Dynamik1

Highly valued and appreciated Tac! Thank you!

Hey Kid, I dont have the luxury of owning that many handguns and there are several I would like to make for friends or perhaps sell for a meager profit. Most people recommend Ring's Blue Guns - they are available in just about every model you could think of for around $40. The Airsoft ones are cheaper and me and the kids might actually get to play with them too :-) From what I hear they are pretty close to the real thing, but these training guns from Blackhawk might be more like the Ring's Blue Guns. Do you have any experience with either Ring's Blue Guns, these here Blackhawk training guns or Airsoft?

I posted a question about Airsoft guns as suitable options for using to form/bone holster, it seemed like there was a lot of question and possible some of them are not as accurate. Today I discovered Blackhawk Demo Guns on closeout from LA Police Gear for $24 ea - they have Glock 17, Beretta 92, S&W J-Frame and SIG226. http://www.lapolicegear.com/bldegun.html Thoughts?

This is my amazing gift from our very own Jeffzilla. What he didnt realize is that the Eagle holds special significance for me - my father loved eagles, he drew them, painted them and carved them in stone! The eagle was also my high school's mascot: Isaiah 40:31 - "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint". May this symbol of God's promise give us all the strength we need to make it through the tough times in our lives!

Are Airsoft guns a valid approximation for use in forming/boning holsters? I have seen Beretta M9 Airsoft guns on eBay for $19, whereas the equivalent Ring's Blue Gun would cost $40-ish.

+1 on the Kydex insert to stiffen the thumb-break strap. I was looking at one of my Safariland rigs the other day and that hole holster has a Kydex core laminated with very thin leather on each side - I guess when you want to "mass produce" this might be a good way of increasing output and reducing cost (?).

Another NC newbie here in Pittsboro, just South of Chapel Hill. I have been reading and posting here for about a month or so. I shop at the Raleigh TLF as well - great folks - especially appreciate the young female associate with the tattoos and Aulbern(?sp), the store manager.

Very nice! I hope that my first attempt comes out as nice as yours!!

LOL! That sounds too much like my Everquest days!

I grew up near a municipal airport in Michigan and dreamed of flying. In high school I dreamed of being an aeronautical engineer. Instead, since I was in the Motor City and not an aviation area, I ended up studying automotive design and engineering and manufacturing technology for a year or so. I quickly figured out that Math is not MY friend so my first degree ended up being in Pyschology! Go figure! It seems that there are many more pretty girls than guys in Psychology classes and if you take enough of them you end up with a degree! I worked as a teen counselor in a psychiatric hospital for a year or so and then as a drug/alcohol counselor for a year or so. After getting married a friend got me into computers and I didnt look back. I sold computers for a few years before I figured out that I enjoyed playing with them more. I got into desktop support then into network infrastructure support and finally IT Management. Today I manage ERP software projects. God only knows what's next but at the moment He is whispering and I am hard of hearing! LOL! If I could figure out a way to combine cooking, shooting, Christian Praise music and leatherwork I might finally have one of those jobs where people say that they love what they do so much that its not work! :-)

Inspiration for all of us Noobs!! Thanks!

Lobo, it sounds like you are busier in your "retirement" than I am with a full time job and a 2 year old!! Thanks for telling us about your other business - sounds very interesting - I come from Detroit and have seen many of the folks on the other side of the fence making deals to cover their tracks when making claims. Glad you battle those miscreants!

OK, this I have to bite on! :-) Whats your OTHER business Lobo?

Hey Tom, I was thinking about a concrete top. I have a book that teaches you how to make concrete countertops for kitchens and baths and it looks pretty simple for a workbench too. Check out the link: http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/ho...rtop-forms.aspx?

Looks good - how close are the belt-hole stitches to the belt-hole?

Wife and I in Florence, Italy on honeymoon a couple years ago.

Thanks to all! I have heard "Head knife" several times and each time it's accompanied by an admonition that it's difficult to learn to use properly . . . if I did a SEARCH would I find a good tutorial on this site of how to use AND sharpen a head knife? I prefer to take the time to learn to use the best tool for the job.

Max, Forgive my Newbie ignorance, but a head knife has a cylindrical wooden handle like an awl, but a 'half-moon' blade on the end right? How is this used? Do you line it up for a straight cut and 'rock' it in a slicing motion?

Since safety scissors in 1st grade I havent been a very good cutter. In beginning this exciting new hobby I bought a decent set of shears from TLF and thought I would be in good shape. I have been playing around with some scraps and dont seem to be having much success cutting things straight or on the lines. Does anybody have any suggestions? Should I be using a different tool than shears? My goal is to make pocket holsters as well as IWB and OWB, so the curves arent all that sharp, but I know I am going to have to be able to cut cleanly and precisely to make a quality product. Any feedback appreciated.

Very nice! What can you tell me about the snaps? They look very unique.

Thanks guys!

Well I went to Tandy yesterday and picked up the Stohlman Art of Hand Sewing kit - it was on discount for $33. I also got a pair of high-quality shears, some eco-flo dye (also on sale for $3.50) an additional overstitch wheel (#7) and some small pieces from the scrap box. Last night I cut a small piece about 1"x3" grooved it, marked some holes, punched and stitched it just for practice. The store was out of stock on a lot of items so I backordered them and they should be in Monday. In addition to the list above I am also getting a stitching pony, 6-7oz shoulder, a free-hand stitching groover tool and an edge beveler. Thanks to everyone for all your great help! And oh yeah, Happy New Year!

Stohlman's The Art of Hand Sewing recommends using the Overstitch wheel not only to mark the piercing points but he also recommends running the Overstitch wheel over the finished stitches to make them look more uniform and professional. Wouldnt that possibly split or fray the threads and make it look fuzzy? Any suggestions or feedback?

The Art of Hand Sewing seems to be the best place to start.

Thanks Rawhide. I really appreciate all the silly newb questions youve answered for me the past couple weeks. Good news is I am on my way out the door right now to go to the Tandy store about an hour away and pick up the Stohlman book and some beginner supplies. Hopefully the book will help with the lexicon questions and simple "How To's" but actually putting tool to leather will most likely result in more distress calls! HA!