A new set just finished for a customer

[dickf]

I think it looks great, and after reading your post about the customer's request, it makes even more sense.

[rhall]

Great Lookin gear..And Lobo answed a Q that I have been Wondering about...As I have been observing many posts ,of some fine holsters,I could not figure how people got all that exterior boning detail?As I use 8/9 oz now I understand why my ext's look so much different!! Thanks To This Foram again. You Guys teach and inform so well...Thanks So Much.

[Go2Tex]

I'm just sitting here trying to picture this customer and the wacky world he/she must live in. Needs to carry a gun to go for a bike ride wearing tight fitting shorts and a t-shirt..... whew, must be California.

Man, I just can't imagine living in a place like that, or having that need unless I was a cop of some kind working undercover or off-duty, in which case I'd sure be wearing proper attire to conceal my goodies..... (no, not "those" goodies).

If I figure I need to pack, I'm dang sure going to dress for the occasion with a loose fitting shirt that comes down far enough to cover it up.

[BOOMSTICKHolsters]

There seems to be a lot of confusion in customers' minds about detailed casing/boning. Some big-name makers make a big deal out of extremely high detail on the outer holster surfaces. While this is all well and good, to me it indicates that maybe the leather they are using is pretty light, thin stuff. I use 8-9 oz. for most holster applications, and it is not possible to get that high detail on the outer surfaces. But, properly formed, the important detailing is on the INSIDE, closely fitted around the handgun.

Lobo is right about the detailing on the inside being the most important part, but it is possible to get a fairly high degree of detail on thicker or heavier leathers. The picture below is of holsters made from 8 and 8.5 oz. Wicket and Craig leather.

This next photo is the kind of detail that I get out of 6/7 oz. Hermann Oak.

The big difference is that it probably takes me longer to build a holster than a lot of you guys. I would love to see detailed boning in PeterK's holster with that nice coloring and finish. I think it would look fantastic.

[K-Man]

Nice job on the holsters, peterk. Keep up the good work.

There seems to be a lot of confusion in customers' minds about detailed casing/boning. Some big-name makers make a big deal out of extremely high detail on the outer holster surfaces. While this is all well and good, to me it indicates that maybe the leather they are using is pretty light, thin stuff. I use 8-9 oz. for most holster applications, and it is not possible to get that high detail on the outer surfaces. But, properly formed, the important detailing is on the INSIDE, closely fitted around the handgun.

A great number of the top-end custom holster makers that make holsters for concealed carry use leather that is split to 7 or 7.5 oz for their IWB or OWB holsters. The use/application of sound techniques allow for the durability and function of the holster. When you buy your leather and it's split/advertised as being 8/9 oz, you're really getting leather that ranges in thickness of 7.5 oz to 9.5 oz. Two layers of 9.5 oz out in the "wing" area of a holster is exceptionally thick - too thick for comfort and function. Utilizing leather in the 7/7.5 oz range provides for more than adequate function and durability and you can easily mold it for detail.

Edited February 22, 2009 by K-Man

[rhall]

cAN ANYONE GIVE ME QUIKE D&D ONTHE TECH THAT THE USE? AS I HAVE DONE MOSTLY COWBOY ACTION GEAR FOR 1870-1900 TIMEFRAME.Sorry for the caps...any input will be helpful!

[Twosons]

Lobo is right about the detailing on the inside being the most important part, but it is possible to get a fairly high degree of detail on thicker or heavier leathers. The picture below is of holsters made from 8 and 8.5 oz. Wicket and Craig leather.

Most impressive.

[dickf]

Most impressive.

Agreed.

BOOMSTICK - How much detail does the press add just by itself? Then, what tools do you use to deepen the lines? I strive for output such as yours.

[BOOMSTICKHolsters]

I can get the same detail as the press by using my thumbs and knuckles, but it saves a lot of time (and soreness) to use the press. The press gets about the same definition as the holsters PeterK's holster shows above. For all intents and purposes, this is all that needs to be done for a good functional holster. I like the look of crisp clean lines, so I try to emphasize the more prominent angles with sharper boned edges, if that makes any sense. A couple of tricks -

• shape and bone the holster like normal, and the chase the shapes again with a smaller (but still blunt) boning tool - I actually use the handle for an antique thread cutting dye or the round edge of a bone folder
  
• make sure the holster is almost completely dry before chasing it with a finer edged boning tool (for this I use the narrow edge of a traditional bone folder)
  
• don't try to show every detail; only boning prominent features looks good and clean (this is of course only my personal opinion)
  
• don't run sharp boning lines all the way into other lines; leave a little gap between lines that would run together, and try to stop short with your boning lines instead of running them off the edge of your leather (or overlapping them with stitch grooves or edge creases)
  
• less is often more; learn when to leave well enough alone (the more time you spend on a piece of leather, the more opportunities you give yourself to screw things up)
  

[BOOMSTICKHolsters]

Thanks Boomstickholsters! There are a lot of high standards to strive for with members here like yourself.

I am loving Angelus spirit dyes more each time I use them... Night and day results from my early Eco-Flo finished holsters. The fact they don't rub off, and have deep penetration is a welcome change. Match it up with their colored wax polish and you have nice finished holsters in less steps.

How are you applying your colored wax polish? That's something I have no experience with, but I love how your holster has that nice sheen (your edges look really clean as well - are you doing anything special to get them so clean?). How does this finish hold up to long term abuse?