Lobo

Things were so much more civilized before pepper spray, stun guns, and tasers! Apply a little blunt force trauma, shatter a wrist, crack a skull, break a collarbone. Back in the '70's and '80's, when I was a working cop, our uniform trousers were made with a reinforced vertical pocket along the outer seam about mid-thigh height, intended to carry a sap. Many of us carried these, either in lieu of or in addition to a nightstick. I have several in my little collection. The better ones featured a spring-steel shank full length with a paddle-shaped chunk of lead, all encased in leather stitched around in a paddle-shape, usually with a leather strap to aid in retention (or use like a medieval flail). Bucheimer-Clark and several other holster-making companies offered these for many years. Another innovation was the "sap glove", leather gloves with panels stitched in to hold 4 or 5 ounces of powdered lead. These were made with the "sap" built over the knuckles or across the heel of the hand. I think the manufacturer was "Damascus", if memory serves correctly. Even a little "sissie-slap" could have a brutal effect. Possession or use of "sap gloves" became almost synonymous with "police brutality", and most law enforcement agencies had banned any kind of sap-type device by the mid-80's or so. When I bacame a chief, and started writing and enforcing rules and regulations, I made sure that "unauthorized weapons" were broadly defined and completely prohibited. I would be very careful about offering such items for sale. Several states have laws prohibiting ownership, transfer, sale, etc, or limiting such items to law enforcement agencies or personnel.

Much of the retention quality of a pancake-style holster is provided by the belt tension applied fore-and-aft, pulling the holstered weapon into the body. A good sturdy belt is every bit as important as the holster that it is intended to support. Retention qualities can be substantially increased by good fitting work, and boning of the major points (trigger guard, ejection port, etc) will contribute to the goal. If additional retention qualities are needed (or if the customer just requires additional peace of mind) a thumb-break might be considered. Many of the tactical accessories (lasers, lights, etc) that I have looked at could cause some problems due to bulk, overall size, and widths exceeding those of the pistol to which they are to be mounted. These can make forming a holster a bit of a problem, since the requirement for the larger space is near the bottom of the holster so the upper portion and holster mouth may need to remain larger than the portions of the handgun they contain. Another potential issue that I have seen with many of these accessory items is the materials of which they are made. Plastic laser and light modules will certainly be more subject to holster wear than any handgun part. Anodized aluminum mounts and housings are certain to display wear from friction very quickly. Exposed screw-heads on mounting brackets could tear grooves inside a leather holster during repeated use. Should any of these things occur you can be reasonably certain that the customer will blame the holster maker, not his "tacti-cool" accessories. My thoughts, for what they may be worth.

Forming, stitching, and finish work all look very nice. The issue of ride height when carried IWB has been covered already, and BigRiverLeather's point about a shield is well taken for IWB-carry. A small point, but perhaps important, is the orientation of the magazine in the carrier. A right-handed shooter will usually want the magazine oriented with the bullets pointing forward, allowing a natural grasp and motion for reloading with the left hand. As made, your pouch would function correctly for a left-handed shooter. Best regards.

As a young man (quite a few years ago) I desperately wanted to be a comedian, but everyone just laughed. Devastating experience for a young man, but I got over it and went to work for a living anyway. Occasionally, life delivers an opportunity to entertain with a joke or two. I actually drafted a couple of delightful responses to this post before I decided to do no more than point out the obvious paths that a "straight man" comedian might take, given the questions raised. Without further elaboration (or incurring the wrath of forum administrators) I think this should be more than sufficient to entertain those whose minds have perceived the humor that is possible here. Time? Temperature? Moulding? Baking? How long? Almost irresistable stuff for a wannabe comedian! Please forgive me for not playing the "straight man" this time. It could have been much fun. Apologies to JoshDuvall, but sometimes I just can't resist the impulses completely.

