Denster

Gotta get the hang of this picture thing. Last one.

I got bored yesterday, with making holsters for others, and decided to make something for myself. I had a new Bowie, that a friend made for me, and it needed a sheath. I also had some left over 8OZ Hermann Oak so off I went.This is the first sheath I've made in a couple of years so there are some small whoops boos but all in all not too bad. The sheath has a double thickness welt at the spine tapering to single thickness at the clip point and a single thickness on the edge side.

I've bought over 30 of them in the last few months and all have been pretty nice especially for the price. All have been hard jacked which means high compression and I wouldn't recomend them if you intend to stamp as casing is tough. Makes really nice plain belts. I've backed the ones I've done with either 3oz kip or 4oz cowhide for a somewhat thinner but reliable concealed carry belt.

I use an oblong bag punch and a three pound maul. The slots are on the face of my pattern and I trace them out when I lay out the pattern. After both parts are cut out I punch the slots in the face. After gule up and stitch I go back through the slots in the face and cut out the back. I keep my bag punches very sharp and one quick whack generally does it.

Very nice for a first holster, actually very nice for a tenth or twentieth holster. You should be pleased and proud.

Whoops! Sorry my bad those are all shaded areas. If those areas look like the rest of the holster then you hammered it. As to the drum dyed HO the only differences I've noted is that it is slightly harder to cut, I strop my head knife slightly more often and it takes a little longer for moisture absorbtion when I wet form it. I use a lot of 7/8 and with natural I give it a 2 second dip prior to forming with the black I give it 5 seconds. Bones and holds detail as well as natural HO and no rub off the color is struck through. Good stuff I like it a lot. I normally have a lot of 6/7 aand 7/8 on hand if you'd like to try before you buy let me know and I'll send you a piece.

Near as I can see the basic design and execution is flawless. I noted the dye rub off at the top of the triggerguard and below the slide. Might want to touch it up. I hate dying holsters particularly black. I used to use Vinegaroon then went to HO drum dyed and haven't looked back.

Lobo pretty well laid it out regarding the category of makers. I put myself in the same category as Lobo with a different niche. I make holsters for handguns new on the market that, to me, seem well designed and will be popular. I will buy an example as soon as I can get my hands on it. Generally pays for itself in a couple of weeks. I look at other makers holsters. First does the design make sense. Second is it secure, safe, and suitable for it's purpose this in general also covers the materials, stitching etc. Lastly, form following function, are the cosmetic details ie: boning, accents, color and finish. Just my general take on things, others will differ I'm sure.

Really nice holster Bruce. I really like the tight stitchline right up to the weapon profile, that curved backsweep from the rear toe into the wing is a nice touch also.

The blade on the Harbor Freight groover is not sharpened. Get a blade from Tandy for their groover that looks the same. It will work in the Harbor Freight handle. Look at how the Tandy blade is shaped and sharpened and do the same to the one from Harbor Freight.

I'm going to speculate that your holster didn't reach the required degree of warming for any duration of time. The combination of time and temps between 95 and 120 degrees and the moisture in the leather are the keys to significant stiffening of the leather. The moisture in the correct temp range aborbes collagens from the leather and migrates through the fibers essentially glueing them in place.

After looking at the site you posted. I noted one of the previous steps stated (as Lobo posted) warmed to retain shape. I think the photo you posted is actually the finish being applied. Possibly diluted super sheen or resolene? Just a guess.

Go to www.highdesertleather.com in the do it yourself tab. They have the metal plate you are looking for.

Luis Your are very welcome. Glad I was able to help. Nice looking holster, you did good.

Check www.nationalwebbing.com . They advertise 3" in natural. Hope this helps.

Stop at your local Ace Hardware, Home Depot, Lowes etc. Pick up a brass kick plate for doors. This is about the right thickness for the plates and may work for the bands. Best cut with bench jig saw or lacking that a coping saw with a fine tooth metal cutting blade. If you use it for the bands also you will need to anneal it before bending. Simple to do just heat cherry red and quench in water. Makes it dead soft and easy to bend. Hope this helps.

That has a neat look to it.

The original poster asked a simple question. Could he use his CBOB as a mold to make holsters for the Kimber Micro. The simple answer is yes he can. Looking at his holsters they do not appear to be half assed although he is a new maker. What he makes might not be up to Jeff's or Dickf's standards but I would guess they will be serviceable. It would be nice if he had access to the customer's gun but from reading his post I doubt that is likely. Lobo pointed to the only real problem with the current design and the laser grip which is easily accomodated for. Let's not get this way off topic with a my ideas are better than yours feud.

Jeff makes a point. If you must mold the sweat shield always do it in the cocked and locked position. It is possible to disengage the safety with it molded in the hammer down position. Unlikely but possible. It is more likely to wipe off a safety when reholstering by contact with the edge of the sweat shield. Proper gun handling would dictate you recheck the safety after holstering. As to the length of the dust cover, going from the slightly longer CBOB to the Kimber there is not enough difference to make a difference. Lobo cought something I didn't notice. Particles design covers the area of the right grip were the CT laser bulges that would have to be accomodated. Following Dickf's logic you would have to have every model of gun with every possible combination of thumb safety and slide release on the market. While having more guns is good this is somewhat unrealistic. In this case anyway the thumb safety on the CBOB is wider than the Kimber so as long as it is molded in the CL position it is not something to be concerned with. Particle's original question was could he use his CBOB for the mold for the Kimber. Yes with some slight accomodations he can and have a nice product.

Those measurements are at the widest part of the gun in the area of the thumb safety. In the area of the slide ,frame ie: what goes in the holster they are essentially the same.

As long as they are open bottom holsters you can use your Wesson. The 3" barrel guns terminate about 1/8" forward of where the side of the slide starts to curve up on your Wesson. Just trim your pattern to that length and use your Wesson with the excess sticking out the bottom to form. The CT grips won't be in the road of anything so that is not a problem.

I have one and it works great as long as you are using beeswax/parafin to finish your edges. Essentially it is the same as the edge finisher that John Bianchi shows in his holster making DVDs. I use it exclusivley for belts , much faster and equally good as the Weaver. The Weaver outfit is good but really pricey for no more than you are getting.

Actually the ones from high desert are virtually identical. $2 a pop.

I don't believe you can get a better round knife than the Weaver Mastercraft. About $55 from Weaver Leather. You can pay a lot more but from experience you won't really get more. I actually sharpen mine about once a month. I do strop it whenever it stops gliding through leather. I cut about 100 holster patterns a month and I love it.

If you can get the leatherman and flashlight in it, put it on your belt and wear it around for a few hours. Leather will stretch a bit and you might have the perfect fit. If not you can always reform it. Most of the holsters I deliver are at first too tight to draw from. I include instructions to put the gun in it put it on the belt and tighten the way you normally would. After three or four hours of wear the holster is just right and keeps that form.