Dwight

I've done several shows in the past, . . . and usually only do it when I'm bored. I'll make up a few belts, . . . typical holsters I sell, . . . and throw in a few "unique" pieces just for kicks and giggles. I've actually sold as many of the "unique" pieces as I have the regular stuff, . . . and belts are simply for show. The belts always seem to be the wrong size, or color for that particular person. But I have gotten some good orders, . . . and some good exposure, . . . which never hurts. Make sure as stated above, . . . you know YOUR product, . . . and don't bad mouth the other guy that's cutting his leather with a chain saw, . . . using a baking oven to melt his kydex, . . . and fastening em with aluminum washers. Next time you are there, . . . his cu

There are two "rules of thumb" here with your questions. The flatter the back is, generally the more comfortable the holster is. This is more noticeable on skinny or bony people, . . . those with "ample" padding don't seem to be quite as affected by it. Personally, . . . at 6'1 and 180, . . . I like it REAL flat. The more the gun moves into the front panel and the rear panel, . . . the more retention that can be molded into the holster. AND the retention will be longer lasting. You just have to make up your mind about how much comfort is required, . . . vs . . . how much retention is required. The more you go for one, . . . the less you get of the other. Generally when I do a flat back pancake for a customer, . . . I put a thumb break on it also, . . . if they want to disable the thumb break some day down the road, . . . that is their decision, . . . but at least when it leaves my shop, . . . the retention factor is built into the holster. May God bless, Dwight

I've used a bunch of stuff, . . . Weldwood puts two pieces of leather together so that it becomes one piece. You CAN take it back apart, . . . but you will rip fibers from both pieces, . . . inherently "ripping" the piece apart. Have never had any issue with it except that if I'm doing a number of pieces, . . . there needs to be some consideration fro ventilation, . . . what I mostly do is just get it on the pieces, . . . and leave the shop, . . . go do something else somewhere else that I've been putting off. It is also more economical than Barge in my area. May God bless, Dwight

Biggest disadvantage is over time the single layer wings will get floppy ane sloppy, . . . not hold the gun up like it should. AND, . . . there really is no ADVANTAGE to it other than having saved a few square inches of leather, . . . that would probably not be used anyway, . . . just because of the way it is cut. I would not make one like that for myself, . . . and a REALLY would not make one for a customer. May God bless, Dwight

Thanks, Cowboy, . . . like I said earlier, . . . not sure how many times I may ever use it, . . . but I'm sure glad I got it. I will definitely do the pattern just for practice though. May God bless, Dwight

Vice grips and Cheerios there bikermutt07, . . . , . . . actually I have a time with mine as well, . . . but when it is done, . . . it is so, so, so much easier than trying to thin down a piece of leather with hand tools. I'm too old to spend the money that would get me a machine that would do an 8 or 10 inch piece, . . . cannot justify it, . . . but it sure would be nice to have one. Put the leather in, push the button, . . . catch it so it don't hit the floor and get dirty, . . . yep, I'd love that. May God bless, Dwight

Thanks, Gary, . . . we all learned something today..............

If I dye it, . . . I dip it, . . . don't have any questions then about the coverage, . . . go over it then (or before) with a coat of neatsfoot oil, . . . use only Feibings Oil dye. Basically no problems with my process. The dip dye process takes more dye, . . . but when you are done, . . . you are done. Ya don't have to question and don't have to worry about scraping it and the color scraping off. May God bless, Dwight

I waited for Tandy to do their Black Friday special, . . . got a small one for $199, . . . no way I could have engineered and manufactured something that works as well as that little jewel. Be warned up front though, . . . while it is "sharp" from the factory, . . . the blade needs a good 100 stroke dressing from a home made "strop on a board". Oh, . . . and that is 100 strokes on the top, . . . AND, . . . 100 strokes on the bottom, . . . + / -, . . . to get that razor edge that lets you cut really well. While for the most part, it is only used for belt blanks, . . . I have cleaned up holster parts with it, . . . Watch a couple of Youtubes on how to sharpen the thing, . . . it is a good investment IMHO. May God bless, Dwight

I really don't like most of Tandy's craftaids, . . . but that is one I would love to have in my drawer. I would use it at least once a year I am sure. You did an excellent job on that CowboyCurry. May God bless, Dwight

Do a search on here for a member named Katsass, . . . he was THE progenitor for M&G, . . . and if I recall correctly, . . . his process was equal parts of M&G and tap water. He did the "dunk and shake" routine, . . . and I believe at times it was multiple coats, . . . although I'm not certain on that. I'm happy with Resolene, . . . and other finishes, . . . so I don't use it myself. May God bless, Dwight

