Dwight

Didn't really have a Shield holster, . . . too big for most of my pockets, . . . so I made this one. Actually, some of you will see the similarity of some of the Sparks holsters, . . . I've always been a fan of theirs, . . . just never could afford them. FWIW, . . . wanting my own holster of a "similar to" a Sparks holsters is one of the factors that got me back to doing leatherworking after a multi decade hiatus. But anyway, . . . just put it together out of some "pieces" laying around the shop, . . . wore it today for a couple hours, . . . think I'm gonna like this puppy. May God bless, Dwight

Just do it !! I did do something similar one time, . . . didn't have a long enough "one piece" of leather to make a double layer dress belt (had the inside piece, . . . but not the outside which is longer), . . . so I spliced a piece in the back, . . . used two oval shaped pieces to cover the cracks, . . . split it so it looked like it was supposed to be that way, . . . kind of a 40 /20 /40 split. Customer was thoroughly happy with it. Sometimes ya just gotta "think outside the box". May God bless, Dwight

I've never been "stuck" with that dilemma, . . . and I'm not sure where I saw it, . . . but a guy who was, . . . cut the belt dead center of the back, . . . made a piece to go in it, . . . and then laced it into the center of the original belt. It looked really good, . . . and if I recall, . . . he did something like put the guy's name in the center piece, . . . so it kinda looked like it was planned. May God bless, Dwight

Actually, chiefjason, that "4 inch" comment was for a cowboy gun belt or a LEO gun belt worn over top of his regular clothing etc. For a "hold up my pants" and "hold up my gun" belt, . . . I usually add 2 inches at the most unless the guy is carrying a cannon. And, . . . yeah, . . . I made a belt for a 53 inch guy one time, . . . by the time he got back to pick it up, . . . he needed a 56 and expected me to fix it. I did, . . . May God bless, Dwight

I enjoy making them, . . . mainly because I don't do very many of them, . . . it would probably change if I did make a lot of them. May God bless, Dwight

You are basically looking at proprietary equipment spec'd out and created for that particular holster maker. I doubt if you will find anything, . . . as I believe that is a Galco holster, . . . and I've personally never seen them on any other holsters. But, . . . best wishes on your search. May God bless, Dwight

Springfield leather Weaver Leather Tandy leather shop May God bless, Dwight

I gave up on the press idea a number of years ago when so many of the guns became plastic fantastics. I knew the day would come when I'd crush one, . . . and wind up unhappy having to replace a 500 dollar gun for a 75 dollar holster. I use a vacuum setup, . . . put the gun in the holster, . . . wipe it down with an oily cloth afterwards, . . . never have had a problem or an angry client. I also don't get those screwy looking lines down the inside of the holster where the zip lock bag folded over or bunched up. May God bless, Dwight

Personally, . . . I'd probably do a purse for her, . . . take a look at the ones she has now, . . . find one like it at the Salvation Army, . . . rip it apart for the pattern, . . . you will make her day, . . . and when she's gone, you'll get it back, . . . with lots of memories to hold you over. One of my prized posessions is an 1885 silver dollar I bought for my grandmother and gave it to her one year for Christmas. It was one of her treasures. When she passed, it came back to me, . . . and is now one of my treasures. May God bless, Dwight

Dave Richardson, . . . you outdid yourself on that one. THAT is really cool. May God bless, Dwight

Mike, . . . your extra leather in front of the business end of the barrel is a bit much, . . . BUT, . . . I am very careful about that. I always take enough off that it opens up the bottom of the holster so trash falls out, . . . you don't want anything obstructing the barrel, . . . but at the same time, I leave enough on there so if the wearer sits down in the dirt, . . . the holster will fend off most if not all that might try to get up in the barrel. It is a tricky thing to do, . . . and I usually do it on the belt sander, . . . taking off just a little at a time. But, . . . that's the way I do it, . . . and it's not every one's cup of tea. May God bless, Dwight

Also be sure to add about a 1/4 inch across the spine, . . . as a "just in case" the other measurements aren't quite on the money. I had an almost brand new high dollar reference Bible ruined by that simple mistake, . . . the spine was too narrow, . . . pulled in the covers when it was closed, . . . messed it up good. The lady making it for me meant well, . . . just missed on the measurement, . . . May God bless, Dwight

I got mine on black friday a couple years back. You WILL HAVE TO polish the blade, . . . which is a cheap way of saying the blade needs a good stropping. I used a piece of 7 oz about 5 inches wide, . . . contact cemented it to a very flat pine board, . . . loaded it up with polishing compound and went to work. You loosen one end, . . . spin the blade 180 degrees, . . . lock it down, . . . strop it a bit, . . . and put it back into place. Has worked well for me. May God bless, Dwight

