Lobo

I looked for a long-slide dummy gun a while back and did not find anything by Rings or ASP. Duncans might be able to help (aluminum castings). Duncans, Bay City, Michigan 989-894-6691, www.duncansoutdoor.com. I have a current order for a Colt Single-Action Army with 4.75" barrel in a closed-end holster, so my 7.5" won't do the job. Duncans took my order last Friday and the dummy arrived Wednesday. If they have it in stock they get it out quickly. If you have to wait until the next casting run it might be a few weeks. Some folks don't care for the aluminum dummies from Duncans, as the exteriors can be a little rough. I've found them to be just fine for most applications, and they make more models than anyone else.

The alcohol certainly makes a difference. Firmness of the formed piece is noticably increased, comparable to forced drying using heat to induce evaporation. There is definitely a difference, but I think I've found a way to utilize it to some advantage. For the past several months I have been immersion dying as a means of keeping up production times. I've been using Fiebings spirit-based dyes diluted about 50% with isopropyl alcohol. Color saturation is very good. Black usually requires just a quick exterior coat of dye prior to final finishing. Browns require attention to the immersion time to achieve desired shadings. This solution evaporates out quite quickly (under an hour from dunking the holster in the dye to dry-to-the-touch stage). At first I was forming and boning prior to dying, but have found that I can simply dunk the holster quickly, set it aside for 20 to 40 minutes, then form and bone using the residual alcohol for the required moisture. If it gets to a point where my boning tools start dragging on the leather, I've found that a quick surface swabbing with plain isopropyl alcohol returns it to the ideal state where the tool glides easily. The alcohol has fully evaporated out and the piece is bone-dry within a few hours, so final finishing processes can be started same day if necessary. Usually I have cut all of my work at one time (doing 8 to 12 items in a production batch), then sew everything at one time, dress all edges, then dye everything, then form everything, then burnish everything, then oil everything, then apply final finishes to everything. The usually means a 5-day production cycle, with the overnight periods permitting drying, etc. Recently, I made a mistake on one order (forgot to install a lining, as ordered), and needed to get the piece to the customer. So, I cut another one, cemented in the lining, sewed it up, dyed it and formed it in the morning, then oiled it that afternoon, let the oil settle overnight and finished it out the next morning and had it ready to ship in 48 hours (after the acrylic had cured out overnight). Made the customer happy (and the "mistake" also sold within a week). I am confident that I can do a batch of a dozen holsters in a 3-day cycle, if the need arises.

Without a doubt, the best edge finishing work I think I have ever seen. I have to produce 20 to 30 items per week to meet demand, and I think I do a pretty good job with every piece. When I look at work like yours I am humbled by the possibilities. Best regards.

Zaptoid: Please don't allow yourself to be stuck with anything! Find a way to make it happen. I have eight grandchildren, and a great-grandson. I have spent most of my life stuck doing the necessary while putting off the things that I might like to do, might be able to create (if only I had the time, money, etc). I'm at a point in my life now where I don't owe anybody anything. The house is paid for, the vehicles are paid for, the Harley Davidson is paid for, the boat is paid for. In short, I can do what I want to whenever I wish. I find that what I want to do involves creating things that other folks are willing to pay me well to create for them. Please don't misunderstand me. I am not advising you to give up the day job to pursue some dream. All I am saying is that no one should ever allow himself to feel "stuck", you should let yourself do the best you can with every opportunity that presents itself. For me, the connection/infatuation is obviously the Threepersons-style. For you, it seems to be the western style. The world has plenty of room for whatever you choose to create, or re-create. I don't profess to be an artist, I don't even profess to be a craftsman; all I know is that I can turn out good quality holsters and gear for those that want them at a reasonable price. When I needed an artist, I went to leatherworker.net and found people to help me fill those needs. Best regards.

Good basic design. I see what you are refering to on the stitch line around the trigger guard, but this is very minor indeed. Very nice high-gloss finish. Stitching and edges look very good. Overall, I don't see much to be disappointed about. Very nice effort and execution.

Very nice workmanship. Your adaptation of snap-loops on an Avenger style is something I have not seen before, and I like the way you have set up the back side. You have obviously put a lot of thought into the design, and a lot of effort into the execution. Very good results.

Dwight, you have brought up several interesting points. Shoulder holsters require a great deal of thought in design and execution, otherwise they are nothing more than uncomfortable fashion statements. I appreciate your post.

A lot of handgun there! Takes a lot of leather, put together by a skilled craftsman who understood the requirements. Nice job!

