Lobo

You are coming right along there, PeterK. Looking good! ---- Lobo Gun Leather, serious equipment for serious business

Another thought, for what it is worth. IWB holsters are best made without tight molding to the pistol. Retention is provided by the belt, and very tight molding can make drawing the pistol very difficult to do, frequently pulling the holster out of the waistband with the weapon.

The steel belt clips, in my experience, need to be placed in an offset position for revolver holsters. Placing the clip in the area of the cylinder places the clip out where it tends to catch on things. Placing the clip over the trigger guard area makes the holster a little less bulky, a little more comfortable to wear. The one-o'clock carry position you describe is very good for concealment and for access. But it does tend to be a little uncomfortable when seated, when getting into or out of a car, etc. As always, my opinions are free and worth every penny of the price.

Overall, designs look pretty good. Stitching looks very good. Forming work is very good. Very creative use of coloring agents! I think you will do just fine. Lobo Gun Leather, serious equipment for serious business.

Yes, all of your fabrication and finishing work is completed, then the Bag Kote is applied. A swab applicator will reach into all the interior surfaces easily. Bag Kote makes a fine finish, so the Resolene won't be needed unless you want a higher gloss on the exterior.

Try using Fiebings Bag Kote, a great all purpose leather finish used by saddle makers for many years. Can be swabbed, brushed, or sprayed on. Use it at room temperature; cold temperatures cause streaking with no known remedy.

Like shooting in the dark, without night sights! The best you can possibly do under these circumstances will be a generic leather sack for the pistol in question. If you undertake this job I recommend getting payment in advance, since the customer is likely to be rather unhappy with the results. Best regards.

Thank you, sir. I tried to make it clear that this was not my personal brain-storm here. I don't make a habit of perusing other makers' catalogs and websites looking for a design to rip off, but when I have a customer requesting certain features that can be incorporated into one of my own products I will try and serve that customer's needs. In this case, the result was something I am very pleased with, so I posted here to share it with others. Given the 35-plus year history of pancake-style holsters, and the rather ubiquitous use of leather straps and common snaps, I don't believe that there are any patent infringement issues or intellectual property issues in this case, merely adaptation of existing methods. I don't have exact figures, but 38 states have adopted good "shall issue" concealed carry laws, and I would estimate that at least 20 million responsible American citizens are carrying handguns on a regular basis. Add in the tens of thousands of active and retired law enforcement officers and I think that there is a significant marketplace out there, probably sufficient for quite a few small business operators like myself and others who frequent this forum. Now I have a holster that satisfies my needs, and a few others have an idea or two for their own development, maybe satisfying their customers' needs.

The following contribution covers it well, especially addressing the accessibility of the magazine. The objectives are accessibility, concealment, and comfort. Achieving a balance of those three factors provides a satisfactory result.

Absolutely beautiful work. Keep working with the leather and let other people take good pictures!

