PastorBob

That is striking! And for such a good cause. Just looked up Fair Grove. You are only about an hour away. I am in Carthage. Heading up to Springfield Leather later this afternoon. We may have to get together sometime.

Welcome to the forum, from SW Missouri....you have definitely put some thought into this. My suggestion would be buy the tools you need to do the job at hand. If strap goods, then maybe get a strap cutter. When you decide to get into stitching, get some chisels. I started out the same way you did. As I made products for family, friends, and neighbors, I charged according to my skill level. Both parties were happy, and I had money to go buy more supplies. As my skill increased, I charged a little more and was able to buy more tools, stuff to enhance my hobby. There are many ways to go about it. Look for inexpensive items as well. Get you a granite slab for next to nothing from a counter top company nearby (a sink cutout). Ask your friends if they have a cutting mat they're not using. But when you buy tools, don't go cheap. Find decent quality tools at reasonable (hard to do these days) prices. Tandy would be the bottom for me. Don't buy the cheap stuff from overseas on Amazon. The quality is just not always there. It's a crap shoot. Weaver, Springfield Leather, and others have good tools. You will pay a little more for them, but you won't be disappointed. Also, don't buy a tool for something you can do without, until you can afford to get it to save you some time. An example is a corner punch. You can get a nice corner punch for several dollars, but at the same time, you can trace around a round object then cut with an utility knife, then sand smooth. I am sure there will be much more info coming your way, but you may also want to search through the forum. This question gets asked from time to time.

Subscribed! Thanks for that information. I am sure I will be watching lots of videos. I will definitely be practicing. I have about 6 totes and 2 boxes full of "made to order" sewing practice pieces (or scrap). LOL

Thanks for the insight. I have subscribed to Uwe' channel and have downloaded the manuals from an old thread. Thanks @Constabulary for making them available.

If it is a commissioned piece, is the client willing to pay an additional $200 bucks. if you charge $20 per hour, will it take you less than 10 hours to cut out by hand? Since it is a one-off, I would probably do it by hand.

That's why I was a little more confident. I have never done any sewing at all. Surely I can figure it out. I can help my dad turn a bull into a steer and run a Stihl 261 for firewood. It's been a while, but engine swaps are not out of the question either.

saved in my bookmark for later reference. Thanks!

Would it be cutting out the actual pieces or creating a pattern in said pieces? Do you have all the images digitized already if it's to cut out individual pieces? Are you doing this as a one-off or are you planning on making more of the same?

mighty fine workmanship!!

So many times I have looked online for used sewing machines, then came here and did a search looking for comments from @kgg or @Wizcrafts to determine if it was a good machine. I have had numerous messages with both of them helping me decide on a machine. I tried the Chinese cobbler, and even my late wife, who could run the heck out of a serger and a local sewing machine repairman couldn't get it to work properly, even after it was buffed to shine after watching all the videos on the subject. Friday I will be picking up a Cobra Class 4 machine from Springfield Leather Co. Wish me luck. Thank you guys for all the help and I am sure I will be pestering you with questions in the near future. PS - I got the Premium package with stand.

Thanks Dwight! Appreciate your kind words and input. My Redeemer Lives!!

Make sure to post pics when done. I did order the pattern pack, but have about 6-10 other projects in front of it.

Thanks for the pic. I am thinking about investing in a vacuum setup. I haven't yet. That looks great!!

Thanks for the kind words. Yeah, I liked the USMC concho. I wanted to find one in Gold, then do red stitching on the holster. I think the natural thread really adds a nice contrast.

Had a client want a new avenger style holster for his Ruger along with some mag pouches.

I have the Avenger pack from slick bald and have had to make adjustments to the patterns. Here is one I designed and created for a client. It is not wet molded, but is a great friction fit.

That turned out sharp. May want to get a smaller punch for the holes, look like they may be bigger than necessary for that buckle prong.

Very nice. Is the bottom of the holster closed up? Could you take a pick of the back side?

Wow! That turned out nice. I may have to get one of those pattern packs.

Those look pretty sharp. I have yet to make one, but need to. Thanks for sharing your design. Really like it.

Great tooling work on that! Does it make the bill much heavier where it wants to ride down while wearing?

That flag looks outstanding!!

I am no expert, but would guess any attempt to remove the felt will damage it.

I was addressing your concern about digitizing your patterns. Thought you may be able to use the same software I mentioned.

@Tim Schroeder Thanks for the inspiration on building a tool holder for my stamps, etc. I took 12" long pieces of 2x4 and laminated them together to get 24ish inches wide. I then placed a piece of 1/4" plywood on top and drilled the holes (lots of drilling - nearly 300 holes), then used 3/4" Knotty Alder x 4" around the border. Not real happy with the way the miter edges turned out on the Alder, nor the chipping along the top of the plywood when I ripped it, but it is serviceable. The below video captures the holder as I am loading it with stamps. I think it is sped up by 6 times normal.