Holster Making Video Overview

[Lobo]

Excellent! Very well done video. I am sure that you have created something that will guide many hobbyists through the production of very good products.

[dickf]

I agree - great job!

[olliesrevenge]

Particle,

I'm just a hobbyist who is on my 2nd holster, and this video is going to be a huge help to me. There are a lot of great tips in there! The simple act of watching you create belt loops using a drill press and a chisel has already saved me the $40.00 I was going to spend on a 1 1/2" punch at Tandy. Thanks!

One quick question - Where in the manufacturing process of the video holster did the baking in the oven for stiffening happen? After the boning process & before the application of neatsfoot oil right? Bake at 120 for about 40 min if I recall correctly from another thread.

Thanks for sharing,

-Lance

[JeffGC]

Eric - You did a great job on your video. Also, you make beautiful holsters!

Jeff

[particle]

Thank you everyone for your kind words! Glad people are getting some use out of it. I hated that I forgot to hit record during the boning process, and that I put the Gum T. on the edges before I dyed the edges... and forgot to show the first time I drilled the belt slot holes, etc. - no telling what else I might have missed!

Particle,

I'm just a hobbyist who is on my 2nd holster, and this video is going to be a huge help to me. There are a lot of great tips in there! The simple act of watching you create belt loops using a drill press and a chisel has already saved me the $40.00 I was going to spend on a 1 1/2" punch at Tandy. Thanks!

One quick question - Where in the manufacturing process of the video holster did the baking in the oven for stiffening happen? After the boning process & before the application of neatsfoot oil right? Bake at 120 for about 40 min if I recall correctly from another thread.

Thanks for sharing,

-Lance

Lance - glad this has helped you out. Yes, definitely save your money on the punch you mentioned. I bought the same punch you were looking at, and it was extremely dull from the factory. It wouldn't cut a turd. I sharpened it gently and slowly with my grinder to make sure I didn't overheat the edge, then followed it up with a file to smooth it out. I didn't even change the grind angle! First hole I tried to make the steel curled over and flattened out. Total junk steel. Thus the reason for the drill press. One of these days I'll probably order a weaver punch. Till then, it's the drill and a sharp chisel.

And yes - the oven part came after molding, and before the oil. You could probably burnish the edges while the holster is still damp from the molding, but I've found it's too pliable still and it generally gets deformed a bit when I burnish. Thus, I just wait and burnish afterward.

[rccolt45]

Awsome video - very helpful to those of us trying to learn. One question - Why the neatsfoot oil? That was the first time I have hear of using it after dye but before sealer - what does it do?

thanks again

[particle]

Neatsfoot oil, for one, darkens the leather a bit. With exposure to sun, it helps to tan the leather a bit giving it that cool golden color you usually see on saddles. It also helps to add a little flexibility and moisture back into the leather after the baking process that hardens and dries out the leather.

[BruceGibson]

Okay - after a long week of late nights and hours of video editing, I've finally finished my first "real" attempt at producing a video. As many of you know, I'm relatively new to holster-making (and leather working in general). Like many of you, I've found there to be a shortage of videos that demonstrate the process of building holsters, boning, cutting, stitching, etc. I've learned SO much from this forum, and decided I'd like to give back to the community by providing a condensed overview of the overall process. There are MANY here that do "this" or "that" better than me - again, I'm no expert and I learn something new every day. But I hope this video will give some of you a step in the right direction.

Should you find yourself interested in viewing my attempt at wrapping some leather around a gun, feel free to visit my website and click on the "How's it Made?" link at the top of the page. My camera quality kinda' stinks, my lighting was poor, my knife was dull, but I still managed to create something I'm proud to carry my gun in. I posted it to YouTube, but it's too long and was rejected. Oops!

I should also add - if any of you seasoned pro's out there see something blatantly wrong that I did, please feel free to PM me to let me know. I plan on making more of these videos in the future (with a better camera...), so I'd be nice to not repeat the same errors in the future.

Take care,

Eric

www.adamsleatherworks.com

Excellent video! Very well done!

[ps0303]

Nice job!! Your video should be pinned in this forum.

[skipj]

Just adding my well done to the comments. I have several "professional" holster making videos, and yours is equal or better than most.

God Bless,

SkipJ