A quick follow-up on this: I have received several messages from those who would like to make holsters along the lines of my Enhanced Pancake and Advanced Avenger models. I am not a lawyer, and I don't play one on television, but I thought I would set out a few thoughts. First, there is nothing new about forming a piece of leather to keep sidearms secure, protected, and accessible. People were doing that long before written languages were developed. Second, there is very little in holster design that is truly new. A bit of research will usually bring to light similar efforts by others somewhere or sometime. Patents for holster designs are very difficult to establish, and even more difficult to enforce. Copyrighted material, on the other hand, is pretty easy to protect from unauthorized use, and we should all be very careful about applying another makers' product names to our own products. Third, anyone may copy an existing product for his own personal use without worrying about legal consequences. Fourth, my Enhanced Avenger and Enhanced Pancake models feature the application of welted-seam construction (a method with a long history) to certain pre-existing holster designs. Essentially, a number of pre-existing ideas combined in a new way to achieve certain results that I believe to be new. So, anyone who wishes to make use of my applications of welted-seam construction to holsters of the pancake style, or the "Professional" (aka: Avenger) style, may do so. No permission is required. For those offering such holsters for sale to others, all I ask is a simple acknowledgement in any publication or advertisement of the source of the idea; a simple "design influenced by those of Lobo Gun Leather" or similar statement will completely satisfy me. "Enhanced Avenger" and "Enhanced Pancake" are copyrighted trade names owned by CoryCo LLC, Dba: Lobo Gun Leather, and should not be used in the promotion of the products of others. Best regards to all.

Very nice work indeed, Mike. Thank you for your comments on my little contribution to the evolution of pancake-style holsters. The Enhanced Pancake (and Enhanced Avenger) designs came about after a great deal of thought, and more than a little bit of experimentation and testing. The results have been very satisfying, and these designs now account for more than half of all orders. Customer feedback has been very good, and repeat orders are frequently received. In short, the many hours of trial and error, the dozens of prototypes produced and tested, and the frustrations that ended up in the "chew toy" box have all been rewarded very nicely. Those who have visited my website will have noticed that I go to some lengths to recognize the innovations and influences of those who came before me. I am very pleased to have my efforts recognized by experienced makers like you. Imitation may be a form of flattery, as noted. Giving credit to those whose efforts have contributed to our own is the highest form of courtesy in this business. You have given me great pleasure by your efforts and your comments. Best regards.

Some dyes can inhibit water absorption by the leather fibers, and the surfaces can become more resistant to tool passage during the forming process. I would suggest leaving the piece in the water a bit longer to permit more water to be absorbed prior to forming. Very smooth tools will work more easily than those with any residual roughness, and with less tendency to "bunch" the leather or abrade the surface. You may find it helpful to do your forming inside a thin plastic bag or kitchen plastic wrap, applying tool pressure through the plastic. This can also keep dye transfer to a minimum on your hands and tools. Best regards.

BTT one time.

No Popeye here, and I don't care much for canned spinach. My experience with the Tippmann Boss machine is limited to about two years, during which I turned out over 2,000 holsters plus assorted belts and accessories, so I will readily admit to my limitations in ability and experience. Patterns cut and assembled, stitching grooves cut and ready to go? 50 or 60 stitches per minute poses no particular problem, unless one likes to admire each one individually as it takes place. About 7 months ago I added a Cobra Class 4 machine, and I find it to be everything Cobra Steve has described it as (or in the words of Mr. John Bianchi, the "Dream Machine"). I have found this machine to be an absolute pleasure to operate, easy to maintain, and exceptionally precise in its applications. For general production work I can't imagine anything to compare, and I doubt that any company stands behind their products like Steve at Leather Machine Company has done. That having been said, I will keep my Tippmann Boss machine and use it for occasional small jobs, and I find it to be very handy for prototype work. My apprentice likes the Boss quite well, it not being as intimidating as the 300-pound pedestal-mounted Cobra Class 4, and she can stitch out holster patterns just about as fast as she can cut and assemble them, on the Boss machine (she can cut 12 to15-plus patterns per hour by hand, by the way, and usually gets more work done before lunch than most people get done all day, so I don't mind buying her a good lunch). I find little difference in overall production time between using the Tippmann Boss machine and the Cobra Class 4 "Dream Machine". Where I do perceive differences is in the ease of operation, ease of adjustment, ease of maintenance, and much reduced operator fatigue when using the Cobra Class 4 machine. The Tippmann Boss is a fine machine, limited by the requirements for frequent adjustments in thread tensioning and stitch length, and prone to parts breakage caused by production of critical parts in zinc alloys rather than more durable metals (my opinion only, your experience may be different). Frankly, I would still be using the Tippmann Boss machine for general production work except for the frequency of repairs due to parts failures (during my limited experience of two years-plus). Tippmann's customer service has always been very good, and I have never had any complaints about their follow-through efforts, but in a business that requires production on a time schedule there is no room for breakdowns that require waiting for replacement parts on a regular basis. Lots of room here for opinions and, as usual, we have a forum member who steps up with an opinion. Sometimes opinions are accompanied by documented facts and/or real-world experience. Sometimes opinions are merely stated as a means of self-expression. Sometimes opinions are inserted as a means of trying to trigger a response from others. I have chosen to respond with facts and real-world experience. Maybe some will appreciate the effort to contribute, rather than to gratuitously challenge others. Best regards.

