Lobo

Interesting resources on this subject include the mail order catalogs of the 1880's and 1890's (Sears Roebuck & Co., Montgomery Ward, Abercrombie & Fitch, and others). All types of the commonly available revolvers and holsters were offered and displayed in the catalogs. While those living in or near the larger communities may have had access to saddlery and harness shops offering belts and holsters, most of the folks residing in the more rural and isolated areas relied on catalog orders for many things. Clothing, shoes, household goods, veterinary supplies, stoves for heating and cooking, firearms, ammunition, just about anything imaginable (Sears even offered houses, all the pieces cut and ready to assemble with windows, doors, and everything else required, delivered in crates by train to the nearest depot). Some of these retailers also operated catalog order and delivery offices in many communities, allowing local people to place and receive orders conveniently. For those interested in offering period-correct holster designs I would suggest a Google search for the old mail order catalogs of the latter 19th and early 20th Centuries. Some are reproduced in pdf-format and individual pages can be run off with your computer and printer. One thing I am sure of is that you will not see anything like the gear portrayed in western movies and TV shows of the 1940's through 1970's.

The two-layer horsehide belt I am wearing right now is 11 years old and has seen nearly daily use for all of those years. I made this belt to fit a 37.5" waist at the center tongue hole, with 5 tongue holes on 1" spacing. The holes were cut round using a 5/32" punch. After reading this post I pulled the belt off for measuring and found the fit at the center hole is now 37.75" (0.25" stretch over 11 years of use) and the tongue hole in use is now oblong and measures 3/16"W X 5/16"L (so there has been measurable stretching in use). This belt was constructed of two layers of 5/6 horsehide, so the finished weight/thickness is about 11 oz. In my experience, two-layer belts tend to stretch far less than any single-layer belt. Cementing and stitching the two layers together provides an effect similar to plywood (far greater strength than the combined strength of the material of the plies). I would expect that a single-layer belt of 12-oz. leather will show some stretching, and the tongue holes will expand under pressure, within the first year or two of use. Whether or not that will have much effect on the spacing of the tongue holes will only become apparent after actual use (and will probably be affected by the buckle in use and the user's habits in use). I usually recommend trouser waist size and belt size for IWB carry to be about 2" greater than for OWB use to allow for the bulk of the holstered handgun. This will vary, of course, depending on the user, the handgun chosen, and the holster design and construction. It will almost certainly vary when the user chooses to enjoy a large meal! I was always happy to make belts as the customer wished (1" tongue hole spacing, 3/4" spacing, number of tongue holes, etc) within reason. I cannot recall any complaints arising from such choices I told many customers that my two-layer belts were adequate for supporting just about any holstered handgun and accessories required, and that they were adequate for beating children and women, but far too heavy for use on dogs. I tried to make it clear that this advice was given with my tongue firmly in my cheek!

Exceptionally nice piece! Good and functional design, perfectly executed, and the carving work ads artistry to craftsmanship.

All leather is not created equal. The leather stocked by Tandy is frequently imported from unknown sources, tanning methods can vary quite a bit (from legitimate vegetable tanning to the old-style tanning with feces and urine, still rather common in Central and South America). My first suggestion is to stick with good North American vegetable tanned hides, such as Hermann Oak Tannery. Contact Springfield Leather Company (see the banner ads) and you will find it generally available in the common thicknesses useful for holsters and belts. The tanning process removes nearly all of the natural moisture from the hide, and this can result in finished products that may crack at stress points. Neatsfoot oil is rendered from the feet and lower legs of cattle, naturally good for leather as a means of replacing some of the moisture to allow flexing at stress points and reducing the tendencies for cracking. Neatsfoot oil does not dry or set up like many finish products; it remains in the leather fibers as a lubricant and moisture resistant product. After dyeing an initial moderate application of neatsfoot oil the product should be set aside for at least 24 hours to allow the oil to settle into the leather fibers and seek its final level. The piece can then be sealed and finished These are my recommendations: better leather and a finishing process that takes into account the nature of the materials and products used. Best regards.

Ditto.

The usefulness of deer hide will depend on the tanning method(s) used. Most deer hide is relatively thin, typically soft and pliable. Best uses I can think of would be clothing or small personal items (handbags, pouches, or similar). Personally, I would avoid showing the bullet hole in the hide in a finished product.