You are right. El Paso Saddlery makes a very fine example of the Threepersons-style holster. Don Hume of Miami, Oklahoma has been making very nice Threepersons-style holsters for many years. Bucheimer-Clark made their version. In fact, many of Safariland's and Bianchi's products can be traced to the Threepersons original by S.D. Myres Saddlery Company, one of the finest makers ever. Every holster manufacturer of the 20th Century provided some direct or indirect application of this design, it was (and is) that popular! The entire point of this exercise was to recreate not only the original style, but to provide it with the original carving pattern. No other holster maker is doing this, or has done this to my knowledge. This 90-year old design is a classic in itself, a credit to its original designer (Tom Threepersons) and original maker (S.D. Myres Saddlery). There have been many, many imitations since 1920, but there is only one recreation of the original style and carving pattern. I am making it now. By the way, photos posted on my website this morning about 9:00AM; first order arrived prior to 12:00 Noon. Now working with the artist doing my carving on a matching belt and other accessories, as this market seems to demand matching sets.

Note to moderators: previous posts on this topic have been moved to other categories. I appreciate your attention, but this subject might best appeal to holster makers in general, so I will continue posting here. Those of you who have followed this topic know that I have been pursuing both the re-creation of a 90-plus year old holster pattern, as well as re-creating the original Sheridan-style carving of the original holster. Tom Threepersons was a legendary lawman, serving in San Antonio and El Paso, Texas during the early 20th Century. He designed a holster for his own use and had it produced by the excellent company S.D. Myres Saddlery. That design is probably the most copied and most popular belt holster design in history, becoming the standard for American law enforcement, standard issue for the FBI for many years, and evolved into most of the patterns still being marketed today. Following an earlier post a forum member submitted a photo of an original Threepersons holster, now residing in a private collection. I was absolutely intrigued with the possibility of not only re-creating the original holster pattern, but matching it with the original hand carving pattern. Where else to look but leatherworker.net? I ran a couple of posts, received multiple replies, and commissioned a couple of very talented people to do some carving in the original style. This post exhibits two holsters of very similar style, both carved by the same artist, both assembled and finished by me (all mistakes are mine entirely, by the way!). Thought that I would share this with you folks, as prior posts appear to have been popular. Photos show two similar holsters featuring two different retention devices. One incorporates a strap with snap (allowing simple rotation forward to permit a "ready" position) and one uses a fob-style hammer tab, easily flipped off with the finger. These holsters are hand-carved in considerable detail. Any attempt to fit a handgun by boning would destroy detail in the carving, so these are "blocked and cased", i.e. wet-formed to the handgun with nothing more than finger pressure and no tools permitted. The resulting fit is sufficient that either holster can be held upside down while retaining the handguns (S&W Model 19 for one and S&W Model 686 for the other). Materials used included Hermann Oak 8-oz veg-tanned leather for the carved shells, lining is 2-oz. glove leather. Finish includes a "color wash" that I have devised using a water-soluable brown dye that penetrates easily at edges and carved surfaces, but less so on smooth leather, followed by the classic neatsfoot oil treatment, and acrylic finish. These holsters were finished today, so there remains a few light and dark areas where the oil is still "settling in"; those will even out over the next day or two. One of the weaknesses of the original Threepersons-style holster is the belt loop. Most originals and reproductions had belt loops fitted for very large belts. Mine are pre-formed to fit a specific belt width so that the holster will reliably retain its position on the belt. Originals also featured no retention, then simple hammer thongs. I am making this style with the fob-style hammer tab, rotating snap strap, and with thumb-break. If you haven't caught on just yet, this is not 21st Century technology! I have pursued this project out of a genuine admiration for the original designer and those holster makers who have made this style a legend in its own right. For many years I have made holsters for concealed carry. These are not intended to be fashion statements (they aren't even intended to be seen, are they?). When I saw an opportunity to re-create not only a classic holster design, but to include the original carving pattern, I lost all perspective and went into this project at full speed. I have enjoyed every minute of it, and I have several customers waiting in line for these! Best regards.

Monica: In my experience, the X-style harness does not support weight evenly and is very prone to shifting due to the weight of the holstered handgun. Unless there is some support on the off-side (such as a strap fastening to the belt) this will be a constant irritant in use and wear. This is one of the most difficult problems to overcome in shoulder holster design. Concealed carry does not permit one to be constantly shifting the harness every time he gets into a car, gets out of a car, bends over, or otherwise exercises the normal movements of the body. In order to function as desired, the X-style harness requires equalization of the weight on both sides of the body, and even then can permit some shifting in normal movement. For the direction that you are heading with this project I would suggest tie-down straps on both sides to anchor the weight to the belt via the harness. Even with these added, comfort can be an elusive dream with a shoulder holster for the heavier handguns. Best regards.

Beautiful craftsmanship on the knife and sheath. Your English is much better than my German will ever be!

Nice looking work. The little dark line between the layers of the burnished edge could be the cement used, possibly a reaction to the burnishing friction. I don't see it as a problem at all.

Pretty short list there, Rayban!

Exceptionally nice work. Best regards.

