austinious

Thanks, I thought this might be the case. I have searched for CAD files of guns since I have a 3D printer.

Razor Sharp System I'm sure you can find it a little cheaper, but this is great for renewing a shaped edge and giving it a mirror hone. Took me 5 min to take a custom punch from raw shape to mirror bright and razor sharp.

The last comments I can find are from 2009, and a quick search gets me a few companies, Holster Smith.com, etc. Does anyone have a favorite budget gun blank to recommend? Has anyone used Cook's Gun Molds? How is the fit? Thanks

Thanks!

even easier.... Thanks! I'm putting together a list of questions when I talk to the Faire managers.

I was thinking of holsters for various trade folks, now I need to figure out a "pack" for them as well! These are all amazing!

@toxo Footfall, great name for the concept. A lot of what you write is very important and not what I've given much thought to (color of background). Lights will depend on the venue, but I'm betting LED lanterns dressed up as oil lamps would work...We are starting small and local first and know the two shows we want to do. But absolutely, early bird gets the worm...Thank You. BTW, found a very comprehensive list of all the faires in the US. Thanks for the suggestion. @JayEhl My wife will be "front", I'll mostly do demos. We are starting small, because of my autism, sometimes social interactions are problematic. Another reason to start small and see how it goes. Luckily she is very outgoing and likes to do the "patter", MiLord and Lady and the like. Great point, be up there be visible, be friendly. I can do that, I just might need a few breaks and liquid courage.

Very informative great stuff @fredk

It's funny, this was my process for making a western holster for a friend...I think #1, with some #2, and a tiny bit of #3 would be far more satisfying. During my research on western holster, it was really interesting to see that early holsters slide into a slot in the back to form the belt loop and the weight of the gun held it together. Later versions went to stitching, and that loop gradually became more and more ornamental. @chuck123wapati probably knows what its called, I have no earthly idea.

I feel vindicated that so many use utility knives. I also buy boxes of razor blades from Harbor Freight or online. Great for making small cuts and doing delicate work. I use the Tandy CraftPro pricking irons, excellent quality and the price is cheaper than what OP quoted. I made a maul from old cutting boards and a big bolt from home depot. Cost $1.50. The original was aluminum waaaay too heavy. Basically looked around at junk I had as @Handstitched mentioned.

@fredk, That looks great! What did people think got done in those times? People took 6 min. to make a crappy scabbard, then huddled next to a peat fire for hours on end waiting for the electric lightbulb? I see your point though, research and make something unique and fun. Plus make sure you take your research with you for the festival police. My own son just told me to get hides with fur on to make Viking items. The Vikings did advanced iron work, ring mail, some plate. Why do people think they made crap like some neanderthal? The funny thing is that I can see someone complaining about my tools not being right for the period (bevellers, edger, knives), but I'm sure my fluorescent orange dead blow hammer would be fine, if I wrapped it in leather thongs. Makes me laugh...

Thanks so much! I swear I looked online a bunch and couldn't find much. Definitely not this video.

Th Thanks, I hadn't considered that.... This fall and winter we plan on going to as many nearby shows and faries as we can to do more through research. We've been to several and looked at wares informally, now we takes notes...

https://www.springfieldleather.com/Rotary-Strap-Cutter Is anyone familiar with this machine, or the others like it? Or even the Weaver manual strap cutter? I made this cutter awhile back and it works great, clamp it to my table and cut away, BUT set up is a bit of a chore, thus I cut a ton of straps at once. I typically cut from 1/4" to 3" wide and everywhere in between. It is very difficult to find ANY review on these type of cheaper strap cutters, or even the larger Cobra machines. Any advice is appreciated.

Luckily not many I've been to get too cranky about accuracy, in fact some are very loose about it. From what I've seen, leave off zippers and magnetic clasps. I found this, very helpful... https://www.therenlist.com/all-fairs