I Messed Up - Cowboy Holster

[Thong]

I'm fairly new to this leather stuff. I decided to make another(I made one) holster, this time for my Ruger .22 single-action. It was supposed to be a cowboy type holster. Now I'm sure nobody here has done anything like this, but after I cut out the leather, I realized that it was backward for a right-handed person. It would probably work great if I was left-handed. If I sew it with the flesh side out, it would work for a right-handed person. So....is there any way to make the flesh side a bit more presentable?

Thank-you for any responses and suggestions.

[dbusarow]

No.

But you can build the holster as is and wear it "butt forward" on your right hip. Look at photos of old cavalry holsters and the men wearing them.

Dan

[gregintenn]

Make it left handed and put it on Craigslist.

[particle]

I'm fairly new to this leather stuff. I decided to make another(I made one) holster, this time for my Ruger .22 single-action. It was supposed to be a cowboy type holster. Now I'm sure nobody here has done anything like this, but after I cut out the leather, I realized that it was backward for a right-handed person. It would probably work great if I was left-handed. If I sew it with the flesh side out, it would work for a right-handed person. So....is there any way to make the flesh side a bit more presentable?

Thank-you for any responses and suggestions.

I'm assuming it wasn't a simple style like this one...

You can try getting an orbital sander after it on the flesh side. Sand it until you get the whole surface looking consistently "suede-ish". Then just build the holster and leave it natural! If you have some really thin leather, you could line it... Only the thin stuff would be on the outside. Otherwise, I might agree with the previous post - make it a cross-draw.

Depending on how much leather you have on hand, it may be cheaper just to set the pieces aside and cut another set. At ~$7/sf, you only wasted ~$14 in leather at the most. Throw in the time and other materials to finish the holster - you wasted a whole lot more trying to salvage it.

For what it's worth, I always draw my pattern and any reference lines and text on one side of the pattern - the "Right" side. And I write "RIGHT" on it really bold so I don't usually miss it. Do this for any relating pieces for the pattern. If someone wants flesh side out, I simply cut out the pieces for a left-handed holster, then assemble it for a right-handed holster.

[Messser]

Try with glicerin soap and burnish with a cotton or wool drill tassel

[terrahyd]

HI Thong;;

this might be a good time to build a suide outer covered holster, allowing the smooth inside to give easy draw, the great looks of suide outside ....perhaps a thin piece of your color choice , glued and then sewn to the holster,,,,just a thought...DOC...

[Dwight]

You didn't say how thick the leather is, . . . if it is less than 10 oz, . . . use it for the liner, . . . cut another piece (correct this time) for the outside, and it will look like you intended to make a fully lined holster, . . . just like John Bianchi used to make

Seriously, . . . the two pieces will need to be contact cemented together, . . . the edges sanded, . . . burnished, . . . then sew all the edges together except for the bottom edge, . . . then finish it out just like it was only one piece of leather. You and I will be the only ones who knows what happened, . . . and I promise not to tell.

For what it is worth, . . . that is the way I make all my western holsters, . . . no single layers for me.

May God bless,

Dwight

[katsass]

You didn't say how thick the leather is, . . . if it is less than 10 oz, . . . use it for the liner, . . . cut another piece (correct this time) for the outside, and it will look like you intended to make a fully lined holster, . . . just like John Bianchi used to make

Seriously, . . . the two pieces will need to be contact cemented together, . . . the edges sanded, . . . burnished, . . . then sew all the edges together except for the bottom edge, . . . then finish it out just like it was only one piece of leather. You and I will be the only ones who knows what happened, . . . and I promise not to tell.

For what it is worth, . . . that is the way I make all my western holsters, . . . no single layers for me.

May God bless,

Dwight

Here I am again...right behind Dwight. I gotta agree with him again (and some say I'm not an agreeable old man!) That's how all of my holsters are made... except historically accurate ones. Bond the flesh sides together, smooth and burnish all edges except the main welt, stitch these edges, assemble as normally done, stitch the welt and VOILA!...a lined holster. Smooth inside and out. Mike

[skipj]

John Bianchi still makes em that way :-)

SkipJ