Bronson

Don't cover the mag release with leather. Bronson

There is no shame in that rig. Bronson

Just a hobbyist, I only make a few holsters a year, so everything I do is by hand. Bronson

That's what I do. My oven's lowest temp is 170 but I don't preheat it. I hang the holster turn the oven on and 15-20 minutes later it's done. Bronson

First I want to make sure you know that you did a very nice job for your first couple of holsters. Since you've asked for input I'll give mine. 1) Move the stitch line along the trigger guard/frame as close to the profile of the gun as you can get it. 2) Round off all sharp corners. 3) If your are going to hand stitch I think a traditional saddle stitch looks much better than a straight stitch. Al Stohlman's book The Art of Hand Sewing Leather is a good place to start. This video is also nice 4) My personal aesthetic would have me trim the bottom of the pancake holster to follow the line of the muzzle instead of being flat across the bottom. That will get rid of that extra flap of leather at the bottom which will get flappier (is that a word?). These are all fairly minor things that aren't too hard to fix. Again, you did good. Bronson

I don't really do lined holsters but I'm wondering if you'd just add the thicknesses together and treat it as one piece of leather that's equal to the combined thickness. So, lay your holster out like you're using 9.5/10 oz leather. Like I said, I don't really know...I'm just guessing. Bronson

My mileage is the same. Bronson

I'm not generally a fan of shoulder holsters but I gotta say I'd be proud to run that rig. You did a really great job. Bronson

The guy I was buying my holsters from would accept the order, without payment, and when your order was the next in the queue to be made he would send an email with an updated delivery time and instructions for payment. You could either accept the lead time and pay or cancel the order at that time. Bronson

Bronson

This probably won't be a popular answer around here but if you're looking to do just one holster you'd probably be better off, from both a functionality and money standpoint, to just buy a quality holster. Bronson

For an OWB concealed carry holster I would be worried that the wings could be another thing to snag clothing on. Bronson

Probably Delrin. I believe the CompTac clips are Delrin http://www.comp-tac.com/product_info.php?products_id=81 Bronson

Not when I tried it. Bronson

Agreed. I would much rather look at something simple that is done well than something elaborate that is poorly done. Mike always does such clean work it is an inspiration. It's one of the things I see in us new holster makers that I don't like. Trying to be all fancy with tooling and all sorts of frippery BEFORE the solid basics of design and construction have been learned. Like I said, I would much rather see a simple pancacke holster that is designed well with even stitching, good edges, and a nice finish than a tooled hot mess. Ok, off my soapbox. As always, nice work Mike. Bronson

I don't see anything wrong with it, especially if it accomplishes what you wanted it to accomplish. My only suggestion would be to either remove the plated cap from the snap, or use the same stud for the female part of the snap that you use on the male part, and run the second piece of leather (the part attached to the hammer) over it. This will hide the snap and make for a smoother appearance. Bronson

Good to know. I wasn't too happy with the vinegaroon experience because of this same issue. I'll have to give it another go....I hate being patient Bronson

I was wondering if it might be the leather itself and not the finish. The first one I used vinegroon on turned gray every place the leather flexed when I formed it. I too used a dauber to apply it. Bronson

Same here. That would be a no-go in Michigan but I'd carry one if it wasn't. Bronson

Yes, that's the part I was talking about. Assuming the tab that the snap is attached to is two layers thick, punch a hole in the inner layer that is larger than the snap so it is inset into the tab. Bronson

What I have seen done, though I haven't done it myself yet, is to inlet the socket into the inner layer of leather. That is assuming that the part the socket is attached to is two layers thick. Bronson

A friend of mine was carrying in a Yaqui slide style holster. He sat down in a chair and the muzzle caught on the chair's arm and pushed the gun right out of the holster and onto the floor. I believe he threw that holster away. Bronson

Try just burnishing with water and friction. After it's taken the color you could always go over it again with the wax. Bronson

I've made my own out of stainless steel but for the hassle it's easier to order the stainless steel ones from High Desert Leather. Bronson

I too can get large quantiities of scrap upholstery leather. The only things I might use it for on a holster would be decorative inlays or overlays. Bronson