New To Lw. Some Holsters I've Made. Please Comment!

[desertw0lf]

So I am new to Leatherworking. I picked it up as an idea for a fun hobby, and to try and make holsters for my growing collection of small arms - and maybe branch out from there. I dived right in on day one, making myself a holster for one of my Taurus compact .40's. I have made 3 more since then. Please have a look, tell me what you think. My wallet is certainly screaming and smoking as my small collection of tools grows bigger and bigger. Going to try to hit one of the custom countertop shops here and see if they have any marble, or granite cutoffs I can use as a slab (because im poor) so I can try my hand at tooling and designs!

My first holster, my first ever time working with leather. Not very good.. I later cut off the ghetto loops, and used set-screws to hold a different set of loops on there properly. I dyed this blue the other day to get the hang of dying leather.

My second attempt, an IWB holster for my 1911 GI. Stitches are a bit better, edges are slightly less crap-tastic. Dyed and then 20 minutes later washed it lightly to see what affect it would have on the color. I like it.

And finally these two holsters I did at the same time. The first one is an IWB for a Taurus M850 Revolver. I am unhappy as hell with the metal spring clips, and as you see I did not get the dye under the clips themselves (this has been touched up since the picture was taken) and there are a few spots where I did not dye well, or where I did not get sealer (also been fixed/touched up). I am desperately looking for a better kind of IWB clip as the spring clips just aren't what I was looking for. Stitching is a TON tighter, and I am doing a lock-stitch with a stithcing awl (much better on my hands). This holster will probably be scrapped.

And the last holster is for my father, a retired federal officer. It is made to fit his duty-carry SIG Sauer. I think I did pretty decently on this one. Really need to find a way to smooth my edges out, and cut them better with the tools that I have. Need to acquire a bone folder that isn't cheap plastic and sharp-edged. I am pretty happy with it, though and dad loves it. Note the pawprint stamp on this one and my revolver one. Something fun I got to play with! So easily amused. The "missed spots" where I didn't get enough dye have been fixed. Both holsters finished with "eco-flo" Cocoa Brown.

Sorry for the lengthy post. Please, any comments, critiques, and suggestions are welcome.

My next project to tackle? TWO shoulder-holster rigs. Working on ideas and designs as I write this post.

Edited June 26, 2010 by desertw0lf

[TwinOaks]

Welcome to Leatherworker.net, you've found the best site on the entire internet.

Your progress is evident in the evolution of your holsters- they're getting a better "flow" to them. A little more work on neatness of cuts, and in particular....edges. Look closely at work you'd like to emulate, and you'll see that the edges are all finished.

You're off to a good start, and there's tons of info here to help you progress in your new hobby.