kschmadeka

I just added a mold for the Colt 1908 Vest Pocket. Holsters for this gun sell a lot better than I expected them to. There's some other new molds too since last posting. https://www.kevinsconcealment.com/products/holster-molds

Thanks for all the tips, it looks like rivets are the way to go.

I'll try asking in shoe repair shops and see what they have to show me. I did this prototype by hand but won't be doing that for production. Riveting is on the table too if I don't find a machine solution first.

Thanks, that could be a solution if I can find the right machine for it. I might be making a lot of these so sewing by hand isn't really an option.

I need a machine that will sew straight down a channel that's about 3/4" wide. I assume I need a shoe patcher machine but the only one I've seen in person so far was an inch wide at the end at least. It has to sew through two layers of 6-7 oz leather and preferably with a good heavy thread. Any suggestions for machines I should look at, or alternatives?

UPDATE ON DUMMY GUNS I no longer have the site at kevinsgunmolds.com but have now put them all in a listing on my regular holster site. You can now find these at: https://www.kevinsconcealment.com/products/holster-molds Lots of new models that no one else has and I'm now using the same plastic as Cook's Gun Molds. If they don't start selling more I might be dropping this side business though.

I realize I'm late to this conversation but thought I'd post my stiffening process that I use for my wallet holsters. Of course the holsters I make are a simple flat leather flap so anything fancier might need some adjustments to the process. I don't remember where I saw it, but in searching for info on stiffening I read about how a combination of soaking and heat will cause the oils in veg-tanned leather to break down under heat and then resolidify as it cools into a harder more plastic-like substance, stiffening the leather. So here's the process that works for what I do. First, dye the leather with professional oil dye. Other dye's won't work as well. Let the dye dry for at least a day so it's fully dry. Preheat your oven to about 250 degrees. Have a large cookie sheet inside with some kind of pine wood rack to hang your leather on (but don't preheat the rack too much before use.) Soak the leather in warm water for five minutes and do the wet-forming. Put it in the oven on its rack and watch it closely. It takes 8 to 12 minutes depending on the thickness of the leather and brand. The tricky part here is that the point where it's properly stiffened is not long before the point where it's ruined. So practice on scraps, see how long it takes for them to wrinkle up, and plan on adjusting your heat and time so it can cook about 10 minutes without frying. If you see any wrinkling, grab it out and you might still be able to save it, but ideally there won't be any. After it's cooked, take it out and clamp it into some type of molding device to hold the shape while it cools and the plastic substance forms. After it's cooled, hang it up to air dry, which usually takes about a day, or less if you use heat or a fan. The most frequent complaint about my wallet holsters is that they're too stiff, and I keep having to explain that they have to be made that way to work right. This process also makes leather a lot more cut-resistant, so I think it would work great for leather armor too.

The only revolvers I have are the NAA .22 revolvers. I'll get some pics taken soon.

I've just got my new gun mold site up and running, you can see it at: www.kevinsgunmolds.com For a while I've been selling white plastic gun molds that were not the best. They worked, though the plastic wasn't the best for this purpose, it was just what I was using for other purposes and had on hand. I've started using Polytek 15-3, a dense and durable slow-cure mineral filled plastic with some of the lowest shrinkage there is. A vacuum degassing chamber is used to keep bubbles to a minimum. I've also improved my mold-making skills and now can offer quality gun molds. The amount of time required to make these is a lot greater but I'm keeping the price to $35 each. If you buy three you get one free, just tell me which one you want. My model line is limited right now because I'm remaking a lot of my old molds. Below is a list of what's currently available. If you need one that's not on this list you can ask to be notified. Most all of what I make is in the pocket gun category, because that's what I make holsters for. Every model with a trigger guard is available filled or unfilled. Guns with thin trigger guards have the guards thickened on the inside, in a way that you can easily dremel out the thickening if your application requires it. Kevin Schmadeka www.kevinsconcealment.com www.kevinsgunmolds.com Beretta 21A Beretta 3032 Cobra Standard Cobra Big Bore Cobra Long Bore DB9 DB9 CTL G42 G42 CTLR G42 CTLG G42 ARMA TR5 G43 G43 CTLG G43 CTLR G43 ARMA TR5 G17/22 G19/23 NAA 22LLR NAA PUG NAA 22M NAA Sidewinder Phoenix HP22 Ruger LCP Ruger LCP DS122 Ruger LCP Vir R5 Seecamp Taurus TCP Taurus TCP CTL

I have a recently patented wallet-style holster invention that I'm currently making and selling myself, albeit without the benefit of being an actual master leather craftsman. They look decent, but not like they were made by a real manufacturer, and that's making it hard to get attention from retailers or distributors. So I'm looking for a holster maker in my area to work with who can help. First I need to get my product shelf-ready, so I need someone who has experience with that. Then once I have some samples in hand I can approach retailers and distributors. When I get bulk orders, the manufacturer/s I work with can do the production. My holster uses a simple leather outer flap with a plastic retainer inside, which you can see it on my site, and I can use help with making both the leather and the plastic retainer look professionally-made. If you're in my general area and would like to work with me on this please get in touch. Kevin Schmadeka www.kevinsconcealment.com Puyallup, WA

I have the LCP/Lasermax, and the Bond Arms Backup 2.5" barrel, and Texas Defender 3" barrel. If I can find a 3.5" barrel to borrow I'll add the Century 2000.

Easiest way to buy them is just order them on my site, right now it would be $46.50 for both of them shipped. You can also buy them from Rob at Bluegunstore under the Private Label Molds section. I only work with pocket pistols so wouldn't be able to use the 24-7. Kevin www.kevinsconcealment.com I'm thinking about adding the Diamondback DB 380, with and without a CT laserguard, but want to know if there's any interest before pouring goo all over my carry gun. Would anyone buy that model?

On my site it's $21.50 plus 3.50 shipping, making it $25 for one. I haven't figured out how to change shipping charges for different items on the site yet, after I do they'll be listed at a flat $25 shipping included.

Just an update, I've added a few models and have 12 total now. The new ones are are: LCP/No Laser Bond Arms Texas Defender 3" barrel Colt Mustang Colt Mustang/Lasermax They are all on my site at www.kevinsconcealment.com/product/blue-ish-guns/ for $25, shipping included. Rob is also selling them now at the Bluegunstore under "private label molds".

I make wallet holsters for pocket pistols, and have to use either the right gun or bluegun for each model. Since they don't make every model I need I've started making my own for models I can't find elsewhere. And like other people in this boat, since I've gone to the trouble of making the mold I might as well sell the dummy guns too. I sell mine for $20, shipping included. They might be either gray/red, or solid white, depending on what plastic I have laying around. I'm not an expert mold maker and they're not all pretty, but they're sturdy and perfectly good for holster making. Here's where they are: http://kevinsconcealment.com/product/blue-ish-guns And here's the models I have now: Bond Arms Backup 2.5" barrel LCP/Lasermax LCP/Viridian NAA Guardian DB9 DB9/CT Laserguard Taurus TCP Taurus TCP/CT Laserguard Also on that page is a list of models I'd like to borrow guns/components for so I can add those models.