CaptQuirk

Everyone has their own preferences, so you will get a lot of back and forth. So, that said, I'll throw in for a shoulder holster. Even the heaviest of pistols carry comfortably... and it won't drag your britches down.

Yes and no. If it is the next big thing, like the George Foreman Grill, you get it trademarked. If it is something like our holsters and sheathes and stuff, how original is it really? Most of us are just making variations of something else anyways. And exactly how many people around the world are looking to buy that exact item? If people want it, and you promote it, sell it to them. If you have something that people want, how many are you actually capable of making anyways? 5? 10? 5,000? I think there is a little room for copycats.

I don't work with 64ths, as I can't see that small anymore Seriously though, I'm going on THEIR word that the leather is actually 8oz, or 10oz, or whatever it is that I order. I don't have calipers to measure it out, and my ruler goes as far as 16th's. Anything smaller would be just a blur anyways. But thanks for your input as well.

As far as I know, what I have seen is pistol with, or pistol without. Why sell you one thing, if they can sell you two, right? And Dwight is right about the holster turning on the laser. Did one for my wife's SD40, and it takes some positioning to move the switch so it doesn't come on when holstered. I know, that isn't the answer you want, but it is the best I can offer. If you want the real poop, get it straight from the horse's... mouth? Contact info for Rings

I had a whole slew of pics on PhotoBucket, not leather, just stuff from life in the woods. Almost all of them are missing, and contacting their support is impossible. Seriously, they hide contact info, so that you can't reach them, unless you want to BUY some of their stupid stuff. Anyways, when it comes to my leatherwork, I deal with local folks. I usually have at least one of my holsters in the car to show as an example. But, when somebody else talks to about my holster, there is nothing to show, unless they have already bought one from me. Word of mouth is great, but it really doesn't work. So, since one of my skills is web design, I'm in the process of putting my work online with contact info. But, it's been a while since I did any CSS style sheets, so it is taking a bit to knock the rust off. Still a work in progress, links and layout are in flux, but take a look ifn you want. SmokeWagon Leather

To be honest, I haven't done anything on this... yet. Too many other things going on right now IF I can get focused on it again, I'll let you know.

Ok, thanks guys. Those are the answers I was looking for. It isn't as much a matter of where I buy, as much as what length I buy. I really don't have the money to spend on more advanced tools at this point, as it is still in "hobby" stage. Sure, I am making and selling, and want to insure the best quality that I can... and I should be able to do that with basic tools. But at least I know what to look for before buying, and I owe you folks for that.

Thanks for the tip on wetting the hole. But nobody has actually answered the question- What is the right length for 8-10oz leather? A lot of places sell snaps, and most of them are different length from the next dealer. Anywhere from 3/16 to 5/16 is what I see, but what they say will work, doesn't always work.

As if installing snaps by hand isn't difficult enough... I was having issues installing line 20 snaps in 8-10oz leather, especially if it was lined. I was told to use the heavier line 24 snaps. "Cool", I thought, "That sounds easy enough!" Apparently not. I ordered some line 24s, and the website said (I think it was them) that the shaft was 5/16". After ruining several, I start measuring the shaft on the snaps. It was 3/16", and on top of that, there was about a 16th recess on the snap. Using 7-8oz leather, the shaft cleared the leather by about a 16th, maybe a 32nd of an inch. So, the shaft was just inside the snap, with a hair of clearance. I called the company back and asked about the snaps, thinking there was an error in the snaps. "No, we use them all the time on 10oz leather in the shop." Turns out that they are using a hydraulic press to set them. So, my question is, what is the right length of shaft to look for? Using 7-8oz leather with 2-3 oz lining, these snaps won't cut it. I had a hard time setting them in about a 5oz leather, and I am using one of those punch setters and the little round anvil.

Those are some long guns right there! I guess that would make those long stem roses? Really good job on the tooling.

I just checked out the bluegun store. Free shipping sounds awesome, and N.C. isn't too far away. I kinda like the fact though, that CKK industries is only a couple hours away from me. The only way to get it quicker than priority, would be to drive there. Our Nissan gets good mileage, and I could almost make the drive for less than postage. However, next time it comes time to get a mold, I'll try out bluegunstore. Always good to have other sources.

