Brooks125

Please ... PLEASE tell me you wear that to the grocery store.

I am in search of an ankle rig platform. I currently have a (singular) Ka-Bar 1480 rig platform, which I like. However, it has been discontinued and I can't find any still for sale. Do any of you know where I might find a basic rig base to which I can add my own custom holsters? (The picture doesn't show it, but it has, I think, the "just right" amount of padding and I can remove all the hardware that comes on it.)

No mold gun for that, huh? I like the simple solution to a "complicated" problem. Those rails/sight/thumb rest/slide release look like a headache, but the holster looks great. Nice job!

... or not. If your putting a sight rail in, just extend the dowel out the back. Done right, I think that would turn out very nice! Of course, you may end up filing the sight off you Blue Gun to do that. (You know, you have to post pictures when you finish it now!)

I've had mine from Grey Ghost for about 4 years. Resin material and it's still clean and sharp. Very much worth the cost and easy to deal with.

It's bound to happen, but space is getting tight in the shop. I know I'm not the only one with this challenge and I don't want to reinvent the wheel. Can any of you give me one good idea for how you save space in your shop? What's a good storage, usage or organizing tip you might have? I have about 50 sq/ft to work with and I do store my leather sides in the next room. The picture shows my latest incarnation of the "lair".

I've made a few for Dan Wesson, but I always need the gun. The front cylinder release is unique. If it's a loose design, the Python "Large Magnum" from Bunkhouse may work also, but I'd look up the cylinder diameter before you do.

Cutting 1:1 water to resolene, ike most on here. The airbrush came from the local craftstore, probably a middle of the road quality airbrush. For daily cleaning when I'm using it a few times a week, my cleanup is to SUBMERGE the intake and spray tip in a cup of water, preferably warm, and SPRAY underwater. It will run water through the whole working parts. It's a quick cleanup and usually works well for a day-to-day clean. I still pull it apart and clean with airbrush specific brushes at least a couple times a month. So far, so good for a couple years on this brush.

Yes. They aren't flat. I make them to curve around the body. Send him to the site and email is the best contact. By the way, I would have called the picture above a pancake. Two piece design with gun in middle, to me, is a pancake. I'm guessing he doesn't want a flat design ... which does suck.

Hey ... just looked it up. If 9 and 40 are the same (many are), you may have your beast right here! https://www.knifekits.com/vcom/bluegun-holster-molding-prop-for-kahr-pm9-wcrimson-trace-laserguard-p-5133.html

Factory Laser or aftermarket? Does such a mold gun exist? If not, I'd need the gun and that's a deal breaker. Shoot him over to www.workadaygunleather.com if he wants a quote. I don't call my pancake holsters "pancake", so he may be happy! All that said ... it's sounding like JLS has a new customer!

Here's an early one of my crossdraw revolvers. You may have found, revolvers are TOUGH. You need a lot of meterial to get around the cylinder and not much to get around the rest. I use cheap latigo scraps from a muzzle loader shop and make "sketch" holsters. It's kind of an art-meets-science process. Yes, this one here is a Vaquero single action, but the trigger is covered likea DA. (my other pics are too big, I guess)

Clamshells were more common years ago in police work. Some were even less secure than the ones noted above. Many hinged forward, like the one MaxDaddy showed above, minus the actual latch he has shown. Horrible for retention!

A few months back, I gave a photographer friend of mine my entire stock of holsters to do some nice photos. He did, and I'm sure they looked good, but he couldn't find them on his computer after he took the pics. Frustrated, I commandeered my son's CoolPix camera, got some black posterboard from the dollar store ($1 for 3) and did my own. After taking each photo on the seemless background, I pull them up in the download file, click on the "crop" option, crop it to my liking and hit the "Adjustments" key. "Clarity"- all the way up. "Vignette" - all the way up. VIOLA! right arrow next photo, repeat. Cheap and very nice for the price! It feels like I'm cheating!

Weaver Leather has a great selection. They do a lot of horse tack and that's where most of their hardware is centered.

