Are Basket-Weave Stampers Negligent!?!

[RVM45]

 

Friends,

 

I was watching some holster makers on “U” Tube & I noticed something that amazed & displeased me.

 

The culprit was basket-weave stamping a holster…

 

Now truth be told, I have seldom seen a stamped pattern that is as attractive to my eye as smooth highly polished leather, though some very well-done carving IS an improvement to bare leather…

 

BUT some folks like stamped leather; it is reputed to stiffen the leather & make small scuffs & scars less noticeable & it certainly occupies the stamper & keeps him out of worse mischief… 

 

But what to my wondering bloodshot eyes should appear—the stamper ONLY stamped the front side of the holster—the one that would show— & left the side that would face the holster-wearer smooth.

 

{When I was telling my sister about his, she thought that I meant that the culprit should stamp the INSIDE of the holster! No!  NO!!! The BACKSIDE—not the INSIDE!}

 

To me, this seems sloven & unworkmanlike. It is like cabinetmakers who make a beautiful dresser; chest of drawers or armoire, using all sorts of expensive and exotic woods in the process— & then on the backside or the bottom—where it won’t show, they use a common sheet of plywood or fiberboard.

 

Like Krenov said about cabinetmaking—sooner or later, someone will turn it around to look at the back (or bottom) side & the fact that someone took the time to do it RIGHT—even where it doesn’t show—will bring a smile to their lips— & increase their satisfaction of owning it.

 

Since I was now on the alert—ALL of the “U” Tube holster makers seem to use this lazy man’s approach.

 

If I was contracting for a stamped holster—I would very much appreciate the maker telling me:

 

“You realize that this is only a half-vast stamping. IF you want it fully stamped over all 180-degrees—that will be an extra $35!”

 

What do y’all think?

 

Thanks.

 

 

…..RVM45

 

[Littlef]

I see no purpose to stamp, carved or otherwise decorate the backside of a holster.  When I draw out the main panel, I wrap it around the front edge, and stop at a point just where is goes out of sight.  If that makes me lazy, so be it.  I can live with that.

[chuck123wapati]

55 minutes ago, RVM45 said:

 

Friends,

 

I was watching some holster makers on “U” Tube & I noticed something that amazed & displeased me.

 

The culprit was basket-weave stamping a holster…

 

Now truth be told, I have seldom seen a stamped pattern that is as attractive to my eye as smooth highly polished leather, though some very well-done carving IS an improvement to bare leather…

 

BUT some folks like stamped leather; it is reputed to stiffen the leather & make small scuffs & scars less noticeable & it certainly occupies the stamper & keeps him out of worse mischief… 

 

But what to my wondering bloodshot eyes should appear—the stamper ONLY stamped the front side of the holster—the one that would show— & left the side that would face the holster-wearer smooth.

 

{When I was telling my sister about his, she thought that I meant that the culprit should stamp the INSIDE of the holster! No!  NO!!! The BACKSIDE—not the INSIDE!}

 

To me, this seems sloven & unworkmanlike. It is like cabinetmakers who make a beautiful dresser; chest of drawers or armoire, using all sorts of expensive and exotic woods in the process— & then on the backside or the bottom—where it won’t show, they use a common sheet of plywood or fiberboard.

 

Like Krenov said about cabinetmaking—sooner or later, someone will turn it around to look at the back (or bottom) side & the fact that someone took the time to do it RIGHT—even where it doesn’t show—will bring a smile to their lips— & increase their satisfaction of owning it.

 

Since I was now on the alert—ALL of the “U” Tube holster makers seem to use this lazy man’s approach.

 

If I was contracting for a stamped holster—I would very much appreciate the maker telling me:

 

“You realize that this is only a half-vast stamping. IF you want it fully stamped over all 180-degrees—that will be an extra $35!”

 

What do y’all think?

 

Thanks.

 

 

…..RVM45

 

i think a guy can stamp it the way he wants to and doesn't have to feel bad about any part of it. Personally I like a smooth leather against my body however and wouldn't want one stamped on the back. But if the customer would want it I would make it.

[Doc Reaper]

The "half vasted" method also helps save the material between the holster and the skin from early wear, back in the day good trousers (like today) ain't cheap. Seeing as the normal holster hangs below the belt where the thigh moves back and forth as you walk, the leather is a bit harder and acts as an abrasive that will make quick work of a pair of jeans. Smooth leather is better. Now if the holster is at the belt and there is no friction then it's up to the maker. After a few dozen holsters  you learn that full wrap around tooling is good on smaller higher hanging holsters is cool. The lower hanging high friction is meant to be smoother 

[Chakotay]

4 hours ago, Littlef said:

I see no purpose to stamp, carved or otherwise decorate the backside of a holster.  When I draw out the main panel, I wrap it around the front edge, and stop at a point just where is goes out of sight.  If that makes me lazy, so be it.  I can live with that.

This. Though I often stamp the entire front and back as well ... just depends.  Especially if the holster is a "Mexican-loop" style with a skirt (one I make frequently), there's really no reason to stamp the back side. It's literally never going to be seen.

