Hags

As my wife would say, "only you can see them!". But, that's what makes us improve. I think you did a great job!

Hello! Glad to have you and welcome to the addiction! I started the same way when I retired a few years ago. Now I have garage full of stuff and am always looking for more, unique things to add. Dont be afraid to ask questions, and looks at people's attachments in their profiles if you think you may like their work.

This is a holster I finished this weekend.

Welcome to the site. Lots of areas to explore and lots of good advice!

Ditto increasing top tension. Everytime I change my machine (cobra class 3 and a pfaff 130) I have to check top tension. I've had my cobra for a year and have just really become comfortable with it. Still working on the 1952 pfaff I recently acquired and unfroze! I still like my scotch though, just not when I sew.....

Thank you. Those are all Chicago screws.

This is one I just finished. 5" Kimber 45 with mag pouch. The guy wanted dark brown and wanted my makers mark on the front. I usually place that on the back. Hermann Oak 7/8 for the holster, H.O. 4/5 for the pouch with 1 layer of 7/8 to stiffen up the back. 4/5oz for straps and 1"nylon for the long strap. Vacuum formed Cobra class 3, 207 top and bottom Fiebings pro dye Resolene and water 50/50 2-3 coats

This is the finished project.

Yes, I do a new pattern for each gun. Seems I rarely do the same gun twice. I use jlsleather.com's method. It's spelled out on his website and downloadable for free. Then I change them from belt loops to attachment points for the various straps. I do pancake style for both pistol and also for revolvers. I find the"flat back" holsters don't hug the body as well. Probably just me. I believe I saw that on Adam's leather works you tube. It works pretty well and I get great detail.

Ditto the veg tan. There are many videos on you tube about stamping and carving you can watch. I highly reccomend Don Gonzales Saddlery and Joe Melling at 23+ leather among the many out there. They. Both have many current, free, and very good educational videos available. I too struggled (still working on it!) And started with the wrong leather. I have learned that veg tan is just about the only, rather that will take and hold tooling. Find a leather shop near you or look online at one of the ma y suppliers and get some veg tan. You wi,l see immediate improvements. Good luck and welcome to the addiction!

Thank you. The basket weave doesn't take long at all on such a small piece. And then everyone looks at my desk where I have my stamping and carving tools set up and gets all excited about hand tooled! Never mind the one off holster design, wet molding, and custom fitting. People, go figure.. The speed loader pouch has become very popular with revolver holsters. Had a devil of a time making those until I figured out a mold for them. I just finished a chest rig for a Kimber 5" 45 cap and added a mag pouch in the same fashion.

I recently made these for a camping/hiking couple. Walther p22 for her and a LH Taurus 357 for him with a speedloader pouch riding on the holster.

Very nice.

I've got a Kimber 45 on the bench now for a chest rig. I'll see if I can get some pics and try to explain it a little. I basically use jlsleather.com's method for holster design, it's free, and very detailed, then decide the tilt (I start with 25 degrees) then design away. If you look at my attachments I have some pics that show the various pieces on a gridded cutting board so you can see the sizes. I should take the time e to do an instructional, it would give a starting point for folks wanting to make their own. Here's a couple of pics from the Kimber I have now. You can see the gun tracing for a regular pancake style holster. And the attachment points I place instead of belt loops. I try to keep everything even as far as attachment points go. But, the gun will find it's natural point to hang.

These are a few of my recent projects. The large revolver is a 6"44 mag for a young man who is a timber cruiser on the Olympic peninsula. He spends many hours a day in very remote areas and is very conscious of bears and cougars. He wears the rig from 6 to 12 hours a day. I made this for him last may and he stopped by last week to say hi and the thing has weathered wonderfully. It has literally molded to his body. If we ever wondered why leather was and is preferred this brings it home for me. He says there is really no other way he could carry this thing. Another is the sheath for what I was told is a 60 year old Hudson bay pattern axe. The sheath he had was falling apart. It now has regained its heirloom

Very, very nice! I have a cobra class 3, I love it. Kinda wish I'd gone the few extra bucks for the class 4. Just a little more room would be nice. I also want to get a mannequin to hang stuff on during design and fitting up. Great work!

Very nice! I have a class 3 and it took a while to figure it out. All good now though, but I still do some hand stitching and have been a Maine thread customer for several years now.

I made a chest rig for a young man for his SA 1911 and he liked it so much he wanted me to make one for his mother. He wanted " MAMA BEAR" on the front. It took a while to get the letter set from Leatherstampmaker.com but I am very happy with it. Just dont forget you have to place them in reverse... duhhhh.

These are not anything special, but, a neighbor asked if I might be able to help her neighbor who has a disabled dog. How can you say no? These are "elbow?" guards for a small dog with paralyzed rear legs. She gets abrasions on them from walking with her hips. They needed to be trimmed and finished, but I hope they can improve her life .

Wish I would've gone the BK set. Probably would've saved money and definitely aggravation..

Very, very nice. I also incorporate a reinforcing piece. Nice to see what detail we are missing. But, still, I like tooling the thing..

Sorry for responding so late. Crazy busy right now with a new deck and floors going in... I cant understand why you cant see my attachments either. I can see them. Maybe do a search in the show off or holsters sections. Here's a couple of recent ones. The one that looks like a lefty is a SA 1911 and is actually a RH holster. This is the effect of taking a selfie.. the other is a glock 19. Both chest rigs, one is a hiker, trail worker, and the other a hunter. I also just finished one for a SW 629 6" 44 mag. That took a lot of real estate.

I use 7/8 oz Hermann Oak for my holsters, check my bio and you can see my work. I dye first, sew second, and wet mold last. I do use a vac set up as does Adam's leather work now. Before I did it all by hand and had very good results. If the leather is too wet, you will never get it to take. Work it in, under a hair dryer on low for 15 - 20 minutes, then bone some more. I get my holsters wet for 10 to 15 seconds, wrap my gun in plastic wrap and seat as deep as I can in the holster then start wet molding. I use a reinforcing piece on the front so dont worry too much about the ejection port on front. You can lock the gun in if you go to deep on that anyway. I get most of my retention from the trigger guard on the back side. I use a boner, and one I made from a hoe handle the is a bit thinner on the big end. I also use a smooth pear shade from my tooling set to get a burnished look where I want detail. After that, I use resolene and water 50/50 mix and the burnishing difference all but disappears.

I just got a pfaff 130. It needed a little work but with you tube I got it going pretty quick. I paid $300 for a very nice unit. When I say it needed work I mean I had to unstick the selector knob. I sewd though 8 layers of heavy canvas before I "fixed"it. Can't imagine it would have an issue with a wallet. I have a cobra class 3 for my holsters and gun belts though. I got this for wallets, canvas and leather aprons, and dang it, it was just too cool to pass up! I'll post pics later. I mention this because you can find these around for not too much, they are German steel, and have a lot of info on working on them. I hear of people getting these at yard sales but good luck with that. Oh, and mine does have a hand crank so when the power is out I can still sew!

I recently acquired a vacuum set up. Love it!