ComputerDoctor

I had a Customer bring his Smith & Wesson, 460 Mag, 8.5 inch stainless steel pistol to my Farm to tell me about a custom holster that he wants me to make for the piece!:) This will be quite a artistic and mechanical task for me since the customer is small of stature and this 72 ounce revolver is too heavy for just a typical belt loop holster. He wants a combination double shoulder harness, something like heavy duty suspenders attached to a belt, with provisions for 20 cartridges. He also wants the pistol to be able to be drawn quickly and very silently from a 'side opening' with no snaps or velcro to make noise when he draws down on a 500lb wild boar or ferel hog. This is the most powerful handgun produced for hunting in the United States, even surpassing S&W's 500 Cal Mag. Velocity is over 2,000 FPS I shot it yesterday and it was interesting to say the least but it really didn't 'kick' any more than any of my 44 Mag's do. It has an elaborate barrel compensator on the barrels top and sides. Wish me luck! Sam:)

The carry strap was made from a 'Belt kit,' that I had bought and rediscovered yesterday morning and it was already tooled so I decided to utilize it. However, it did make me feel like I was cheating since I had cut, tooled, dyed and fabricated everything else:( I'm not happy with the 'STRAW' dye because it seems almost not much darker than the leather itself so after I tool some more designs, I'll finish up with some darker brown dye as I have several colors. Then I will treat the entire thing with 'Mink oil,' or a similar agent to soften and preserve the thing. Anyway, between fixing computers and IT service work, www.carthageelectronics.com I find I really enjoy the mental exercise of thinking about what to do next! I am meeting a customer today to discuss a 'custom' holster he wants me to make for him and then to inspect an old holster in need of repairs! Praise GOD, life is good:) Sam

I made and fitted a carrying strap and a couple of snap fittings today: Sam:)

I found another Holster I made recently Sam

Absolutely beautiful. Striving for total perfection is laudable but I've never attained it so far in my lifetime. My leather craft is like me in GOD'S eyes: A work in progress Sam

Well, the project is coming together nicely but far from done. Here are a few more pictures in sequence. More tooling, pouches, handles and strap to come. First coat of 'WHEAT' dye rubbed in. Fun:) Over all size is 14 x 14 inches and 4 inches wide. Sam

Thanks Brian, it is pretty stout Tomorrow I will start some tooling and then staining:) Here's a few more:

All stitched up and nowhere to go:) Well that's enough for tonight! I only brought the work home to hand stitch, so that's done! Hands are a little sore:) Sam:)

Thank Yin Tx and Jack, I'm enjoying myself! Yes, clips can leave indentations especially if the leather is wet! Here's a few more of my 'Purse' project but now I realize it's more of a mans 'Carry bag.' It is heavy, maybe to heavy for my wife. I might even use it on my Motorcycles luggage rack:) I am home now, getting ready to hand sew, which can also tire one out. Sam

The quest for a purse continues! Sam:)

Thanks Folks for your kind words and encouragement! Here is my first attempt at making a purse for my Wife:) No patterns bought but I do get ideas from people like you and on Youtube and other WWW places. I make small paper patterns to test joints and bends, etc. Sam

A few more; First is the Kindle sheath collage. Second is a check book carrier, still wet from stain. third is a big heavy Ledger that I made for my son and inside it has pockets on each side for a ring binder, paperwork and stationary:

Here's a few initial pieces that I experimented with; the first is a Kindle fire sheath (not finished) and the second is just a tooling and stain exercise that my wife loves for some reason:

Beautiful and an inspiration for me to do better:)

Beautiful and something to be proud of

I am ex-Military retiree who also owned a Gun Store for 4 years in California and I reloaded and shot around 3 to 4 hundred rounds a week through MANY revolvers and semi-auto pistols, so I too am concerned about the safe handling of firearms.:) Thanks for your concern, however, all semi-autos are carried with no round in the chamber and in all of the pictures, it would be impossible to fire the weapon, even intentionally. more less accidentally. The strap on the revolver is not in front of the trigger but in back of it. Sam:)