[RVM45]

6 hours ago, Doc Reaper said:

The "half vasted" method also helps save the material between the holster and the skin from early wear, back in the day good trousers (like today) ain't cheap. Seeing as the normal holster hangs below the belt where the thigh moves back and forth as you walk, the leather is a bit harder and acts as an abrasive that will make quick work of a pair of jeans. Smooth leather is better. Now if the holster is at the belt and there is no friction then it's up to the maker. After a few dozen holsters  you learn that full wrap around tooling is good on smaller higher hanging holsters is cool. The lower hanging high friction is meant to be smoother 

That is something that I had truly never considered. 

I also get incensed at knife makers who don’t polish the part of the hilt that will be hidden by the handle scales...

I also groove on revolvers that have the inside surfaces jeweled—supposed to hold lubricant better—but it just looks deluxe when you reduce your revolver to possession—something that should be done VERY SPARINGLY.

When I was going through Small Arms Repair School at APG I encountered all sorts of weapons that had never been fired yet were a total ruin from being reduced to possession & then reassembled hundreds of times by the students.

 

Edited September 23, 2023 by RVM45
typo

[fredk]

Caveat, I don't make gun holsters, but I do study them

Every tut I've read from holster makers from long ago up to recent times mostly, almost always, instruct just to take the design just around the fold bend by an inch or two

and, afair, a lot of the original holsters examined in 'Packing Iron' are of the same, with the design either ending before the fold bend, on the fold, or just an inch or two past it on the rear 

I think, and its only my opinion, ultimately, if you want to do the stamping do it, if you want to reproduce an old real example do it as it was done. Its not lazy to not do it

When I made copies of medieval or viking knife sheaths, which are usually one piece folded around and sewn, I've always done the design all the way around,  just as the original was done

 

[chuck123wapati]

8 hours ago, RVM45 said:

That is something that I had truly never considered. 

I also get incensed at knife makers who don’t polish the part of the hilt that will be hidden by the handle scales...

I also groove on revolvers that have the inside surfaces jeweled—supposed to hold lubricant better—but it just looks deluxe when you reduce your revolver to possession—something that should be done VERY SPARINGLY.

When I was going through Small Arms Repair School at APG I encountered all sorts of weapons that had never been fired yet were a total ruin from being reduced to possession & then reassembled hundreds of times by the students.

 

Interesting I've never cared much what other folks do or how they choose to  create or finish their work  as long as it doesn't effect me but I have to ask.

Hilt as defined is usually the term for the parts of a complete handle assembly do you mean you take off the scales of your knives to see if the tang is polished, you must get really disappointed I've never seen one polished or even heard of it being done? I mean if you understand why jeweling holds oil then why don't you understand why a rough or sanded tang holds glue better?

 

[dikman]

When I carved my Slim Jim holster I carved it all the way around because it doesn't have a skirt so it's all visible. If it had a skirt I wouldn't have bothered because I don't know anyone who removes a skirt to look at the rear of a holster once it's finished and is being used (I know I don't).

[RVM45]

On 9/23/2023 at 9:27 AM, chuck123wapati said:

Interesting I've never cared much what other folks do or how they choose to  create or finish their work  as long as it doesn't effect me but I have to ask.

Hilt as defined is usually the term for the parts of a complete handle assembly do you mean you take off the scales of your knives to see if the tang is polished, you must get really disappointed I've never seen one polished or even heard of it being done? I mean if you understand why jeweling holds oil then why don't you understand why a rough or sanded tang holds glue better?

 

Nah. I meant when I watch Knife-Makers on “U” Tube & they don’t polish all of the metal—just the part that will be exposed.

When I was in “Jig-Repair”—and it turns out that all of our “JIGS” were technically welding “FIXTURES,” NOT “Jigs"—But anyway, the Boss—who trained me—taught me to simply knock off any visible scale with the Dynafile when maintaining the “Jigs."

However, once I went back on second-shift & was on my own—I insisted on polishing each “Jig” to a high state of shine with the Dynafile..

{The “Jigs” were steel & copper. I was mostly polishing copper.}

Cleaning “Jigs” was scut-work, so the First-Shift Boss invariably left all the cleaning to me.

{In a factory setting, never trust a “Daywalker”—someone who works Dayshift by preference…}

Anyway, I was quite anxious to work as fast as possible, so as to take unscheduled breaks...

Once, I was laid-off for 5-weeks & the Boss did all the cleaning/polishing.

I found, that once I was back, that I had to work twice as hard to clean the “Jigs” until I got them back into a High State of Polish.

Seems that the globs of molten steel would only stick lightly to a highly polished surface & it was east to knock them off with a light application of the Dynafile. However, IF the surface was crappy & rough, the slag would stick harder & it was much harder to clean.

I polished the copper surfaces solely due to being OCD—BUT unless there is some strong contraindication there is generally a REASON OCD kicks in.

I mean, ORDINARILY, I am quite Sloven & Lazy—UNTIL it SEEMS TO MATTER.

 

……RVM45

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