RVM45

Guys, I've finally started buying materials, so that I can actually start Holster making. Got the Stohlman Holster book; and the pattern book on order. When my next monthly check comes; I'm going to order a big piece of leather. Okay, here is my problem... This is a bit embarassing to say--I weigh about 450 pounds; and have about a 56" Waist. I would really like to reduce; but in the meantime, I'd like to make some Gunbelts that fit me. Of course none of the Belt blanks are large enough. It is a rare piece of leather that has a straightaway long enough for a belt for me. Can I use the 2" Latigo straps to make an "External" gunbelt? Can two shorter pieces of leather be sucessfully spliced together to make a belt? Also, I really liked the pants belt the other day, where a slightly narrower strrip was stitched on top of a wider one... Yes, I remember now, that was "Lobo's" Belt. At any rate, can two Latigo strips be used to make the Lobo belt? If I were feeling lazy, could I buy a new belt, and stitch the narrower reinforcing strip on it myself? Anythig else y'all can tell me about belts in General; or Jumbo; Super-Sized belts in particular? .....RVM45

Guys I came across these neat flat springs. Working in a pair; they are supposed to hold purses shut. (They're 3.5".) http://www.leatherunltd.com/hardware/findings/GA0806.jpg Could they be used to hold an empty holster ( generally Inside the Waistband) mouth open for reholstering? It wouldn't reach all the way around the mouth, but if bent into a "U" and sandwiched between two layers of leather, and centered on the top midline of the pistol... Shouldn't it tend to force the lips open? What do y'all think? .....RVM45

Well, on second thought--cattle blood thoroughly suffuses the meat; hide; and vital organs of live cattle. Although bled; there is always a residue in any meat. Blood is a time-tested ingrediant in blood-sausage; and other ethnic dishes( Try Watching Andrew Zimmer Sometime). Some folks like to drink an occasional mug of warm bull's blood. Slaughterhouse workers spend much of every day wrist-deep in the stuff. Very few, if any of them ever get any blood-bourne zoonotic infections. Ever hear of brain-tanned hides? Well now, what's the difference in "Brain-Tanned" and "Blood Stained"? Ever hear of tempera paints? They made them in the old days, out of pigment and raw eggs. Sound like a breeding ground for salmonella? Well some of those old masterpieces were painted with egg tempera paints centuries ago. Neither dried blood; nor dried egg tempera has much in common with its liquid aspect. Sides, I was going to experiment on leather for my own use... When I worked in the slaughterhouses, blood was considered "Clean"; but if we butchered a lactating animal; we were instructed to treat any milk that got on anything; exactly as if it were pus. Is unpasturized milk as nasty as pus? Not as a general rule; but it can be. Yet no one would be offended at the idea of treating leather with milk... I really don't care--but it seems some people are responding with a disportionate amount of distaste... Vegan Leather Workers??? .....RVM45

A thoroughly reasonable objection that I hadn't considered... .....RVM45

Originally I asked this on the tail end of the Coffee thread. No one answered--but maybe no one saw it buried behind all those other posts. Working maintenance in a slaghterhouse; I came close to cutting the tips off two fingers. Bled quite freely. Bled all over my leather tool pouch. Several years later, the light gray leather is still a rich chochlate brown where the blood soaked in and stained it. Many slaughterhouses willl sell you five gallons; or so, of defibrinated blood. People use it to make blood sausage; or catfish bait. They might not even charge you; if its a small plant; and you're a good customer. .....RVM45

Speaking of natural dies--anyone ever try staining leather with blood? I cut myself pretty good at work a few years ago. Bled all over my Leather tool bag. Several years later; the blood stained areas are still a rich brown. {Slaughterhouses will be happy to defibrinate and save five gallons or so for you. If you're a regular customer, they may not even charge you. If you don't want them to think you're a Vampire--tell them its for BloodSausage, or that you're making Catfish bait.} .....RVM45