Over the years I have had requests for holsters without markings of any kind. One was for a gentleman in Israel, paid in cash and provided only a post office box address for delivery. One order was for 6 holsters sent to a US special forces team. They were deploying (undisclosed destination) and would be issued pistols on arrival, but wanted no markings on any of their gear. In such cases I assumed these were people involved in some type of clandestine work. I did not argue with them, I just got the work done.

You are an artist. What you are producing is the images created in your mind, reduced to the artwork produced with a piece of leather as the medium. There are millions of artists, but very few who will ever be paid fair value for their talents. Personally, I did production-level work for many years. I used the services of a couple of very talented leather carving artists for those customers requiring that level of product. I have never had the talent to do much more than basketweave tooling. I made a pile of money in the leather business, but I never claimed to be much of an artist (I was able to envision new designs and production methods and convert those visions to marketable products, but that is an entirely different skill set). We can do things because we love to do them, or we can do things because others like them enough to pay us for them. Each approach offers different rewards. I wish you well.

You are in Arizona. I am in Colorado. Laws vary from one state to another, so whatever I offer may not be accurate for your use. Generally speaking, if you engage in business activity you will have to apply for and maintain a business license in your city/county/state and you will be required to collect and remit sales taxes on your retail sales, and submit required sales tax returns to your local/state taxing authorities. Business personal property (tools, equipment, inventory, material, supplies, etc) may also be subject to "use taxes", depending on the laws in your state of residence. Failure to comply with sales and use tax laws may subject you to civil (fines, impoundment of property, seizure of premises, etc) or criminal penalties (fines, imprisonment, etc). Most suppliers will require that you have an appropriate business license in order to allow you to purchase materials and supplies without paying sales taxes. Such purchases are generally exempt from sales taxes, as the products are intended to be resold for taxable profit. If you do business via the internet (website, social media marketing, etc) there are recent changes in the laws that may require you to collect and remit sales taxes even on sales to those customers outside your state of residence. This is an entirely new area of law that may require some study or advice from an attorney. Wholesale pricing generally refers to the prices charged to other business outlets purchasing your goods for resale. When engaging in such sales you should verify that the business has an appropriate sales tax license and record that information; otherwise you might find yourself paying the sales taxes out of your own pocket at tax return time. In addition to sales and use taxes you will be required to pay federal, state, and (if applicable) local income taxes on your profits. Be prepared to produce accurate records of all of your expenses in producing the income, and file your returns as required to avoid penalties. Federal income tax must be paid quarterly based upon your estimated annual profits. Pricing your products in order to make a profit must take into account all of your expenses of production including the costs of all materials, supplies, promotional/advertising expenses, postage/shipping costs, internet service fees (website), telephone and other communications, bank service fees, etc, etc, etc. You must also consider the expenses involved in maintaining your production facility (even if it is only a portion of your home used for business use). Perhaps it does not need to be said, but after reading the preceding several paragraphs you will understand that operating a business involves MUCH MORE TIME than that required for producing your products (record keeping, tax returns, etc), so hourly computations are relatively meaningless. I was in the business for 43 years, of which 31 years were part-time as a sideline business and 12 years were full-time. In my experience, every hour of production time (bench time, pounding hides, producing products, etc) requires at least another hour of administrative time to get all the rest of the stuff done. If you are doing custom work (specific products made to customer specifications) you may find that the time spent on dealing with the customers is far greater than the actual time required to do the work (and far more demanding and frustrating). I hope this helps. Running a business is a full-time affair. There are no such things as days off, weekends, holidays, or vacations. It will always be the central part of your life. The leather business provided me with a good little side income for many years, then it allowed me to retire very comfortably, but it literally consumed my days and nights for decades. I made a lot of money, but I missed out on a lot of things that most working folks take for granted (like days off, weekends, holidays, vacations, fishing trips, hunting trips, you name it). Be careful what you wish for because you might just get it!

I am very happy to hear that I have been helpful. Best regards! I am very happy to hear that I have been helpful. Best regards!

