Starting Out

[vicnation]

To be honest, I'm amazed by the workmanship and creativity that I've seen displayed on this site. I am intrigued leather work, especially holsters and belts. I don't have a lot of money to spend but would like opinions on what tools/materials would be recommended to start working on holsters and belts.

Thanks for all your wisdom and insight.

[Shooter McGavin]

To be honest, I'm amazed by the workmanship and creativity that I've seen displayed on this site. I am intrigued leather work, especially holsters and belts. I don't have a lot of money to spend but would like opinions on what tools/materials would be recommended to start working on holsters and belts.

Thanks for all your wisdom and insight.

For holsters, I started with a single shoulder of 7/8 leather, the Tandy stitching kit, an Exacto with #11 blades, and a #4 edge beveler. Chemical wise, at the minimum, you will want a bottle of dye, a bottle of sealant, and maybe som Gum Tragacanth.

But be careful, before you know it you'll have a collection of tools and consumables that will take up at least 1 workbench worth of area.

[gregintenn]

http://www.jdlawhon.com/tutorial.html

I found this, along with the leatherworker.net forum here, to be invaluable when I was gathering supplies to make my first holster. I made a few for me, then a couple for friends. Next, I advertised a few for sale on various gun forums. I also displayed a few in a friend's gun store. Last year, I sold enough to pay for all my tools and supplies, along with a few handguns I can use as molds. Notice I didn't say blue gun molds, I said guns! I enjoy it a lot.

Edited January 4, 2011 by gregintenn