I'm a retired cop, started making holsters for myself and others in 1972. I have a fair collection of handguns, including some older models that many major holster manufacturers have dropped from their line (or have very limited production for). Overall, my production is about 25% for 1911's (Government, Commander, Defender lengths), about 25% for Glocks (all varieties), 25% for S&W revolvers (mostly J-frame, a few K-frames), the remainder consist of Browning Hi Power (consistent demand), Kahr 9's & 40's (great little pistols!), and S&W autos (the old Model 39 is a consistently good seller, and the early 59 series remains good, as the major makers aren't doing those any longer). I am adding Sig's, Springfield XD, and the new S&W M&P autos this year. Also thinking about Colt revolvers (Agent, Cobra, Detective Special as I get numerous inquiries for these), and the new Ruger autos. That covers general production, holsters I make for sale to the general public. I price these very competitively, make holsters in batches of 10 to 12 at a time, trying to keep a 2 to 3 week inventory on hand. My typical buyer wants to buy it and have it, not wait for weeks. Special orders come in regularly for other pistols, but I need to have the pistol to form the holster so this is limited to local customers (I don't want the hassles of a Federal Firearms License). For pistols that are relatively common, when I get a special order for one I have been known to make several, putting the others into inventory for sale (if one guy wants one you can be sure there are other guys looking for the same thing). I have a limited, but consistent, demand for hunting holsters for the big hand cannons (Thompson Center Contenders, scoped revolvers, etc), for which the variety is very wide and each piece has to be made up for the specific gun (billing is time and materials on those, and the customer usually doesn't complain about the price). For the more common modern pistols I try to use Ring's Blue Guns if available. I'm still using actual pistols for several of the older models. I had so many requests for the S&W 39 and 59 series that I actually bought used pistols (paid for themselves in holster sales within a few months). I am currently making 6 different styles of holsters with variations including linings, etc. to customer specifications. Throw in a dozen different handguns and all of a sudden you have a lot of variations! And I am adding two new styles for 2009 (prototypes have been worn and tested by several people, changes made based upon good suggestions received by my "testers"----these guys get a new holster for free to help with the product development). I'm also trying to add magazine pouches and belts, as time permits, since more than a few customers would like to have matching sets. Why let the profit go to someone else? Have been receiving a few inquiries from time to time from ladies wanting handbags for concealed carry. Might be worth researching, developing a product line, finding a handbag manufacturer to do the basic work set up to receive my holsters, test marketing. When I started 36 years ago the market was pretty much limited to the people I knew and worked with. Now, with the internet, the market is the world. I have shipped holsters to 4 different countries, and practically every state in the U.S. And with 38 states having adopted "shall issue" concealed carry laws there are millions of citizens starting to carry regularly, so the demand is better than ever before. I have called my little company Lobo Gun Leather, with the slogan "serious equipment for serious business". I have also started advertising "good equipment doesn't have to cost a fortune". Providing a quality product, delivering it quickly, and pricing it right, all have made it a successful business. Production went over 100 items in December (first time for that). Looking for a shop to rent so I can get the materials and inventory out of the house and keep my wife happy. I may also have to hire someone and teach him or her how to pound hides, smoke, and drink beer at the same time (not a bad life!). Alcohol, tobacco, and firearms--- what a combination! Maybe the Treasury Department knew something when they created BATF? Lot of thoughts here. Sorry if I have rambled on too far.

Feel free! I posted it here to share what I thought was a darn good idea.

Directional snaps have an impressed dimple, restricting the direction in which the snap will disengage. In some applications this can be handy in limiting unwanted unsnapping. Made by Dot Fasteners, should be able to locate a supplier with a Google search if you want to try them.

Sometimes I wonder whether I am more like the plumber (who always has a leaky pipe in his house) or the mechanic (whose wife's car never runs right). All of my good products get bought, and I never have the holster I want for myself! About three months ago I had a customer ask me if I could modify my basic pancake style holster (which I have been making for 36 years), and refered me to Mitch Rosen's site to see what he had in mind. Rosen makes a new model called the Premier, which is a basic pancake style but instead of belt loops it utilizes a strap loop and snap at either side to secure to the belt. Looked like a relatively easy adaption for my pancake style, so I made up the holster for Mr. Customer. He loved it, and ordered two more. Then I received another order from a referal by Mr. Customer. Then my financial advisor saw one I had completed and ordered a couple for himself and his son. Then both he and his son refered customers to me. The long and short of it is that while working on this design and trying them out myself I fell in love with it. Decided that I had to have one for my Kimber Pro Carry .45. While making it up yesterday I added a matching magazine pouch. Photos show my basic pancake holster for a Glock 22, then the new holster for my Kimber and the magazine pouch. 8-oz. shoulder, finish is the classic neatsfoot oil job with Fiebings Bag Kote. (I just oiled it this morning, so there are some dark spots visible that will disappear in another day or so). Also, a photo showing that this one (like most of my production) will hold the pistol positively when upside down, which I consider to be the test of a properly formed holster. Extremely comfortable to wear. The strap loop eliminates the little lump that some pancakes have and your belt pushes into your waist. Put it on and take it off without unfastening your belt and threading all the belt loops. Rides very high and tight, pulling the grip into the body just like a conventional pancake. This is my new favorite! I am adding it to my regular production for 2009 and expect good sales. All feedback so far has been very positive. Now, time for a matching belt. Then I'll need a black set for Sunday-go-to-meeting. By the way, sales went over 100 units in December, and my bride is complaining about having materials and inventory all over the house. So, I'm now looking for a shop to lease and get my 36-year old hobby/business out of the house. In addition to the product shown here I am adding a new shoulder holster this year (prototype has been in use for two months by 3 different guys and everybody just loves it, so I expect to see good sales there also). Best wishes to all for the New Year!

