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Thanks for the info gentlemen. Dwight - you do some great work! Gene

As a general rule, do most leathercrafters stain and seal the flesh side/inside of belts or leave completely natural. I've hunted around the forum quite a bit and it seems there's no generally accepted way of doing it. My short leather crafting career thus far has been muzzleloader possibles bags and holsters, and I was figuring belts would be pretty straight forward but I'm finding out they're not necessarily. Just my opinion, but I'm thinking stained and sealed, or possibly even lined with a 2-3 oz strap of cowhide or other lining leather would look best but I really don't know for sure. I bought the Stohlman book Belts Galore but there isn't much info on lining or finishing the inside. In the section on dying belts black it states to be careful not to get dye on the backside of the belt so maybe that implies the flesh side should be left natural. If anyone can point me in the right direction I'd certainly appreciate it. Thanks, Gene

Man, that's really super-fantastic! I hope to be able to do that one day. Great work!

Bob - I don't have the jar in front of me but if I remember correctly it said to apply both surfaces together when tacky. I'm not sure how long they'll stay tacky but I'll find out tonight when I give it another go. Worse case scenario is they'll dry before I'm ready to put the pieces together and I'll just have to re-apply a little quicker. Or I'll try your technique of using a spray on adhesive. Which brand are you using?

Thanks Dwight. It was dry after I applied it on the last holster but I think I didn't coat some spots good enough. I just don't want to wait until it's too dry. I guess that's the $64,000 question - how long before it's too long? I guess I'm splitting hairs but I'm thinking by the time I coat both surfaces and wait 10 minutes or so should be ok.

Its Tanners Bond Craftsman Contact Cement sold at Tandy Leather.

I'm in the process of making my second lined holster. When I made the first holster I was in a bit of hurry to put the liner and cowhide together for fear the contact cement would dry before I assembled the two pieces. That didn't happen but some of the areas around the edges could have had a better application of cement and I ended up having to re-do a few corners. Now I'm on my second lined holster and I want to do a better job. I'm using Tanners Bond Craftsman Contact Cement, the small 8 oz can with the small brush attached to the lid. I'm debating getting the Cement Keeper Alco Teflon Pot which I believe has a larger brush so I can apply the contact cement quicker. My question: how long after you apply the contact cement to the cowhide and liner do you have to put the two pieces together before the cement dries? If you have a good 10 + minutes I'll stick with the can of cement I have (no pun intended) and take my time to get a good application. Otherwise I'll get a bigger pot and bigger brush to expedite the process. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Gene

Thanks Gents - appreciate the info. I'll just pick up the tool tomorrow so I can use both screw back and rivet type. I've got a few of each type. I tend to go overboard on tools, per my wife anyway, so I didn't want to buy something that wasn't necessary. Gene

Roger that Bill - thanks for the tip.

I'm thinking about using a Sam Brown 1/2" button and washer (Tandy #8112-00) instead of a snap on my next hunting holster strap and was wondering if any specialized tools are necessary to set the button. The website says to use stud anvil #3779-05 but it looks like you can simply lay the bottom in a regular anvil and tap the top with a hard plastic or rubber mallet to set. Anyone have any experience with these? Thanks, Gene

I'm thinking about installing a solid brass Sam Brown 1/2" button and washer (Tandy 1309-01) for my next hunting holster strap rather than a snap because the button/washer is a lot quieter when opening. I saw on the Tandy website it says to set with #8112-00 stud anvil, which I don't have. Can you just simply place the washer/bottom on an anvil and tap the top with a hard plastic mallet without damaging the button? I've never used a button rivet before so any info would be appreciated. Thanks, Gene

Gosh, your filler holster looks exceptionally good - outstanding job! That's what I hope to be able to do someday. Gene

Thanks for the info Twin Oaks and JS. I went ahead and cut the pattern with a 3/4" border and I'll cut the filler 1/2" per the book. I'll see how everything fits and I can always trim it back if it's too loose I'm figuring. Better to start with it too long than too short. Gene

I'm a new forum member and just getting back into leatherworking after about 10 years or so. I'm interested in making holsters because I don't like being limited to the generic holsters on the market. Some of them are pretty good but I have a lot invested in single action revolvers and want to give them the best care and protection I can. As a result, I'm in the process of designing a holster for a Ruger Single Six with a 6 1/2" barrel, and tentatively decided to go with something similar to what's in the Al Stohlman Holsters book on page 32 but without the tooling since I'm not that far along yet. I've always been paranoid of the blueing wearing off revolvers when using tight fitting commercial holsters so I thought about making a holster with a liner, but then after thinking about it more I decided to go with a full length filler, possibly with an end plug. Assuming I go this route, per the Al Stohlman book on page 12, the filler width should be 1/2", whereas on page 2 it says to cut your template 3/4" from the edges of the revolver. I believe you only extend the pattern 1/2" from the ends when using a filler since there won't be as much tension on the ends correct? Or, should you still cut the pattern 3/4" from the ends? I'm pretty sure it's just 1/2" when using a single filler since the width of the holster should decrease as the filler width increases (to a point). Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Gene