I was recently contact by a referal customer in the Raleigh, North Carolina area. Customer has a S&W Model 41 .22 cal. semi-auto with red-dot scope mounted. Would like to have a belt holster made for general field use. Job will require access to the pistol/scope combination for patterning and forming, so a maker in that vicinity would be best. If interested send me a PM or e-mail, I will respond with customer's e-mail address.

Both belts look very good. Given your proven talent, I expect nothing but perfection will result from your continuing efforts. My Cobra Class 4 stitcher is set up at about 60 stitches per minute, which is actually pretty comparable to what can be done on the Tippmann Boss. I like the added control of slower speed. I estimate about 10 minutes per belt for stitching (fancy stitch patterns take considerably more time, both to lay out the pattern and to perform). When doing several belts at a time I like to use the roller guide, but I frequently do a belt or two without taking the time to set up the roller guide. Staying in the stitching groove on a belt isn't all that difficult to do. Looking good, sir.

Gun show instructions: 1. Spend an hour or two getting there and setting up your display. 2. Spend 8 or 10 hours on your feet, keeping a close eye on everything you have displayed to make sure nothing grows legs and walks away. 3. Answer a dozen questions per hour, usually one of which makes sense. 4. Smile as you politely decline each offer to "take it off your hands" from the bargain hunters. 5. Listen to a couple of lectures daily about what you're doing wrong, what you should be doing, and how you should be doing it. 6. Eat lousy food from gut-truck concessionaires. Take plenty of antiacid tablets. NEVER drink the coffee! 7. Spend an hour or two packing up and going home. 8. Take the phone calls from the two guys who bought holsters from you, then traded off the guns that fit those holsters, and now would like to have a refund. 9. Take the phone call from the guy who bought the holster for the gun he was going to buy, then bought a different gun, and found another holster for that gun, and would like to have a refund. 10. Add up your total sales, subtract your booth rental and materials costs, deduct your gasoline and meals, then compare what is left (if any) to the number of hours you spent making everything and tied to a table for 2 or 3 days. 11. Take the solemn oath never to do it again. I've also had a few folks who wanted to order a quantity of my products to sell at gun shows. Typical questions: Q: Will you give me a couple of dozen on consignment? A: No. Q: If they don't sell can I return them for a refund? A: No. Q: Will you pay the booth rental if I man it for you and handle sales for a commission? A: No. Q: What do you think will sell the best? A: Left-handed cross-draw holsters for 1895 Mosin Nagant 7.62mm revolvers with barrels cut down to 2" and target sights installed. But only if you have one in the right color. Q: What is the right color? A: The one you don't have with you. Q: You don't think this is a good idea, do you? A: Yes, I do. It's such a good idea that I will give you a 20% discount on everything I have in stock right now so you can take it all to the next gun show! Cash only at that price, of course. Sorry, no checks.

One of my regular customers accuses me of producing "leather pornography" and says he just can't get enough of it! As some of you know, I started offering the classic Tom Threepersons' style holsters with hand-carving to the original pattern on Tom's original holster (c. 1920) a couple of years ago. These have been very well received and a steady stream of orders comes in from afficionadoes of the classics. This one is for a 4" Smith & Wesson Model 29 in .44 Magnum (displayed with my S&W 629 Deluxe .44 mag) in cordovan brown, with matching carved belt. These are always a pleasure to complete.

I have been contacted by a gentleman in the Houston, TX area who needs a holster made for an unusual revolver, requiring access to the weapon for patterning and fitting. If interested, please contact me by e-mail (contact page on my website) and reference "Kenith". I will forward your contact information to the customer. Best regards.

11/12 oz. veg-tanned is very heavy stuff, probably better suited for belts than for holsters. Even 9/10 oz. is pretty stout for most holster applications. I like to keep some 8/9 and 9/10 on hand for very heavy duty pieces, but most of my production holsters are either 7/8 or 6/7, depending on holster style and the size and weight of the handgun being fitted. IWB-style holsters in particular are sensitive to excessive bulk, so I would recommend either 6/7 or 7/8 for most IWB designs. Each "ounce" of leather weight quoted equals about 1/64", so 8-oz. should be right at 1/8" thickness. Best regards.

