A day in the life

[Lobo]

Well, another day in the life of a holster maker, here at Lobo Gun Leather (serious equipment for serious business, since 1972). What a mess! Looks just like a dog's breakfast! Maybe a few of these will look something like the second photo in another day or so.

Trying to get caught up on last week's orders. Started cutting patterns about 7:00AM, assembling, cementing, sewing, forming. Too much like work!

That is as far as I got. As the photo shows, El Lobo is now in the natural environment (ashtray and beer prevalent). Dying, edge dressing, burnishing, and finishing will wait for tomorrow.

Not a bad day's work at all, I think. 12 items for 9 customers, all ready to ship by the weekend. Life is good.

Hope you have all had a good day as well.

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[Lobo]

Oh well. Just checked my e-mail and found orders for 3 more items. I wonder how long my wife will put up with this.

[drof99]

Must be fun to be able to do this for a living. I have to work outside and the temp where I live has been -20!!!! To bad I'm not as good as you, I could just stay inside. Do you do this full time? I like the stitching on the finished holster you have pictured. Is that a hand stitch?

[Lobo]

Must be fun to be able to do this for a living. I have to work outside and the temp where I live has been -20!!!! To bad I'm not as good as you, I could just stay inside. Do you do this full time? I like the stitching on the finished holster you have pictured. Is that a hand stitch?

I am a retired cop. Leather work started as a hobby over 40 years ago, and I started making holsters in 1972. For many years my market was limited to the people I knew and worked with, so it was a small change operation.

Now, with the internet, the marketplace is the world. My little hobby business has evolved into orders for over 100 items per month, shipping to all 50 states and (so far) 4 other countries.

I have another business, so working with leather is still a part-time operation (a few hours or half-a-day here and there, as needed). But the leather business is now at the tipping point, requiring more time every month. I am looking for a shop to lease so I can get the materials and inventory out of the house (and keep my wife happy). I can keep up with current demand with about 20 to 25 hours per week, but even a small increase in demand will just about require that I either (1) give up the other business, or (2) hire someone to do a lot of the grunt work (cutting patterns, assembling, sewing) and I can do the forming, fitting, and finishing work. Tough choice, as the other business generates over 50K with only 2.5 to 3.5 days per week. Maybe hiring someone would permit me to continue doing both.

Thanks for the compliment. The finished holster shown is a machine-sewn item. I hand stitched for many, many years, but (a) the time required for hand sewing doesn't allow for much volume in production, and ( the effort of hand sewing causes a lot of discomfort in my old grampa hands, wrists, forearms, elbows, even my shoulders.

The finished holster shown was sewn by Ashley Schildknecht of SnakeHorse Saddlery in Rosendale, MO. I have sent several batches of holsters to Ashley to be sewn (I assemble and cement the pieces and mark the stitching lines, Ashley takes care of the rest). He does exceptionally nice work, and his turn-around time has been very good. I will continue to rely on him to assist with volume production.

Good luck to you.

Edited January 16, 2009 by Lobo

[Dynamik1]

I have another business ... generates over 50K with only 2.5 to 3.5 days per week.

OK, this I have to bite on! :-)

Whats your OTHER business Lobo?

[Lobo]

OK, this I have to bite on! :-)

Whats your OTHER business Lobo?

My other business is insurance investigations. My specialty for several years (back in my law enforcement days) was fraud and I have quite a lot of training and experience in the field. And, as difficult as it may be to believe, right here in the good old US of A there are still a few people making fraudulent insurance claims (imagine that!).

I provide services ranging from consultation (case review and recommendations) to full field investigations. Allow me to brag just a little bit; on average, $1 in fees and expenses paid to me results in an average savings of over $20 to an insurance company.

Everything from bogus accident claims, to product liability claims, to business bankruptcy cases, to forgery cases, to fraudulent theft claims. They all come my way. When a case doesn't pass the "smell test" at the claims office, I provide a quick review and make recommendations for appropriate investigation, then follow through as requested until the point where a claim can be reasonably denied, or a settlement can be reached. Sometimes I simply report that further investigation is unlikely to bring significant results to justify additional expense.

Actually, much easier than criminal investigations in most cases. The standard in a criminal case is establishing 'proof beyond a reasonable doubt' that a criminal offense has been committed by a specific individual. The standard in civil cases is a 'preponderance of the evidence' and what I do can be described as digging up pebbles to stack on the scale, adding as much weight as possible to one side or the other; when the balance point is reached a better decision can be made.

So, interesting and challenging, but also time consuming, frustrating at times. For the time I am pretty well paid.

Have a great day.

[Twosons]

Lobo,

Insurance work can be great work. Business will likely only get better the way the economy is looking right now.

I took the opposite path. I worked insurance prior to going into LE. Got my AIC and was part of the way into CPCU. I have to admit that I am much happier now in LE and it has treated my quite well.

I wish you the best on which way you decide to go.

Edited January 17, 2009 by Twosons

[Dynamik1]

Lobo, it sounds like you are busier in your "retirement" than I am with a full time job and a 2 year old!!

Thanks for telling us about your other business - sounds very interesting - I come from Detroit and have seen many of the folks on the other side of the fence making deals to cover their tracks when making claims. Glad you battle those miscreants!