BigBore

Outstanding work!

This is what I do. I have customers send me a detailed tracing; I then take it and glue to a piece of 1x6; cut it out; sand the edges; and bam...pattern. Works every time and very well. For me this is the best route anyway because 90% of what I build is for handgun hunters and the possibilities are endless between handgun/optic combinations.

Thank you. Yes, this is how the hide came. No top coat either. I tested a scrap with a top coat and didn’t like the way it looked.

Thanks everyone! And yessir, it’s one piece.

Thank you both. I just thought I kept my machine well oiled. Until yesterday I had only ever just oiled the drilled holes across the machine. After CowboyBob replied I took the side plate off and did it more thoroughly. Seems to have fixed the issue.

Working on a holster this weekend and the presser foot is getting stuck in the 'up' position. I can push on it and it will snap back down, or essentially raise it with the foot pedal and it will fall. Then it will work a little while and then do it again. I've also noticed when raising the presser foot with the pedal, it isn't a 'smooth' cycle, if that makes sense. I keep my machine well oiled, unless I'm missing a port somewhere. Anyone experience this before?

Very nice.

Thank you both very much!

Very nice work!

Outstanding work!

Creepy is right! Nice work!

Well done!

Thank you both!

Finally had time to knock this out. I've had intentions on making myself a belt to match a new pair of boots for several months now. Got caught up on customer orders recently so it was nice to do something for ME! haha. Simple project but I'm please with how it turned out. Ostrich (pretty thin hide) on top, 10 oz veg-tan as the lining - bonded, stitched, and buckle added.

Well done!

Thank you both very much!

Texas Sidekick. It’s my project. To get the contrast on that belt slide, I tooled the leather, let it dry completely, coated the whole thing with tan kote, let it dry completely, then used brown antique paste. I use an ample amount and make sure the paste gets worked into all the groove/tooled areas, then use a clean paper towel and wipe the excess off the top or, un-tooled areas. Let it dry completely, and then a final coat of tan kote over the whole project again.

Thank you all very much!

Thank you sir. Yes the few I've sold so far have been a really big hit. I'm a dedicated handgun hunter and thought nothing would ever replace my chest rig in terms of personal preference, but I think this sidekick has done it. So versatile and easy to use. I've even tested it with my elk pack just hiking around at my deer lease and it also works well in that setting. Amen. Nothing more satisfying as a craftsman than taking a 'crazy idea' and making it a functional reality.

You are very close. I should have taken pics of it detached - it would explain it very easily. But...The round metal stud is screwed through the outer later of the holster with loc-tite and tightened securely. Then the inner liner is bonded and stitched to the outer later. So the holster has the stud on it. The belt slide has a hole with slits cut into it that goes over the metal stud. That system essentially keeps the holster from sliding down or even coming up/out when drawing the pistol. The combination of that and the pressure between the belt slide and your belt keeps it very secure. If this doesn't make sense, I can take additional pictures of it when I get home later. Sorry if this is confusing but I appreciate the dialogue.

Thank you! Definitely sits high but that is by design to allow you to get in and out of a vehicle without trying to reconfigure on the go. I should have also pointed out the reason for a multi piece system. The obvious is to allow you to position wherever you want on your belt without the need of multiple holsters. But to me the biggest advantage is being able to simple remove the holster when you are back at camp, yet leave the belt portion on all day. Makes for a really quick on/off system. I can't tell you how many times we'll be in camp and a hunter comes in needing help trailing an animal, or just wanting to jump in a buggy/truck to go check something on the ranch. In a literal moments notice, I can be armed and ready to walk the ranch.

Thank you very much!

I’ve been working on this for a while now. It’s my take on the companion holster made by other leather-smiths. In no way am I ‘knocking’ their design - mine is just slightly different and made purely from a handgun hunters viewpoint. I call it the Texas Sidekick. It’s perfect for smaller frame handguns or those with shorter barrels. It has an attachment that keeps the holster from slipping while being worn and will pivot some, to allow either strong-side or cross-draw carry. I also added a few bullet loops to serve as extra piece-of-mind and not needing to carry extras in your pocket or pack. Lastly, the belt strap portion is ‘beefed’ up slightly compared to others I’ve seen. It really keeps the handgun solidly in place. The holster itself is two pieces of veg-tan leather, bonded and stitched together (total of about 11-12 oz.) with the ‘rough side’ out. Really looks sharp in person! I’ve been carrying this design all summer and have a few out to others as well. I really like it. Thanks for letting me share.

Looks great! Nice work.

The only time a customer will order a left-handed holster is when you forget to look at that option on your order form until the holster is completely done.