I have no problems with thumb-breaks in general. That option is offered on most of my holster designs, and is standard on a couple. My problem is specifically with thumb-breaks on IWB-style holsters, worn between the belt/trousers and body where it can be very difficult or impossible to release the thumb-break when the body is in a number of positions and circumstances. Quite a few agencies require thumb-break (or "positive mechanical retention") on holsters used by their officers. Officers employed by those agencies, when acting within the scope of employment, are typically covered by workers' compensation, insurance (medical, disability, life), and pension plans (retirement and/or disability). The employing agency is generally liable for acts of employees when performing within the scope of employment (including rules, regulations, laws, etc). However, when said employee is outside the employing jurisdiction, or engaged in outside employment (part-time security jobs, etc), or acting outside the scope of employment (rules, regulations, laws, etc), the employing agency is largely shielded from responsibility or liability. Others may proceed as they wish when receiving orders for IWB-style holsters with thumb-breaks. As for me, a bad idea remains a bad idea, and avoiding any potential exposure to unnecessary claims just makes good business sense. Best regards.

Two layers of 6/7 oz. can make a very nice gun belt, cemented and stitched together. 6/7 works quite well in holsters for smaller, lighter handguns. 6/7 makes a good IWB-style holster for many applications. 6/7 can also be lined with 2/3 or so to make good lined holsters. 6/7 works very well for magazine and ammunition pouches. Lots of uses.

The Enhanced Pancake model utilizes welted-seam construction, a third layer of leather between the inner and outer holster panels. I developed this approach in 2009, first applied to the Avenger style and later to the pancake style. The welts consist of a reinforcing "spacer" in the holster's "wings" (belt attachment points), and serve several purposes: 1. The strength and rigidity of the finished holster are greatly increased, permitting the highest practical ride on the belt without tipping out away from the body due to the weight of the holstered handgun. 2. A natural sight track is formed, permitting the front sight to enter and exit the holster with little or no contact with the leather. 3. The interior space of the holster "pocket" is modestly increased, allowing the stitch-lines to be located very close to the outline of the handgun. 4. Tunnel-style belt loops can be applied, eliminating the lumps common to the typical slots used for belt attachment. This improves comfort as well as providing a smooth uninterrupted outer holster shell over which the cover garment can glide without obstruction. Here are a few photos showing the construction details of the Enhanced Pancake being made for a 2" S&W J-frame during product development: By the way, I consider this method of making the pancake-style and Avenger (Professional)-style holster to be a unique and proprietary method, although patents of such things are next to impossible to obtain or enforce. "Enhanced Pancake" and "Enhanced Avenger" are copyrighted trade names of CoryCo LLC, Dba: Lobo Gun Leather. Those wishing to utilize this method for their personal use may do so, of course. Those applying this method to holsters offered for sale are asked to show the courtesy of acknowledging the source. In other words, I don't mind sharing and helping others when I can, but I am rather proud of this development and expect my developments to be respected, as I respect the work of others. Best regards.

There seems to be a sheriff in Texas who knows just how to get me to work. The gentleman contacted me to say that he had seen a photo of my personal carry rig and wanted one just like it. Feeling rather flattered by that, I produced it for him. Enhanced Pancake model holster, single mag pouch with shield, handcuff case, and two-layer belt with fancy stitching. Made for a Colt Government Model .45 pistol, shown with my Kimber Custom CDP wearing a pretty nice pair of stag grips. Fine tooling and exotic leathers can be real nice, but there is something to be said for a nice piece of plain old cowhide.

Greg: As DickF has described, the thumb-break adds a rather significant obstacle to getting the weapon out of the holster and into service when needed. I also have concerns that the IWB holster, wedged tightly into the body in use with a thumb-break compressed between body and weapon, could make it impossible to disengage the thumb-break while the body is in some positions. Life and death scenarios happen suddenly, frequently without warning, and may involve physical altercations prior to the necessity for employing deadly force. These situations do not make allowances for too many errors. During my law enforcement career I experienced quite a few difficult situations. I have had to fight to retain control of my weapon on occasion. I have been involved in physical confrontations with multiple aggressors in which weapons were drawn on me while I was physically defending myself. I have had to draw my weapon while standing, while sitting, while driving a car, while wrestling and handcuffing a suspect on the ground, and while dropping and rolling away from the side of a car in which the driver had pointed a pistol at me. I have been shot, stabbed, slashed with a straight razor, run down by a car, and thrown off the balcony of an apartment building, all of which stopped being fun the very first time they happened! About the only thing I can't recall is having to face off with a bad guy in the middle of the street in front of a saloon at high noon and seeing who could draw the fastest, or shoot the straightest. Some ideas are just not all that good. In my opinion, IWB-style holsters with thumb-breaks are not a good idea for people who have any expectation of having to defend themselves. As Mr. Murphy famously pointed out, anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and it will always happen at the worst possible time.

