Littlef

I wondering what people use to weigh down their leather and patterns to keep them from curling while tracing. I've seen actual Leather weights to buy for around 50 bucks, which seems excessive. I have a foam yoga block and place a small plate weight on it, which works, but its huge and its really in the way while cutting. I was thinking of buying some ball bearings and sewing them into a bag or a thick coaster. Has anyone come up with a simple cheap alternative? I have other stuff, but I'm trying to not mark up the leather.

That's beautiful. The stamping on the pockets is a real nice accent. I'm sure your grandmother will love it.

That looks really sharp!

Love it! that looks great,

I'm a newby, but from my experience in the handful of projects I've done, I found if I use full strength dye, it dyes the leather to a completely opaque color. In addition, I had problems with dye rubbing off. And it continued no matter how much I tried to buff it off. - I started cutting my dye with alcohol, and I can now see the leather grain through the dye. I can also repeat multiple coats and bring it darker if need be.... but you certainly can't lighten it once a heavy dye is applied. Resolene seems to work similarly. I started using full strength, and it works, but I'd get splotches, and it was tough to get even coverage. I started diluting it 50/50 - not measuring, just eyeballing it... and it seems to me to absorb quicker, dry quicker, and dry more evenly. I saw a benefit in diluting it.

I use poster board as well. Another Thing I use is craft foam. Not to make a template, but it makes a good analog for leather to prototype gun holsters, mag holsters, ammo pouches, or whatever else.

yea, that's a really good idea I'll get one. Thanks!

I can certainly see that, and I had the same thought the first time I saw a toe plug. I'm not carrying this hunting, and I'm not working a ranch. I'll work it into the rotation on the steel range a handful of times in a year. If its pouring rain, I'm skipping range day. The rest of its cushy life will be spent in a comfy climate controlled closet.

Good call on all. I forgot to burnish the strap before I riveted it to the back of the holster. Now that its in position, its tough to get a good burnish. That welt was such a struggle to get stitched, its been pushed and pulled and bent so much that the surface is just mush. I tried to sand it down, but I'm getting down to the stitch line, so...it is what is. This was my first attempt at a toe plug. I should have bumped the stitch line back on the holster to get a deeper angle into the toe plug. The thread is really shallow in the toe plug, but its also contact cemented into place. Its not going anywhere. I could see how the coin could catch on stuff, but I'm only wearing this at the range, so I'm not really worried about that. - I can see how it would catch on stuff getting in and out of a vehicle or through doorways, etc. It'll do its primary job, which is to allow me to carry it on the steel section at my range. And I also plan to use this same pattern on my 1911. I have a '43 Ithaca 1911A1 that I'm going to make this pattern holster for. I want that holster to be nice, so this is my trial run science experiment. I always like to take Macro Photos of anything I work on. The holster looks decent from across the room, but the imperfections can't hide from a macro lens. Keeps me honest.

I agree, the magic in any craftsmanship is the quality and detail of the finish work that really brings a project together.

Thank you very much!!

Yea I agree. I sanded and burnished as best I could. Next time I plan to give me more room on my stitch lines. I was sanding down, and ran out of room. I still might go back and apply a edge coat to clean it up a bit

Thank you very much sir! I don't think I was intending for rugged, but that's how it turned out. I'm still refining processes. I made the welt because I was having trouble with slop in the holster. The pattern was for a 1911. The CZ52 is very similar in size, but the slide significantly tapers towards the muzzle. I couldn't figure out how to fix that, so I made the welt. With the welt, it fits very securely.

Thanks!! All good thoughts. I definitely struggle to get grooves cut at a consistent depth, and there were a couple places where the guide arm came away from the edge. The Stitching was a challenge, especially through the welt and toe plug. I really had to fight to get that welt stitched. There were curse words a flying, but it was a good learning experience. I tried to drill holes in the welt first, and I was then fighting to make everything to line up. I wasn't fully utilizing the stitching awl in the beginning. Next time instead of fighting the leather and needle to make the holes line up, I'll just punch through the welt with the stitching awl to fine tune the hole. That's interesting you say I should burnish the bottom before assembly. I've certainly never done that, but I'll give it a try next time. --regarding the 123 block, I was using it as a squared edge to bump against the leather/welt and gauge when it was flush.

thank you sir. I plan on using the same pattern to make one for my 1911, so this is kinda the trial run. Slowly building the skills.

Here's my 2nd attempt at a holster. I used Will Ghormley's Hand of God pattern for a 1911. I made a welt to account for the tapered slide of the CZ52. I made a toe cap, and I embedded a neodymium magnet into to add to the retention (I got that idea from road agent on youtube.) . I turned a 1948 Czech coin into a concho. It was tough getting the welt lined up. Next time time, I'll leave it proud and sand it to fit, instead of just trying to make it fit perfect on the first shot. Its not perfect, but I really happy with it, being a pretty complicated design for my 2nd holster. Let me know what you think. Let the flames begin.

Wow, that looks amazing. Well done!

yep,I have one, now. As I said in my previous post, I just bought a stitching pony. Another tool in the tool box.

yea, the stitching pony should hopefully solve a few issues. You just don't have every single tool when you first start. Still stocking the workbench.

Good looking stitching and holster. I'm new to leatherwork also. I've noticed part of my stitches will look good, and then they change and look odd. I just bought a stitching pony. I was picking up the leather and then setting it back down with each stitch. I think I would get mixed up if it was the left or right needles turn. Hopefully by using the stitching pony, my work will stay consistently oriented, and help my stitching improve. we shall see.

A couple suggestions, from another newbie. I would recommend gluing the whole sheet to the posterboard first - or at least only the major parts roughly cut out. Glue it, let it dry, and then cut it out, when its dry as one piece. Use your hole punches to cut clean holes. If you don't have oblong punches to cut slots... use a hole punch on each end of the slot.... then use your knife to make the straight cuts to form a slot between the two holes.

aaa... the for sale/rent sign is a good idea. I've been drawing on printer paper or graph paper, and then then gluing it to a posterboard to give it rigidity. The plastic sign idea is nice, and would be more durable than posterboard. Thanks for a good idea.

Good Looking First Holster! well done.

good lookin belt!

+1 on your idea chuck. I think when having to carry hunting pack all day, the ounces add up real quick. Leather is not light, and is not easy to keep weather proof in wet hunting conditions. An oil cloth or waxed canvas would probably serve the purpose better, and adding some leather reinforcing could be used to give it a leathercraft aesthetic.