By the way, always store Bag Kote at room temperature and apply it at room temperature. If the product is cold it will streak badly with no known cure.

Try Fiebings Bag Kote. Excellent and durable surface coating, penetrates well, dries to a very nice eggshell luster. Can be swabbed, brushed, or sprayed on. Can be diluted up to about 20% with water, making spraying easier. Dries in about 10 minutes, fully cured out in a few hours. Cost is about $20 per quart, and a quart will do hundreds of holsters and other small jobs.

Attached are photos of two that I completed and shipped last week. First is for a 1911 Colt full size, suede lined. Second is for a Colt Defender, unlined. Both are made of 8-9 oz. shoulder, holds shape very well and allows easy holstering without added reinforcement around the mouth. Adding reinforcement is fine, but it does increase the bulk of the holstered pistol in the waistband. Basic pancake design for the construction of these two. The leather panel on the rear is simply extended upward in one-inch wide straps, then looped over at the front. Placing the belt loops to the outside of the handgun profile results in a less bulky package when worn. Belt loops placed on the outer side of the holstered handgun cause an increase in overall bulk. With a large handgun this can be significant; with smaller pistols it is less significant. Customer specifications called for smooth leather out, which is usually more comfortable to wear. I also offer rough side out for those that prefer it that way, which helps maintain constant position of the holster in the waistband by friction. I make them to customer specifications, so what the customer asks for is what they get. When the customer asks for my suggestions, they usually get something like these two. Hope this helps. Lobo Gun Leather, serious equipment for serious business.

Very nice execution. Stitching looks perfect. Forming work is excellent. Generally a very good design (of course, you will receive comments from others who prefer to do things differently; don't let that bother you, just keep making them to your own preferences).

Beautiful workmanship. Keep posting.

I have used both coffee and tea, brewed up strong, soak the leather piece overnight. Good dying effect without hiding the natural "grain" structure of the leather. If doing several pieces to match you must use the same brew solution. Coloring is in the light to medium tan range, enhanced by application of neatsfoot oil.

Vegetable tanned horsehide has been used with success by several makers. Don't know of any suppliers right off the top of my head, though.

Cutting the heavy leather easily? I use an electric sheet metal shear, made for cutting detailed patterns in auto body work up to 18 gauge steel. Works like a charm, and I can cut 20 holster patterns of 8-9 oz. shoulders in an hour. My production is getting up to a point where I will have to look at a pneumatic press and dies for routine production of about a dozen patterns, saving the hand cutting for custom work. But that will cost a few thousand bucks when I get there. My normal production is now about 15 to 20 per week, plus 3 to 6 special orders, so I am almost at the tipping point for automating the cutting process. Nice edges? After sewing I wet the piece, then use a belt sander to dress down all the edges uniformly. For tight areas and inside-radius curves the small drum sander works the same way. The moisture keeps the sander from scorching the leather. Also, the wet leather rolls up at the edges nicely and when it has dried it is very easy to run the edge beveler around the edges for a perfectly uniform result. Then it is ready to get wet again for the wet forming process, followed by a quick burnishing of the edges, and you are ready to apply final finishes and send it off to the customer.

Just received an order for a pancake style to fit a Glock 36 .45 auto. Yep, it's a Block all right.

Very nice job. I have got to make up a light box!

Lining is usually only a concern with blued steel pistols, as a means of minimizing holster wear. Suede lining has been very popular for many years. Personally, I prefer glove leather, with a nice buttery soft and smooth surface. Either suede or glove leather in about a 2-oz weight works very well. When lining a holster I cement the lining to the holster material (8-9 oz. shoulder), then stitch the edges where there will be no seams sewn in constructing the holster, then sew up the holster. I offer both to my customers, and find that about 10-15% of my customers want a lined holster. Lining leather adds only a small amount to material costs (maybe $2 total per holster), but it does require another half-hour of work, so I do charge extra for this. Hope this helps you.