I recently received a request for an IWB-style holster with thumb-break for a S&W J-frame revolver. As most of us having much experience with IWB-style holsters know, a thumb-break retention device on such a holster can make it difficult, if not impossible, to access the revolver under some circumstances. I responded to Mr. Customer, advising him of the potential for problems with the holster he wanted to order. Mr. Customer, an experienced law enforcement officer, replied to the effect that he was fully aware of the issues described, but still wanted to order the holster as specified. Here is my response to Mr. Customer: ---------------------------------------------------- Requests like yours put me in the position of making a decision based upon the risks and benefits of proceeding. While I have no doubt that you have the experience and knowledge to make good choices for your personal gear, I also know that I would be entering into an area of potential liability exposure in the event that what I know might occur does actually occur. A lawyer might better explain, but basically I remain exposed even when the customer has knowingly and willingly released me from liability. Prior releases simply are not a valid defense, and your prior release would have no effect whatsoever on potential claims brought by your family or others after a preventable tragedy. I carry car insurance, but I still do everything I can to avoid accidents. I carry business insurance, but I have to do everything that I can to avoid liability exposures. In this case, my decision is pretty simple. The profit from a holster sale is not sufficient inducement for me to expose myself or my insurance carrier to a potential claim related to a preventable incident of death or serious bodily harm arising from the use of one of my products. With all due respect, I must decline your order and urge you to reconsider having such a holster made for your use. Best regards, <signature> --------------------------------------------------------------------- We all receive requests from potential customers for products that we know in advance will not work as the customer intends. Sometimes what the customer wants may pose risks in actual use. No amount of profit can justify producing some holster designs. It is best to always remember what we are dealing with in holster making, real firearms carried by real people in real situations, usually with live ammunition! For what it may be worth to you.

Paricle: As usual, your work shows outstanding skill and artistry. In response to your questions, I would offer: 1. The cylinder bulge can be used to increase retention qualities, if you wish to do so. Forming the holster mouth around the rear of the cylinder will serve this function. This also makes re-holstering more difficult, and you will probably note accelerated wear in this area after a brief period of use. Flaring the holster mouth slightly will facilitate re-holstering (as noted by others) while making little, if any, difference in overall retention qualities. 2. Pancake-style holsters, in general, get much of their retention qualities from belt tensioning which pulls the outer holster panel inward against the body. This is true for both revolvers and semi-auto handguns. The overall shape of typical revolvers presents some challenges, with the wide frame and cylinder bulge near the holster mouth and the narrow barrel lower in the holster; which is one of the reasons why pancake-style holsters are a prefered method for carrying revolvers. The trigger guard area is the most prominent feature that provides opportunities for enhancing retention in revolver holsters, and close forming and boning at the trigger guard will be more effective than just about anything else we can do on a revolver holster. 3. In my opinion, reinforcement bands or panels provide relatively little benefit on traditional 2-panel pancake-style holsters. Since the inner and outer panels are joined by stitch-lines fore-and-aft of the weapon, those are the points at which we can expect the holster to flex under pressure. Thus, the addition of another layer of leather serves primarily as added bulk (although your beautifully tooled panels are certainly an aesthetic addition) rather than actual reinforcement of the holster mouth. Personally, I have settled on 6/7 oz. veg-tanned for pancakes intended for the smaller and lighter handguns, and I think that it provides all the strength required for these applications. I usually use 7/8 oz. for most applications, and 8/9 oz. for the larger and heavier pieces. Your basic design for the traditional 2-panel pancake is much like my own, and I notice that you also pre-form the holster to body contour, which contributes greatly to function and comfort. Unlike some other makers, revolver holsters account for about half of my production (and the J-frame S&W's are very popular indeed). With your superior skills I think that you will quickly gain a following among revolver users as you develop your designs and add to your offerings. Best regards.