Beautiful work! Thank you for sharing. I will look forward to seeing more of your posts here. Best regards,

Here are a few that I have done recently. One is a pancake-style set up for dual-carry (strong side or cross-draw). One photo shows a pair of holsters for N-frame S&W revolvers, modification of the Avenger style with belt slot and tunnel loop on the back side. One is a snap-loop attachment for a J-frame S&W without hammer shields, set at a rather extreme cross-draw angle. You mentioned maintaining the angle during wear. This is best done by making sure that the holster's attachment points (slots, loops, etc) are formed to fit the belt being used. This stabilizes the holster on the belt and prevents shifting of the holstered handgun during normal movements of the body. Hope this helps you.

The Sig models 229, 228, 239, 225, 220, and 230/232 have been consistent sellers for me. The main problem seems to be the rails, so many variations! I have nearly a full desk drawer filled with Sig dummies! But at least each one gets used frequently, so I don't really mind. Hope this helps.

Having been involved in the original concept, I have given a fair amount of thought to this (while cutting, sewing, forming, dying, finishing, etc). Here are my conclusions. This would be something that hobbyists (those making holsters for themselves, perhaps a few friends and acquaintances) might find of interest occasionally. However, someone making a holster for himself, or for a friend, has access to the handgun for which the holster will be made, so how frequently will a dummy gun be rented? Those of us who are making holsters and accessories as a business know that most customers want rapid service. Any significant delay in delivering an order can only result in an unhappy customer. So we buy what we need to have on hand to meet orders as they come in. If I saw that sufficient potential existed to realize a reasonable return on the investment required to start up such an enterprise I would do it. I do not see that potential, so I won't. Best regards.

Beautiful work, Monica. I, too, handstitched everything for over 30 years. Had to do one by hand a few weeks ago while waiting for broken part replacement for my machine; felt like I was being punished for something! Again, exceptionally nice presentation.

I have had this come up from time to time. Usually this involves customers who have not experienced a holster closely fitted to a specific handgun, rather than the more generic fit of some products on the market. As Woolfe has pointed out, many products (spray silicone, mink oil, and others) that might be tried can have a tendency to overly soften the leather, thus overcoming the integrity of the molding process. I like to point out to customers that the close fitting is beneficial in additional retention qualities as well as limiting movement of the handgun within the holster during use (which I believe to be the primary cause of holster wear to the handgun finish). Should the customer persist in wanting something to slick up the interior surfaces, I suggest using waxed paper wrapped around the weapon and repeated insertions and extractions, which transfers some dry wax to the leather surfaces. It is tedious to do, and one will go through a lot of waxed paper, but it does work to a degree and does not transfer anything harmful to the finished leather.

Going back just a few years, the majority of handguns were polished and blued. Most current production handguns feature stainless steel and/or more durable surface finishes (manganese phosphate and others). Holster linings were very popular for protection of the handgun finish from holster wear. Both suede and smooth leathers were used by many makers for this purpose. I offer linings because many customers will not consider an unlined holster. As Woolfe pointed out, all leather articles tend to collect and hold moisture (from the atmosphere, from the wearer's body, etc), and suede is probably the worst in that respect. Another point to consider is the tannage of the lining material; most are chrome tanned or similar processes, which results in chemical salts as residual material in the finished product. Some of those salts can be corrosive, particularly when moisture is present, and can cause damage to even the tougher finishes. I have seen stainless steel handguns with surface corrosion, apparently caused by extended contact with holster materials. I try and stress to customers the importance of proper storage of handguns and holsters. Handguns should never be stored in a leather holster or case. The weapon should be removed following each use and wiped down with an oily cloth or silicone-treated cloth. Holsters should be stored in areas with good air flow, allowing any residual moisture to evaporate out. Holsters that have become saturated should be permitted to air-dry completely. Lined holsters are about 25 to 30% of my orders, so I'm not going to stop making them. I try to stress proper storage and maintenance to my customers.

Very nice work. Edges, stitching, and finish all look flawless.

Randy: Thanks for the nice comments. This is a welted seam holster, using a welt of 9-oz. leather, so the sewn edge consists of two layers 8-oz., two layers 2-oz. lining leather, and the 9-oz. welt. The welt adds stiffness to the holster and also provides some clearance on the interior, making it easier to form to the handgun. This is a traditional style of holster construction and I am trying to follow the traditional method, staying as closely to the original design as possible. Just received a carving sample from a gentleman in Texas today, so I may have something completed within the next week or two as a true tribute to the designer and original maker. Best regards.

Wishful thinking indeed! Any income that you do not report could make you liable to criminal penalties (tax evasion). By all means, get a FEIN (federal employer identification number), file a corporation or LLC in your state of residence, file a trade-name affidavit, get a sales tax license, keep good records of all expenses and sales revenue, file quarterly estimated tax returns, complete all necessary forms to report your income and pay taxes annually. Otherwise you are a sitting duck! Any income traceable to you that is not reported could result in serious criminal charges, and what you might have paid in taxes will look like nothing compared to what you will be paying to a lawyer to keep you out of jail. You might, just might, be lucky enough to be permitted to pay back taxes, penalties, and interest the FIRST time. After that, you might be making little rocks out of big rocks for a while.