A few months ago, I had the hardest time finding Military insignia stamps. I could find military-esque designs (Tandy), but I particularly wanted an Marine EGA or Army Crest design. The only decent designs I found are from http://vollkommen.com/Milling/MontanaLeatherStamps/military.html Look him up on Etsy as some of his designs aren't available from the site (not sure why). The selection includes seals, rank and other insignia. The resin isn't the hardest variety, but works well in the shop/bench press. I don't know that I would hand stamp it too many times. If you happen too be looking, look this site up.

I'm not sure where the Ethiopia braid comments came from but .... ok

Using different length barrels will "work", but not optimal. The correct barrel length will, in my opinion, let the holster "hug" the muzzle, even if it isn't formed to the muzzle, exactly. It's akin to cutting the bottoms off a pair of pants as opposed to hemming them. Both fit, but it's not the same. ... as for molds. Bunkhouse Tools has some great SA and vintage guns. Boise Foundry has odd, larger frames included in their catalog.

I'll echo the straps comment. Those need to move, unlike the gun in the holster. No lining or even any stitching. Those will grab clothing and make an uncomfortable ride. I use water buffalo hide with a finished edge.

That is some nice tooling. I especially like the directional "distress" lines on the iron cross.

I line my holsters, but not mag pouches. Most of my holsters are open top and I like the extra friction they give and a nominal amount of protection. That being said, holsters that don't use a thumb break live for friction , so you will get some normal wear either way. I think it just looks better, too. I think the naked leather will do as much wear-n-tear as the lining. I use pigskin which is thin enough to avoid excess bulk. By the way, I've carried it on my own blued gun for three years on a daily basis without issue. Mag pouches don't get lined. The wear doesn't bother me and the gun will do more wearing than the pouches. I use tension screws and/or top flaps for pouches, so no lining is needed. Sorry I didn't catch you sooner, but there's my 2 cents.

... add https://www.boisefoundry.com/holster-molds to the list, especially for large frames. I just discovered they have X-Frames in 4lengths! Yahtzee!

I don't know how much this topic has been covered, but here's my experience. I began setting up at a local, very-well-run gun show, just over 3 years ago. Business was very slow the first few months, but has picked up briskly over time. I think a few things come into play with this method of getting holsters and gun/knife/western gear to customers. 1. Consistency. I know I've gained customers because they know they will see me at every show. Obviously, that doesn't happen overnight, but it comes sooner than you might think. As much as possible, be at the same table/location every time. 2. Take very good care of the customers you get. I had one gentleman who, every time I saw him for about 15 months, would hand me money and order another holster. He had very specific design parameters, which I was careful to follow. He missed two shows in a row, and I actually called to check on him. He was on an extended trip, and is still a customer (and now friend) to this day. 3. If you're doing custom work, people understand you hit snags. Explain the hold up, make it right and deliver a good product, even if they have to wait. Communicate! 4. Learn the culture you're working in. If you're making holsters ... learn about guns. if you're making knife sheaths ... learn the knife culture. Western work ... study period designs or SASS trends etc. 5. Sometimes .... say no. Decide what you will and will NOT do, and what can and CANNOT do. Don't make crappy or dangerous products just because some Yahoo thinks it would be cool. 6. Build relationships!!!!! With other vendors, regular attendees, security officers and the organizers. You don't have to be a suck up, but easily 1/3 to 1/2 of my business is referrals to people asking "Who has leather gear?" One other vendor loves vintage stuff. He sends me people looking for new stuff, I send him people looking for old stuff. I give him some of my older table stock on occasion as a "finder's fee" and he's ordered holsters for himself. Gun shows are a mixed bag, but can be a great outlet for keeping work moving, both directly and by word of mouth.

I got a bench top drill press from HF and a friend of mine works in a facility with CNC operators, one of which owed him a favor and made a burnishing tool. Actually he made 2 because it only takes one more push of a button once you've made one. I gave him the design I wanted and they took it from there. I have an extra I'll most likely never need. I'm told it's the highest quality aluminum money can buy.

... and FredK are the winners on this one! I know it's been awhile but ... I set a groover to the midline of the strap and used the divider to mark the holes. I was amazed how well they came out. It was quicker too! Simple solution to the problem. Thanks!