I think you will be pleased with the PT1911. I have spoken with several owners and all seem to be very happy with that model. My avatar photo shows my daily carry rig for the Kimber Custom CDP .45 pistol. This is my Enhanced Pancake model with single mag pouch on my B8 two-layer tapered belt with a fancy stitching pattern. This is the most comfortable and concealable holster I have ever used, especially for the larger handguns. This design is a little tricky to make, utilizing welted-seam construction in the fore-and-aft wings (a third layer of leather between the inner and outer holster panels). Patterning of each piece is critical, and location of stitch-lines can be a challenge. The welts add significantly to the strength and rigidity of the finished holster, permitting the highest practical ride on the belt. The welts permit very close forming to the handgun profile, a natural sight channel is created that permits the front sight to enter and exit the holster with little or no contact with the leather, and tunnel-style loops provide enhanced comfort in use. The ride is quite high and close to the body. The uninterrupted smooth outer shell allows the cover garment to glide over the holstered handgun without snagging. This design was developed in 2009 and announced on January 1, 2010. Since that time the Enhanced Pancake model has accounted for over 40% of all new orders, and has been adopted for standard-issue equipment by a European country's national investigation agency (contract provisions prevent me from naming the agency in advertising, but I'll take bragging rights anyway). Those wishing to make holsters for their own use may do so, of course. For those offering designs based on this approach, I would suggest that an acknowledgement of the source would be appropriate. "Enhanced Pancake" is a copyrighted trade name of Lobo Gun Leather, CoryCo LLC, so that terminology should not be used for marketing purposes. Best regards.

Very nice design and workmanship. I would offer a couple of suggestions: 1. A little more space between the grip-frame and leather behind the trigger guard would permit a solid "shooting grip" to be taken during the draw. To maintain the same holster cant this would require a little higher ride with your basic design, and that may not be what your customer specified. 2. I prefer a bit more length on the thumb-break release tab. Holsters for defensive handguns should present as few challenges to accessibility as possible. My thoughts, for what they are worth. Best regards.

Donnie: For traditional 2-panel pancake holsters the general rule is to allow 1/2 the thickness of the weapon plus the thickness of your leather (8 oz. veg-tanned is about 1/8" thickness). So, a semi-auto pistol with a thickness of 1" results in offsetting the stitch lines by 5/8"; a pistol having a thickness of .850" requires an offset of 0.425" + 0.125", or 0.55"; and so forth. This will get you very close to where you want to be in most cases. Thickness of various parts of a handgun may vary considerably (slide, trigger guard, dust cover, revolver cylinders, etc, all provide variations). Some of this may be overcome by stretching during the wet-forming process, but that can also result in unpredictable distortion of your stitch lines. Over time you will develop patterns that provide the exact fit you want for each handgun model. I suggest starting and maintaining a file of stitching patterns for each holster design and handgun model; this allows you to replicate the results you want in future production. Locating stitch lines for a proper fit with other holster styles requires a different approach. When first patterning a particular holster design for a new handgun application I prefer to make a heavy paper pattern (manila file folders work well for this). The pattern can be formed around the handgun and the outline traced as nearly as possible. Variations will need to be made depending on how you are constructing your seams. A 2-layer seam requires a bit more leather to accomodate the handgun's thickness. A welted-seam provides additional rigidity while also permitting closer fitting to the handgun profile. Allowances need to be made for forming sight channels, if that feature is to be incorporated. Again, leather stretching will take place during the wet-forming process, and this needs to be accounted for to reach the best result. Expect some trial and error with each new application, and when you have fine-tuned your pattern for that holster design and handgun, that pattern should be saved for future use. Paper patterns can be transfered onto more durable materials such as Plexiglas, Lexan, or thin plywood. The pattern can be cut to exact shape then stitch lines, belt slots, and other features can be cut in with a router. This is tedious and detailed work, but the result can become far more permanent than paper. Making 8 standard holster models with 4 common options for over 90 different handguns, I have hundreds of patterns in my files, so I have seldom made the effort to pursue this method. As my patterns start showing wear and tear I just copy them and cut a new pattern. Over time you will develop the ability to estimate very closely when patterning new designs and working with new handguns, based upon your experiences with others. You can also expect a surprise now and then when your estimating does not produce the result you were expecting. It's all part of the learning curve, and that curve never stands still (at least not for me). Best regards.