one of the collection systems from Grizzly (which is here in MO) when/if I ever get a shop built. My priority is to keep my products clean and dust free to avoid any issues with scratching or imprinting, and to keep dust out of the finish. I will most definitely look into the information above, and I might possibly change my priorities accordingly. Sinus infections most definitely suck! Hope you're doing better.

I am pretty convince there are as many ways to burnish edges as there are quirky pre-game rituals in professional sports, and I'll bet half of them are just as odd. The burnishing machine looks like as good a place to start as any, and the link Denstar provided is a good option as well. A lot of it will depend on the kind of work you are doing. When I am making a black holster, or a brown holster with black edges, a felt wheel works great. If I need to make a holster where the edges match the rest of the finish, I spray the edge with water, run it on a wood burnisher similar to the one shown in the linked thread above, wax it with natural beeswax, rub it down with a polishing cloth, and paint it with resolene. It's probably gonna take a lot of experimentation to find a way that suits you, but keep at it and you'll get there.

I think you di a beautiful job on both the knife, and the sheath. Great work!

The problem is, the compatibility list is somewhat subjective. One of us might think a S&W 910 fits fine in a 59 series holster, while another might contest that because we believe it doesn't fit properly. A lot of it depends on how you build and design your holsters. I use separate molds for the 5", 4 1/4", and 4" 1911 models. It looks like Lobo uses the same thing for all of them. I know of some makers that even use a 1911 mold for Browning Hi Power holsters, and that just plain drives me crazy. The Glock, XD, and M&P cross compatibilities are fairly obvious, but several other types are up for debate. *sigh* Nothing ever seems simple when it comes to holster making...

The most common pistols I make orders for: 1911's of various bbl lengths with a C&L safety - Get a Colt cast if possible, as some of the other 1911 manufacturers have oversized dust covers that will cause you problems. Ultimately shoot for 5", 4 1/4", 4", 3 1/2", and 3" bbl lengths. Glocks of all variants (the semi compacts being the most common) - Cross-compatibility being 17/22/31, 19/23/32, 26/27, 29/30/30SF, 20/21/21SF, 34/35, and by their selves 21SF-P, 36, 37, 38, and 39. Smith and Wesson M&P Series - The 9 and 40 models will be the same size in their various configurations. The 45 will be in a class by itself. If you can, get dummy guns with a frame mounted safety in the up position whenever it is offered, as this will work with the non safety models as well. There are various bbl length versions of these pistols, but the most common sizes for orders to me has been the full size and Compact 9 or 40. Springfield XD and XDM Series - Cross compatibility being XD9/40/357, XD9c/40c, XD45/45c, XD9/40 Tactical, and the XD45 Tactical. The XDM 9 and 40 models are compatible as well. You should be able to buy straight from Rings if you sell holsters professionally(get the models without paint on them). I also have a few dummy guns I have extras of, or I am going to sell. Shoot me a PM if your interested.

Denster, I have never personally run into the terminal leather squeaking problem, but was made aware of it on a forum post when someone couldn't get the squeaking to stop no matter what they tried. I spent all evening trying to find the thread, but I can't seem to recall where it was. Some of the best in the business commented on it, and I took their word for it. There are a lot of small nuances in holster making that might seem unnecessary to the construction of a holster, but that may mean a whole lot in the long run. I haven't been making holsters nearly as long as some, but I try to heed the advice of the makers who's work I admire the most and emulte their production processes to the best of my ability. On the Super glue: I'm not too sure how well it would work or not. I would be afraid that if it weakened in one point, it would act as a "hinge" and be predisposed to cracking in that spot after repeated bending. This is purely speculation on my part, as I have never tried superglue in the way you are suggesting. I would imagine that even if it did work well, it would get to be expensive consideringthe amount of product you would have to go through. I would just as soon use a piece of stainless steel to back the thumb strap and call it done, but I tend to stay with proven methods unless there is a clear and obvious advantage to switching. Basically, if you want to give it a try please let us know how it works! Concerning the process you mentioned for bow making, I would love to see a step by step pictorial of that if you wouldn't mind sharing how you do that in more detail. It sounds really interesting, and I would love to see some pics of results you have achieved with it. I can't think of exactly where to apply it to holster making, but grips and such would be a possibility and it just plan sounds cool.

I really like the color. I would love to see it in person.

I like it! How easy/hard is it to get your hand between the grip and the back panel? I've seen this kind of rig before, but I've never used one. Congratulations on getting a website up and running. I hope you do well with it.