That is it. Sorry, didn't realise that we had a failure to communicate. I remember reading that Chapman had it designed with the extensive metal reinforcement primarily because in travelling to shooting matches all over the country, his holsters got mangled in the suitcases. The holster was very hard, and incompressible from just about any angle. I never took mine apart--so I'm unsure how many pieces of metal were used, and how the fitted together. That top right brass screw adjusted the tension. You could set it from fairly loose; up to all but impossible to draw. If you looked on the inside when it was very tight, you could see the ouline of something square under the leather--about 1"x2". Can't think of anything to add--except that it occrs to me that my goal was to make a holster like the Chapman High Ride; not necessarily to recreate it down to the precise counter of the metal lining... .....RVM45

Bump!!! All these weeks, and still not a single response... I know that many of you are quite gifted and knowledgible. That leaves me wondering if what I asked is that impossibly difficult and obscure... Or if I failed to make myself understood... If something about my manner of asking was offensive... Or maybe my post was overlooked through mere happenstance? At any rate, I'll try one more time. Does anyone have any idea how to go about making a home made copy of the old "Chapman High Ride"? I'm mainly perplexed as to the exact shape/placement of the metal inserts... Thanks. .....RVM45

Glocks have polymer frames. You can't Nickle the frame; nor can you put custom grips on it. It is a mass issue weapon for people who have not been taught to view their sidearm as a more perfect embodiment of the self... i.e.--To them ; a Gun is just a gun... This is a Soldier's; rather than a Warrior's Philosophy. As Bruce said; it is a brick. I always thought there should be a catch-all term for pistol-like objects that would be personal weapons--if only they'd been BRIGHT Nickeled (or bright chromed; blued; Golded; brass plated--anything SHINY--I'm fairly broadminded...) .....RVM45

I would argue that a plastic Gun doesn't deserve a custom made leather holster--or any kind of leather for that matter. A nylon or plastic holster is good enough for it. What have we come to? Keyholes in Smith and Wessons; Firing Pin Locks in Colt "1911's" {1911's no longer...} Corn Syrup in our Cokes; and plastic bottles around them... It is just a sad old world; and getting sadder... Oh yeah, plastic and rubber grips; synthetic rifle stocks... .....RVM45

.....Guys I'm new at this. Please tell me what a "Clicker" is. .....Thanks. .....RVM45

.....One of my favorite holsters of all time was the Chapman High-Ride. It was touted as a match holster; though I see nothing wrong with it for Duty or Field use. .....Be that as it may. Bianchi doesn't make them anymore. .....I'm sure it was a fairly complicated holster to make. It had a massive steel insert; an adjustable tension screw; and a couple other brass screws. .....I'm reasonably sure that I need to practice on a few simpler holsters first. I'm sure though that I'd like to try one eventually. I have a Bull-Barreled Ruger Mark II; and a Walther PP .32 that I'd very much like to have Chapman style holsters for. .....I think that the design could probably be adapted to Revolvers as well. .....Can anyone show me how they were made? The precise shape of the metal insert/inserts? Etc.etc. .....RVM45

.....Do any of you remember the Spark's "Sixpacks". He'd make them to carry six of any magazine that you wanted to carry. The carriers for the big double column magazines were actually "Four Packs"--though I suppose he could have been prevailed upon to make a true "Sixpack" for the big magazines too. ......Anyway, they apparently don't make them anymore--at least I didn't see any at their website. .....Making a servicable copy shouldn't be too complicated; except Mel Tappan said that one of the Key selling points was the leather dividers that kept the magazines from banging todether. Since the front of the carrier was smooth, I can't for the life of me see how Sparks anchored the internal dividers. .....RVM45

.....Yeah, I meant to. I just got called away from the computer unexpectedly. .....RVM45

.....I joined your forum awhile back. It is a really great place; with lots of intersting and useful stuff. Nonetheless, I didn't leap to introduce myself; because there's little enough to say. .....I am doing research and study of leather-working well in advance of me having the funds to actually begin. I'm broke; disabled and waiting for my disability to be approved; and reading about a few things that I hope to get into SOMEDAY is one of the ways that I stay sane. .....Anyway, I did think of a couple of questions that I wanted to ask; and ettiquette dictated that I introduce myself first. .....GOOD FORUM ! .....RVM45