Be careful what you wish for, because you may get it! I started making holsters and accessories in 1972 as a young cop with skinny paychecks and 2 kids to feed. The guys I worked with saw what I was doing and started requesting things for themselves. Leather work became a small sideline business for the remainder of my career in law enforcement. When I retired I started making and selling a few items as a means of stretching the budget and paying the bills. Next thing I knew I had a website up and running, I was working 7 days per week, renting a shop for production, and hiring help to keep up with demand. 9 years without a day off, weekend, holiday, or vacation! Regularly doing 2000 items per year for customers in all 50 US states and 33 other countries. Finally had to stop for health reasons, sold the business, and retired for good (with about 1.5 million reasons socked away in savings and investments). As far as pricing your work goes, whatever the market will bear! Over time my general rule of thumb became $1 per minute of production time, plus materials and shop supplies, plus surcharges based on the customer's attitude. Custom work (products made to customer specifications) must be priced to include all the time spent discussing the project, answering questions, creating designs and patterns, producing initial prototypes to finalize the pattern, and putting up with the equivalent of an unruly child in the back seat on a long car trip (ARE WE THERE YET? WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET THERE? ARE WE THERE YET? WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET THERE?). Mr. Super Demanding Customer wants to know how much I will charge, I tell him "$60 per hour plus materials and shop supplies". Mr. S.D. Customer wants to know how much that will be, I tell him "I don't know because I haven't done it yet". You can work very hard and make very little money, or you can work smart and make your time and efforts pay off nicely. Best regards.

Generally speaking, in the United States the owner of intellectual property (copyright, patent, whatever) must act to enforce that property right. There is little that any government agency can or will do to enforce such legal rights. That means that the owner of said property right must bring a civil action in court to force those improperly using his intellectual property to cease and desist, and perhaps to seek monetary damages for unauthorized use. Such processes are far too complicated for most individuals to take on without the assistance of experienced attorneys, and those folks do not work for free. Such legal actions might take years to resolve, and there is never any guarantee that one might recover any costs or damages in the end. A shady operator may get away with any number of scams without ever being held to account, and if he has little or no assets to begin with there is little chance that he will ever be forced to pay for his offenses. So, while it might be "against the law" unless you are willing to enforce your legal rights, and capable of paying the costs of doing so, you are left whistling in the wind.

JLSLeather is correct, for a properly wet-formed holster you will need the revolver or an exact copy. If your customer is looking for only a functional (close enough to work) fit, of the models you have listed the Ruger SP101 will be the closest in overall dimensions (although slightly larger in the frame area), and barrel length will have to be approximated to some degree (SP101 comes in 2.25", 3.1", and 4.2" as I recall). The Colt "D" frame is the small-frame common to the Detective Special, Cobra, Agent, Police Positive, Pocket Positive, Bankers Model, etc. The photo you show looks like the Police Positive version, probably 1950's to 1960's vintage. Moderately valuable to collectors of modern Colt revolvers, and appears to be in excellent condition. I would recommend a holster that will minimize possibilities of unnecessary holster wear to the finish, perhaps a nice soft leather lining as added protection. Your customer should also be advised not to store his handguns in any leather holster, remove them after each day's use, wipe them down with an oily rag or silicone-treated cloth. All leather holsters have a tendency to collect moisture from the air, from perspiration, etc, and when a carbon steel handgun is stored in the holster there is always a concern for corrosion over time. Idle thoughts of an old retired holster maker.

You can set the pieces out in direct sunlight for a couple of days, perhaps a window sill that catches the sun most of the day. That will result in considerable darkening of the leather. Light and controlled applications of neatsfoot oil will darken the leather, as well as provide some flexibility in use. A combination of the two techniques should provide several shades of color difference.

I have made thousands of gun belts. My usual method was two layers of 6/7 oz. cemented together flesh-to-flesh and stitched, and these hold up very well (the one I am wearing now is about 10 years old, used daily to carry a full-size 1911 .45 pistol). At one time I had a bargain deal on a bunch of horsehide that was "cosmetically challenged", lots of surface imperfections that prohibited its use for most purposes. I used it up doing belt linings, for which horsehide is quite good due to its very dense nature and natural moisture resistance. Nice clean horsehide makes excellent belts (especially in two-layer applications), practically indestructible in use, but it is not always readily available and it does not accept carving or tooling very well. I have made a few using a strip of rawhide between the inner and outer strap. That makes a very rigid belt. I made a belt for a competition shooter once that utilized a strip of 29-gauge sheet metal between the two belt layers.

I think I can quote President Theodore Roosevelt accurately: "The creation of a national income tax will serve only to create a nation of liars". "When the people find out that they may vote for themselves largesse from the national coffers the republic will degenerate to a democracy, and the democracy will degenerate to a socialist state". Both quotes are over 100 years old now, and both are equally accurate. I will just add this little item to the growing list of why I am happy to be retired and don't have to deal with such things anymore.