May West once said: "Is that a Banana in your pocket or are you just happy to see me" Thanks Folk's! I am trying different approaches and techniques all the time! I want to always do things in a logical sequence so I don't keep repeating: "Why did I do that??" Plinkercases, Canada would be much to cold for this Southern California Boy! It was 8 degrees as I drove in to work today and Missouri is cold enough! I also remember SGT Preston and the Yukon and his dog King was one of my favorite shows though? Sam

"what's the make and model of that yellow grip jobber?" Quote The 'yellow holster' houses a Colt Gold Cup National Match, 45 acp, in stainless steel. It's fun but it sure takes time and concentration. Hands and fingers get sore and discolored and sometimes I have to rest my hands. I have made lots of other things besides holster's, like knife scabbards, wallets, change purses, checkbook covers,artistic test pieces, trying different glues, stains, dyes, oil polishes, burnishing mediums, edge paints and different color water dyes and burnishing agents, a Kindle Fire carrier and a beautiful ledger for my Son for Christmas. The tooling for his name alone took me almost 4 hours! Next is a large lined leather purse! I make my own paper pattern's and if it works then I have my design ready to go. As you can undoubtedly see, I hand stitch everything and I thank GOD for superglue, clamps and heavy duty blue surgical gloves. I work on my customers computers for a while and then move over to a different set of desk's and leather work for a while! Lots of fun! Sam:)

Here's some more:

Nice! Sam:)

I got the same effect when I used a 1/8 inch felt/cotton Dremel wheel on a piece of leather that I had dyed a dark antique brown and as the wheel passed over the dye, it gently removed just enough to reveal the lighter color of the leather underneath. Sam:)

Obviously leave room for GROWTH so the belt will be in use for a few years:) Sam

Thanks for the info! If I'm not mistaken, certain teas have been used for leather tanning purposes for a long time. I drink tea in my office and I keep the last few sips in a plastic cup and use the tea to wet my leather, instead of just water and it doesn't affect the finished product. I have also used coffee but it can add a very slight discoloration to leather but is easily covered up with dying. Sam

My first couple of holster's were made for Revolver's, both snub nose, a 38 and 357, that I carry concealed or at times 'in the open,' which is legal in Missouri. All I did was cut a large enough piece and folded it around the weapon's, made faint lines with a #2 pencil and cut and trimmed until it looked and fit good. I used a one piece fold over design and glued the perimeter on one side and then sewed it. It turned out nice but then I realized that all the other stuff I wanted to do such as a belt loop, top strap to hold the weapon in and custom tooling is much, much harder when the holster is almost 'done!' My third holster was for a compact 9 mm, Springfield, semi-auto and having learned from past mistakes, I tried to use my brain in a logical way BEFORE I started cutting, gluing, riveting, sewing, dying, finishing etc-etc: Step 1, 2, 3, 4 in sequence sure works better that jumping a few steps!:) This holster is as nice as anything I've seen:) I tried the 'wet molding method' on another 38 revolver I had and after I soaked the leather for an hour or so, it was as pliable as thick cloth, and I formed it around the 38, clamped it in place, to perfectly mold my creation and then left it for a 3 day weekend:) When I returned to my IT-Computer business and looked at my cration, it was dry and formed and really beautiful------but, when I opened it up, I found a partially rusted pistol staring unhappily up at me:( Lesson learned! I had went to HOBBY LOBBY to peruse their 'Leather craft' area and found LOTS of great stuff at much lower prices than my normal supplier, even with my great 'Military discount.' I bought a lot of stuff to add to my growing inventory and as I was about to leave, I spied their 'Kit' section and saw a Semi-automatic holster kit, all ready to be assembled @ a remarkable $10 bucks or so:) I bought it too! I bring this kit up because I got all of my pistol inventory out, except for the long barrel revolvers, and found that this kit with maybe just a little modifying would fit all of my pistols. I didn't buy the kit to 'USE' as a Holster but to use as a nice and thick Pattern! I used it to make 3 identical cuts and I couldn't be happier. Sorry to use so much 'bandwidth,' but maybe this answer will help:) Sam