The little guy has always been kicked around by the bullies, . . . business is no exception. The little guy's ace is his ability to outperform the bully in terms of customer satisfaction, . . . in whatever that needs to be. Custom work is up front there, . . . service is a big one, . . . even little things like a "thank you" card inserted in the package can make a difference. May God bless, Dwight

Thanks, everyone, . . . getting crowded to get it in before Christmas, . . . but I'm gonna have to take a shot at it afterwards. Maybe near the wood stove sometime in January .... lol May God bless, Dwight

I can three strand braid a pigtail, . . . and that's about my talent at this point. I was asked over the weekend by a lady if I could make her a braided "hair strap" for want of another term. It would be about 18 inches long, . . . and with a clasp, . . . it turns into a circle. She wears it behind her ears and up over the top of her head, keeping her hair from flopping down around her ears. The one she has now is a round braid, . . . and she asked me for a flat braided one, . . . maybe 3/8 inches wide, . . . I told her I would look into it. Anybody got a suggestion as to how I could accomplish such a task?? You have my many thanks if you know the trick. May God bless, Dwight

One of my favorites I have ever made, . . . did this one for a fellow I believe in Colorado, . . . It could easily be adjusted to cover the whole trigger if that is what you wanted. That is my Beretta in the holster, . . . his was a shorter barrel. This was the "proof" I sent him to make sure we were on the same page, . . . he loved it. May God bless, Dwight

OLDNSLOW, . . . have you determined what size belt you need for your customer??? Be advised that if you take his belt he wears on a daily basis, . . . and say it is a 40 inch belt (measured from the end of the buckle to the most used hole), . . . the gun belt you will have to make for him needs to be a 44 inch belt. I know that sounds crazy, . . . but it is a rule of thumb that never fails, . . . Once you have done that, . . . gotten the ABSOLUTE measurement of the gun belt you will have to make for him, . . . PM me with an email address, . . . and I'll send you back a pattern you can lay out on 8 1/2 by 11 paper, . . . and use it. May God bless, Dwight

I don't use the pattern pack, . . . but my western or cowboy holster belts are made in pretty much that same pattern. John Bianchi has an excellent DVD out on all the steps etc. to make that belt. That is how I've learned, . . . never had an unhappy customer but once. Measured him up for a 53 inch belt, . . . 6 weeks later he comes to get it, . . . it's too short. He had gained 3 full inches. Managed to make it work for him though,........... May God bless, Dwight

Nice.............. May God bless, Dwight

And you can take a look at this guy's offerings: after I posted above, . . . I got curious, . . . found this one. On the left side, . . . pick the heel bar buckle offering. https://www.buckleguy.com/heel-bar-buckles/ May God bless, Dwight

My friend, you will have a tough time on that one. In my 73 years, . . . not sure I ever did see one, . . . but then again I could be wrong. One thing you can do, that will (if anything will) make a difference, . . . put your search in quotes "heel bar buckle" , . . . and try different search engines. There are a dozen or so out there ready to help you, . . . and each one has it's own way of doing things. I normally use Google Chrome . . . but Firefox is my secondary, . . . and Edge is the next one. You also want to try Ebay, . . . lots of times I have found stuff there that I could not find else where. Good luck, . . . May God bless, Dwight

Hand saddle stitching is one reason I have a very sharp knife that will get down between the layers of leather. May God bless, Dwight

If you define the word "better" as cheaper, . . . yes there are. If you define it as a finish that will give your customer a better product, . . . you will probably have to get up real early in the morning, and stay up real late at night to do that. For the double layer belts I make, . . . I would not even think of putting anything else on there except maybe Mop and Glow, . . . all the others are much softer finishes, will scratch easier, will look much uglier, much quicker, . . . and not give your customer as good a product. The only reason I don't use M&G is I did a cost analysis for my business, . . . Resolene is cheaper for me to use, . . . and easier. May God bless, Dwight

My setup cost me $99 for the pump, . . . couple bucks for the hose, . . . $10 for the vinyl at Joann's fabric, . . . and $15 for the vacuum nozzle that goes thru the bag. I've used the same bag now for at least 6 years. All I did was buy a piece of Joann's heavy duty clear vinyl, . . . about 24 inches wide, . . . 45 long, . . . contact cemented the edges to make a bag, . . . installed the nozzle, . . . and have never really had any problems. I gave up the press idea when I started getting so many of the plastic fantastic firearms, . . . figured one of these days the press would collapse the thing, . . . and I would be stuck buying him a new weapon. Can't happen with a vacuum setup. This is my vacuum bag, . . . and my sealing setup, . . . I use the little board to keep the back of the holster straight, . . . without it, . . . it all collapses into a ball. May God bless, Dwight