dbusarow

Thanks guys. I was afraid that the piece would end up too stiff if I stitched it flat. I'm happy to hear that that is not the case. I was worried you might need to stitch it after forming the curve and wasn't looking forward to that! Dan

I'm making an IWB holster and want to use a full throat reinforcement. What's the technique for attaching two peices of leather like this in a fairly tight curve? Thanks, Dan

Sounds like this is the official signup list now. So sign me up Dan

I still want to know how you drew that pattern! Dan

First, your pattern sure looks a lot more professional than mine do! It looks like you have a full coverage sweat shield on the inside. Personaly I'm not a fan of any sort of sweat shield but folks seem to like and expect them. A full one like you show is likely to cause problems gripping the gun. The wing for the rear belt loop also looks like it will also get in the way of your fingers when establishing your grip. I suggest making a larger cutout near the trigger guard and having it swoop up at the back for the loop attachment. How did you do the pattern? I'd like to be able to do something that nice. Dan

I've been using 6/7 oz for all my holsters so far and don't see any reason to go heavier. As far as comfort, the thinner the better in my mind. I carried a 5" 1911 for several days trying out my first 1911 pancake and it felt as good as the G19 I normally carry. Dan

Man, I wish my brothers had been as nice. The only comment I have is purely subjective, I'd leave off the conco and string. But it sure doesn't hurt anything being there. Great job. Oh, and your brother's work on th Colt is awesome too. Since he's 10 now start planning on the rig for his first Bearcat Dan

rdb and I must be cousins Till Boffin of Needlehole and Elessar Calafalas

I'll second Randy's comment. Looks great. One thing I did notice though, at least on the back side there does not appear to be a sight channel. Hopefully that's just the way the photo came out since you obviously were able to remove the gun Dan

Warming up here. -9F was the high yesterday, -14 was the high Saturday. It was -14 when I fed the horses this morning. All the way up to -11 now. Should be back to normal (mid 20s for the high) next week. Dan

The rule of thumb for an auto is to trace the outline of the gun and then add 1/2 the width of the gun to that. Because the revolver's profile is not as simple as a semi-auto's it's not as straight forward but the idea is the same. There has to be enough leather between the stitch lines to wrap around 1/2 the gun. Dan

Since you are soaking the leather in the vinagaroon and then rinsing thoroughly in water it makes sense to do it just before molding. Waxed thread doesn't have any negative affect. No idea on shelf life. My batch is about two months old and works great. MADMAX22 and tashabear, thanks for the info on baking soda. I'll use it on my next one. Dan

Whatever you call it it's pretty clever. I thought the stitching was just amazingly even Dan

MADMAX22, does the baking soda wash help reduce the vinager odor? I'll second just adding more oil to bring out the color. I have a pouch style sheath I made where stiffness wasn't important so I just dunked it in oil. The most beautiful black you could ask for. Dan

And sometime in the late 70s or early 80s GM cars started mixing metric in with the SAE so you needed both for GM cars. Not sure about Ford and Chrysler. I quit working on my own cars in the mid 80s, I'll still change oil and filters but that's it these days. And yes, I did have a few Witworth wrenches too. Not a full set, just those I needed from time to time. Dan

You're welcome. I'm in SW Montana, about 15 miles south of Whitehall. Dan

Harvey, Here are a couple of recent posts on the subject. First is Lobo's take on it http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=6540 And if you dig through this topic far enough you will find BruceGibson's http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=6478 ETA: I'm still waiting for a nice sunny day up here to try it out. Got one ready to oil up. Dan

Really nice work on both the sheath and the knife handle. I like how your thread seems to match the leather color perfectly. Dan

I'm using the tip of my burnisher (piece of white tail antler). Hold it at a 45 degree angle and go to town. Dan

Allen, I'm interested. Sounds like a really versatile setup. It should would beat strapping a regular belt sander to the bench! Dan

Looks great Tac. Guess I know what my next tool purchase needs to be now. Dan

Great work PeterK. Beautiful color. Dan

Thanks Bruce. Another member also PMd me and let me know that my fears about Weaver and HO were groundless. Good to know. Thank you guys. Dan

I'm thinking my leather may be part of the problem I'm having with the natural finish. I ordered one of Weaver's imported double shoulders to start with. Wasn't even one of their "name" imports. Holster #3 above started out like you describe with just a single light coat of 100% neatsfoot. It came out flesh colored, not very attractive in a holster So I added another coat of oil, and then another. It got darker but never got the warm color you have, kind of muddy actually. I'm getting close to ordering again and I'm planning on the best grade from Wickett and Craig this time. I'd try Hermann Oak but I can't justify buying enough to go direct and am leary of ordering from someone like Weaver or another supplier who may cherry pick the good hides for themselves and sell off their rejects. Don't know if that's a valid concern but I saw something like that posted here and it makes sense. So I guess I wait for the new leather before I can try for that beautiful natural finish. Thanks for the explanation! Dan

The Natural. The Light Brown is really nice too but your natural finish is what I'm shooting for now. Dan