Chakotay

Check at the 4:10 mark. This what you're referring to?

they're all over e-bay. That's where I buy them in bulk. Here's just one listing: https://www.ebay.com/itm/50pcs-Solid-Brass-Round-Head-Stud-Screwback-Leather-Bag-Chicago-Screw-Nail-Rivet/153353252327?hash=item23b490ede7:g:lREAAOSwlkpcTD2M

Here's a video I made making and aging a cartridge belt. It's the same techniques I use for holsters.

This.

9 - 10oz. I suggest Wicket & Craig tooling sides. Tools beautifully. Tandy stuff is garbage. Took me years to figure that out.

I'm scheduled to get an online order today. It'll be sad to see their retail stores go away. Hopefully they at least maintain an online presence. But it does make me wonder how they screwed this up: You're practically the only 'player' in the leather game (yes, I know there's other sources . . . you know what I mean). Was it just mismanagement? Poor quality? Bad customer service? Just a dying craft not enough people are interested in?

As already mentioned, you have to glue it around something. I use a large dowel rod. Check out around minute 7 of my most recent holster build (video link below.) You can never really lay it out flat afterwards or you'll run into the same problem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKFv-VbEgJ4

Coincidentally, I just posted a video on how I age leather...

I have a fairly large (1.5") custom makers mark that I very proudly put on every piece . . . when I first got it. Now it usually gets left off because I just forget . . . or maybe I'm just lazy.---j

Thanks! The skull was from Thingiverse. It's Celtic style, so it has scrollwork on it which I thought would go well with the tooling: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2834954 I had to modify it in Meshmixer by cutting off the back and giving it the curvature of the holster. I also added a flange: then sliced it in Slic3r: The holster is fully-lined. I cut a window in the outer leather smaller than the flange. Once the liner was glued on I sewed around the flange to "lock" it in. I then dyed and weathered per normal.

I made this holster for Halloween on a whim... The skull is 3d printed out of white ABS so as it wears it will just show off more of the "bone".

Hoping this is OK to post here; I'm wrapping up a multi-part Youtube tutorial on making Will Ghormley's "Hand of God" holster (all props to him). It's part of my fledgling channel devoted to leatherwork (one of my many distractions). Full disclosure; I don't make any income from it or anything. It's just sorta my effort to contribute something to the site and the leather working community. As such, comments, critiques, smash/trashes are certainly welcome!

Trying to buy leather from someone other than Tandy for the first time. Called up Wickett & Craig direct sales to order a single side of 10oz tooling/carving leather to try out. The salesman gave me the ballpark price, and told me that when my order comes up and is ready they'd send me an invoice with final price. That was almost two weeks ago. Emailed asking for a status on the order/invoice and was told it's still not ready yet. Are W&C's lead-times usually this long? I have custom order requests on hold as I'm out of leather. About to just go buy some double-shoulders from Tandy.

My stamp is from Grey Ghost as well. The delrin polymer is plenty strong enough. As mentioned, the leather needs to be properly cased. It's 1-inch across, so I used a dead blow hammer to get my impressions.

I'm sure someone else will mention this, but "Packing Iron" is the quintessential book on western holsters. Full color, beautiful full-page picts of old school gun leather. Lots of ideas. I would put mine out on the coffee table but my kids would trash it. It's kinda hard to find and expensive when you do. Mine's got some dust cover tears, but in otherwise good shape.