Early Nambu holsters of the 1930's were made of leather. Most production after 1940 or so was done using rubberized canvas. All were fully formed shells to provide maximum protection of the pistol from all weather conditions. None of those utilized dot-style snap fasteners. Most had belt loop provisions, but the common method of carry utilized a detachable shoulder strap that suspended the holstered pistol over the user's lower chest area. These facts lead me to conclude that the OP's holster is not an original, so any concern over antique or collector value is minimal.

Very nice workmanship.

For those interested in a historically correct method for finishing leather goods I would suggest the method used by many saddle and harness makers of the 19th Century. Neatsfoot oil in a metal container with about an equal volume of beeswax added, heat modestly until the beeswax emulsifies into the neatsfoot oil, then use a piece of shearling to apply to the outer leather surfaces allowing it to be fully absorbed. Then use a soft cloth to buff the surfaces to a low luster. This was a very common finishing method that withstands exposure to moisture and weather pretty well. Perhaps needless to say, the heavily penetrating neatsfoot oil can be expected to soften the leather and make it pliable, so this is not the best possible finishing method for formed leather holsters or other products that must retain shape in use. I have been using neatsfoot oil as a basic finishing product for leather products since 1972, and I have never known it to "go bad" or become rancid. A moderate treatment of neatsfoot oil replaces some of the moisture lost in the process of tanning the hide to create leather, which can protect against cracking and splitting at stress points in use. Too much neatsfoot oil will make leather limp and unsuitable for many uses, so care must be taken. Neatsfoot oil is rendered from the feet and lower legs of cattle, where it occurs naturally as a means for preventing the feet and lower legs from freezing in cold weather. It can be referred to as "cow oil" with a high degree of accuracy. Note that there is pure neatsfoot oil and there is neatsfoot oil compound, which contains mineral oil and other ingredients. Pure neatsfoot oil is more expensive, but I recommend it for use in the leather shop.

JLSLeather's response is right on. There is a big difference between leather work as a hobby and leather work as a business. I always ordered sides of leather (usually 10 or 12 at a time) and kept several weights on hand for different applications. For belts I cut my straps out of full sides, angling from the back to the belly for lengths needed to make belts of the more common sizes requested. Most commonly used were an outer strap of 7/8 and inner (lining) strap of 6/7. I would take 5 or 6 straps from each new side, leaving two large pieces that were easier to handle when making holsters, pouches, etc. When assembling for a belt I laid out the straps in the opposite directions, back portion of the outer strap laminated to the belly portion of the lining strap, which evens out the little differences that are common on most sides. But I was doing 35 to 50 orders per week, including several belts, so I always kept a couple of dozen belt straps in various lengths to use as needed. Not easy for a hobbyist or small producer to justify this approach. A good approach might be to decide what finished weight you want for your belts and make them from two straps of the same weight (2 layers of 4/5 for a 8/9 finished weight, 2 layers of 5/6 for a 10/11 finished weight, etc). That way you can simplify your inventory needs and minimize supply costs for the short term. Another tip about belt making: NEVER MISTAKE TROUSER WAIST SIZE FOR BELT SIZE! Clothing manufacturers have used "vanity sizing" for so many years that most customers have no idea what their actual belt size is. Actual belt length is usually 2" to 5" greater than stated trouser waist size. I wear size 34 trousers and my belts measure 37.5" from tip of buckle to tongue hole in use. I always asked customers to measure a belt being used, from the tip of the buckle to the tongue hole in use. I also made it very clear that the customer was responsible for correct sizing and no returns would be accepted because of size differences. Even this did not eliminate all such problems, but most people got it right when I insisted that they take a minute and measure their belts. Final comment: belt pricing may require attention to sizes. I have made belts from about 27" to 70". My regular pricing was for sizes up to 48" with an additional charge for longer lengths. Very long belts usually require additional time to lay out and cut the straps, and more of each side is consumed for those orders.