Blue Gun was my first choice, but, they were out at the moment. Blue Guns are made in my home town, and I ALWAYS support the home team if I can. I also have to go with quickest turn around time (Which again, was HolsterSmith.com), especially in this case. New customer, and he is a local cop. If I get him hooked, the rest may follow. It has been my experience to keep the local cops happy.

I have an order for a Glock 22, and needed a holster mold for it. Since I ordered my last gun from HolsterSmith.com, and got a good deal on the Blue Gun, I went back. They were out of Blue Gun, but had HolsterMolds brand, and it was 5-10 bucks cheaper. The downside at that point, was that the trigger guard was filled in. Not really too bad. But I received it last night, and discover that the ejection port is also filled in. The weight was very light, and the finished surface looked like it was done by child labor.

Yeah, I kinda thought the different stages was a possibility, but only after I posted. And the tool I was asking about, was the basketweave on the first rig. I get most of my stamps from Hobby Lobby, and their selection is limited, if at all.

Sorry, my bad. I thought the shotgun shells were on the pistol belt. Didn't make sense, except for maybe being SASS, it would be possible to need a shotgun and pistols at different stages of a tournament. As for the coloring, I'm also learning about antiquing, and dyeing in general. I have noticed though, that when doing a holster rig, doing it all at once, and using the same leather, can make a big difference. Especially, if you are diluting the dye for each part, or custom mixing. But yeah, the holsters look a shade darker, which is why I mentioned it. And you still didn't say where you got the basket weave

Those look really nice, and I like that basket weave. Where did you find it? Now, the critique... It looks like the belt and holsters are slightly off in color. Did you do them at different times, or different leather? And why do you have shotgun shells with the pistols, and not their cartridges? Overall, ya done good.

That is some beautiful work. I could definitely go for one or two of those basket stamps, the pebble backgrounder, and a mexican skull. Can these be made into branding irons?

Nothing seriously wrong, just a really bad chronic shoulder pain. Anyways, talking to the Doc, answering questions- Wife "So, could it be caused by repetitive hand work? He does leather work, and is always sewing and tooling." Doc "What do you make?" Me "Holsters." Doc "What kind of holsters?" Me "I prefer Western Style, it has more personality, but all kinds really." Doc "How much, and could you make one for my Glock?" I tell ya, I'm living in the heart of gun lover's land, and that is just fine by me

Overall, it looks really nice. Good work on the stitching.

@Dwight- Thanks, that had occurred to me, but I wasn't sure. They have some other models at Bunkhouse, but the pistol in question has a 5 1/2" barrel, limiting my selection a bit. Not really, of course, since I can just draw the holster down a bit more than the mold. Either way, it looks like they are the only source for a 6 gun.

Instead of asking for examples, can anybody recommend a good book that covers the many styles? I've been pretty much sticking with Stohman's books, and would love to see other stuff.

I was listening to Car Talk, a radio help show. A woman called in, and asked them why it was that every time she turned on the A/C, dog kibbles would come out of the vents. The car guys deduced that she was leaving the dog food in the garage. Mice were grabbing the food, and tucking it away for safe keeping in the squirrel cage fan of her cars A/C system. They suggested keeping the food in a bucket with a secure lid. Solves one problem, but not the other. What has this to do with the post? Ya have to get rid of the mice. Cats, do ok, but are mostly useless... and a little evil and creepy. Get all the food cleaned up and stored securely. Clean up any uneaten bits of food. Set traps. Get some snakes, they can go into tiny spaces after mice, that cats can't. And somewhere, people are shuddering and screaming at the thought of snakes

Title says it all, I need a G22, no lazer, and a 45LC six gun. Need to buy them now, so giving y'all a chance to clean your shelf before I order online.

Possibly, but I wouldn't be sure of the correct size.

The jitter setting is just like walking a stamp. You can adjust the X and Y axis, so that when you click the mouse and move it, the brush moves back and forth or up and down in prescribed increments. Custom shapes would also work, but no jitter, and you would still need to have the actual stamp's impression scanned.