New On Duty Holster

[Drac]

use a very fine toothed jeweler's saw. draw your belt slot shape, punch a hole, then run the blade through the hole and start cutting the shape. if you aren't gluing the leather together along with stitching, you may need to squeeze the area beside the blade with your fingers or with a clamp. I've never used this method, but I've known of others who did for cutting out internal shapes and it worked/looked great for them. and yes, a blue gun is great for molding from what I hear. blueguns.com for finding a nearby dealer. ASP and blackhawk are 2 other companies that make similar training weapons.

[Randyc]

Drac,

Thanks for the jewelers saw idea. I'm familer with Blueguns. I have one for a Colt 1911. I'm not familer with Blackhawk training weapons. Blueguns are the closest in specs. to the real thing. Other holster makers have concluded that ASP Redguns are bigger then the actual weapon, making it difficult for an accurate holster mold.

Randy

[Drac]

thanks for the heads up about the ASP ones. had been comparing prices between the 3 to decide if I wanted to use one or not and now those are out of the running.

[WaG35]

I'm not farmiliar with the blackhawk either, but you are right about the blue guns. THe 2 holsters that I have made so far with the blue gun were right on with the real thing.

[fishguy]

Thanks for the crtique guys, I photographed the holster after I already wore the holster for a few days. I wear western belts on duty with large/thick belt tips. I don't have a round punch large enough for the 2 hole method of making belt slots. I use the largest belt punch made then have to widen both sides from there. When I used to wear regular belts, my belt slots were clean. I will possibly have a custom belt punch made in the future.

Randy

You can also use a sharp twist drill or Forstner bit to make the hole (stay away from spade bits)

[BOOMSTICKHolsters]

Hi, RandyC.

I think your off to a decent start with your holster design. The one thing that stands out the most to me is the sharp corner above the rear loop. Leaving sharp corners can flare the leather out and possibly cause it to sepparate over time. Try to design your pattern so there is nothing that will catch on your surroundings or rub you raw. Another step you might consider is using an adjustable creaser to make a line along the unsewn edges to give the holster a more finished look. Did you stitch the holster before or after you molded it? Stitching the holster dry before you wet and mold it can help minimize tooling marks. Running a flat bone folder along the edges of the gun's profile will leave a distinct line that also makes the holster look more professional. You might also consider making the retention strap just a little thinner - if the edges stick out they will eventually bend and cause ugly wrinkles in the leather. Finally, I would suggest you get some spray on acrylic finish from tandy's (or somewhere similar) to protect the holster and give it a professional finished appearance. Anyhow, have fun building more holsters!

[Randyc]

Hey Jeff,

I was hopeing for a critique from you. I first glued, then molded then stitched this holster. After building the holster, I realized that I should have stitched before molding. I don't plan on making that mistake again. I wasn't happy with the leather developing a wave after wetting the leather down and molding it. I made that one out of cheap scrap leather because I needed a duty holster quickly. I just built another holster that I designed myself. That one I designed to ride between my belt and waistband verses inside the waistband. I've never been comfortable carrying inside my waistband. I will be designing an inside the waistband holster because of their popularity, along with an avenger type of belt holster. I've also built several pocket holsters which have sold well. Lastly, I will start creasing my unstitched edges. Thanks for your help!

Randy