Would I also be wrong in guessing that this was a post from something like Etsy or Pinterest, . . . and that the poster was most likely a young female? It has all the look and feel of something you would see on there, . . . not a serious attempt as a "holster". May God bless, Dwight

I guess if you are some kind of a pansy butt, . . . pink parasol carrying wanna be dude, . . . an empty chamber and the safety on might be a good way to carry. OTOH folks who understand guns, . . . safety, . . . threats, . . . and their own abilities, . . . realize that a 1911, cocked and locked is the safest form of firearm carry there is, . . . other than of course, . . . in the glove compartment of your wife's car. May God bless, Dwight

I had one customer (hope he never comes back) who had a "rash", . . . it poked him in the side, . . . it was heavy, . . . etc. I kept waiting for him to tell me the color was the wrong shade of black. Long and short: the rash can be a true personal body reaction to the leather / finish / dye, etc., . . . but it may be a gripe from an habitual complainer. I re-made the holster, . . . to his exact specs, . . . "Well, it's better, but still not right". Again, . . . hope he never comes back. May God bless, Dwight

When I built mine, . . . it went on the shaft first (after drilling all the way through of course), . . . and then went into the drill press. Got a big cup of coffee, . . . hand full of files, . . . turned the old press on, . . . chopped, channeled, and filed until I got what I wanted. Then took it to the shop, . . . little bit of smoother sand paper, . . . then finished it off with a coating of true to life virgin bees wax from my hive up in the corner of the yard. Took some nasty old hard leather scraps, . . . and heated up the burnisher by pressing really hard on it, . . . and she slicked up really good. May God bless, Dwight

Since you did not say otherwise, . . . I'm assuming by "gun belt" you are talking of carrying a pistol on your person for protection, etc. The ones I make dedicated for that generally run .180 to .220 in total overall thickness. That will usually work out as a pair of 6/7 oz blanks, . . . heavy toward the 7, . . . or a 6/7 liner and an 8/9 outside. I always use a micrometer to check the thickness and if necessary, . . . run them through the skinning machine and make them a tad thinner. You will have no worries about it as it will carry a pair of 8 inch barreled .44 mags, . . . with no trouble. I've seen suede lined gun belts, . . . and personally I would not walk across the room to get one. If the belt is properly curved like John Bianchi teaches, . . . it is practically impossible to fall off your hips. Those that do, . . . . simply are not properly curved, . . . or the person wearing it is wearing it too loose. May God bless, Dwight

Well, . . . that's a pain, . . . "Seller doesn't post to the United States" May God bless, Dwight

Actually I would think 207 would be sufficient to get that look. It is apparently mostly denim with leather overlays, . . . Do you have a machine? Do you have access to thread pieces to try, . . . so you can see what you like? I can help you with the thread if you like, . . . just PM me. I need especially to know the type machine you will use. May God bless, Dwight

Personally, . . . I use all 346 thread, . . . for belts, knife sheaths, holsters, and gun bags. It has held up well so far, . . . May God bless, Dwight

You and I are cut from the same piece of cloth, . . . or maybe leather as I have made almost all my specialty cutting tools for straps, contours, belts, etc. Made my own drying box, . . . burnisher, . . . and others. Been called a cheap-skate, . . . and I just smile and nod at the reputation and recognition. May God bless, Dwight

Earlier, I saw another home grown burnisher, . . . and this is just to reinforce to especially the new folks, . . . you do not have to spend $1000 on equipment to make your edges look good. This took me a couple hours, . . . and something like $10, . . . has worked for quite a few years. Don't recollect what the motor came off of, . . . probably a furnace fan. May God bless, Dwight

Hey Dragonfly, . . . welcome aboard, . . . from one far enough south to say, "Yeah, . . . Dragonfly, one of those guys who's almost in New York", . . . lol. Just south of Marion, . . . glad to have another Uh-high-uh guy here. May God bless, Dwight

Yeah, . . . I'm with x101 airborne, . . . made E-7, . . . but for a CSM, . . . ooooo, . . . that needs tooling, . . . concho's, . . . shading, . . . antiquing, . . . maybe a tri-color, . . . But seriously, . . . looks good, . . . hope he enjoys it. And glad he opted for the 1911 instead of a wonder-9, . . . May God bless, Dwight

Now, . . . that's good to know......Thanks, Colt, . . . appreciate the info. May God bless, Dwight

This ain't one of them things like the old Louisiana cook where he "put a little wine in de sauce, . . . put a little wine in de cook" . . . thing is it?? You know, . . . "put a little Everclear in de dye, . . . put a little Everclear in de dyer", . . . May God bless, Dwight