I agree with the above comment regarding the intended use of the belt. A belt made for dress-up use is different from a heavy-duty belt for load carrying use. I have made thousands of belts, lined and unlined. A very nice dress belt can be made of 6/7 or 7/8 leather with a 2/3 lining (suede or smooth). A heavy-duty gun belt requires a combination in the 12/14 range (two layers of 6/7, or 9/10 with 3/4 lining, etc). Cementing and stitching two layers of leather together offers an effect similar to plywood, much greater strength and rigidity with reduced stretching, bending, or twisting in use. A heavy-duty belt supports a load better without having to be worn so tightly that it becomes uncomfortable. I have also made belts intended for carrying a holstered pistol and accessories using two layers of 5/6 or 6/7 with a stiffening strip of rawhide cemented and stitched into the belt body. I made a competition belt for a shooter once that used a strip of 29 gauge galvanized sheet metal for strength and rigidity. My personal belts are made of two layers of horsehide, typically 6/7 oz, cemented flesh-to-flesh and stitched at the edges full-length. The one I am now wearing is about 12 years old and shows no signs of ever wearing out, and it always carries a full-size 1911 .45 pistol, spare magazine, and cell phone case. Horsehide is very dense, compared to cowhide, with much greater strength in use and less tendency to stretch or twist in use.

Neatsfoot oil is rendered from the feet and lower legs of cattle. It is nature's way of protecting the hooves, feet, and lower legs from freezing during cold weather while lubricating and moisturizing the animal's lower extremities. Some have appropriately called it "cow oil". Pure neatsfoot oil is not cheap. Fiebings and others offer "neatsfoot oil compound" as a less expensive alternative. Composed of varying proportions of neatsfoot oil, mineral oil, and/or vegetable oils. You may or may not get what you are paying for. I always specified pure neatsfoot oil.

My primary business was holsters. By the time I retired after 43 years in the business I offered 13 holster designs, with or without 4 common options, left-hand and right-hand, in 4 finish colors, for 168 different handguns. That results in over 80,000 possible variations. My shop included file cabinets containing over 10,000 patterns (all hand made), over 70 dummy guns hanging on the walls, and two gun safes to secure dozens of actual handguns. I still received requests for different designs, or different handguns, all the time. The occasional customer requested a knife sheath, typically to match a new holster and belt order. My response was always "Send me your knife so I can pattern and form the sheath". That was the only way I could figure out so that the sheath would properly fit the intended knife. I have carried a knife for over 60 years, including two combat tours in Vietnam and 24 years as a working cop. I buy good knives and those tend to serve me well for decades. I still have the combat knife I carried as a young paratrooper in Vietnam. My last pocket knife was a $200 thumb-stud folder. My current pocket knife is a $250 automatic (aka: switchblade). There are thousands of different knives of varying quality and price ranges available, and new products every week or two. Trying to meet every demand would be very difficult and expensive. If Mr. Customer wants a well made and properly fitted knife sheath for his favorite knife he should be willing to live without that knife for a few weeks to get what he wants.

I agree that belt slots must be sized to the belt width so that the holster remains at a constant angle in use. I would point out that belt slot size overall is influenced by the angle of the belt slot in relation to the belt-line, which is generally horizontal. When the holster design features belt slots that are not perpendicular to the belt-line the overall length of the belt slot will change depending on the angle. A 1.5" slot length will not work when applied at a 30-degree angle on a 1.5" belt width. You can purchase any number of belt slot punches and select the punch that best serves each application, or you can custom fit each belt slot using a few simple tools. I have cut tens of thousands of belt slots using only hand-drive round punches for the slot ends and carpenters' wood chisels for the long cuts. Just mark the slot ends based on your pattern, tap the round hole punch at each end to mark the leather, then select the wood chisel width that will cleanly cut the necessary length for the slot. Always work on a cutting board, striking straight down with the wood chisel to make the long cuts, then finish the slots using the round hole punches at each end. Top side of the slot seldom requires any additional work; the bottom side can be easily finished with an edging tool. No matter what the angle of the belt slots this method produces a perfect match to the intended belt width. I also used wooden mandrels to finish the belt slots during the wet-forming process. Each mandrel was made from hardwood 1/4" thickness and cut to the proper width for the belt, forced through the belt slot while wet-forming, and used to force the damp leather to the desired finished contour so that it fit the belt and the curvature of the hip. This allows the finished holster to be used with minimal break-in by the customer.

That is interesting. Started using Fiebings Neatsfoot Oil, and neatsfoot oil compound (not identical products) in about 1972 and used them regularly until 2015 (43 years) when I retired and sold the leather business. Never thought about skin exposure, vapors, or any other aspect of using these products. Routinely applied neatsfoot oil with my bare hands while finishing tens of thousands of holsters, belts, and accessories. Only observation I can offer is that my hands remain youthful with very supple skin as I approach my 8th decade of life. I have grandchildren with older looking hands. Your methods and results may vary. I will figure out something else to worry myself about.