Pancake Holster

[Tyree904]

Hi All,

First post. Been lurking for a few weeks (and learning a ton) but I have a question at this point. In the construction of a pancake holster do you cut the front and back panels of leather the same size or is the front portion just a bit bigger? A snug fit is desired and no type of thumb break or retention system will be used. Any input will be gratefully received. The leather weight is 6/7 and the gun is a ruger revolver with a 4" barrel.

TR

[Dwight]

Tyree, . . . your question, . . . is similar to the one "Is the glass half full, . . . or half empty?"

The pancake holster can and is made both ways, . . . by serious holster makers, . . . and beginners alike.

Personally, . . . I make my back virtually flat, . . . it is more comfortable to me like that.

If you PM me a regular email address, . . . I'll send you my "pattern", . . . it's about a meg, . . . can't get it through here.

May God bless,

Dwight

[katsass]

Hi All,

First post. Been lurking for a few weeks (and learning a ton) but I have a question at this point. In the construction of a pancake holster do you cut the front and back panels of leather the same size or is the front portion just a bit bigger? A snug fit is desired and no type of thumb break or retention system will be used. Any input will be gratefully received. The leather weight is 6/7 and the gun is a ruger revolver with a 4" barrel.

TR

TR, when I make pancakes I make them with basically identical front and rear panels..........just mirror images of one another. Others do it with a slightly larger front. Both work. Mike

[particle]

Tyree, . . . your question, . . . is similar to the one "Is the glass half full, . . . or half empty?"

The pancake holster can and is made both ways, . . . by serious holster makers, . . . and beginners alike.

Personally, . . . I make my back virtually flat, . . . it is more comfortable to me like that.

If you PM me a regular email address, . . . I'll send you my "pattern", . . . it's about a meg, . . . can't get it through here.

May God bless,

Dwight

Dwight - someone was asking about this just a day or two ago in another thread. May I ask - do you simply offset your stitch line from the firearm, for example, 3/4" on the front piece, and maybe 1/4" from the firearm on the back? Or do you have to use different offsets to compensate for different widths as you progress down the firearm (For basic pancakes, I use the same offset the entire length of the gun and have never had a problem)?

[Tyree904]

Super! It's nice to have choices! Thanks a bunch. I will probably try it Dwights method first then Kats(youknowwhat) and then who knows what I will try next.

Follow up question: Has anyone seen a shoulder holster where the holster is integral to the shoulder harness peice as apposed to it being attached with straps, rivets or sewing / lacing? That is how I am proceeding but I have never seen anything like it before.

Thank you for your helpful responses.

TR

[Big O]

Follow up question: Has anyone seen a shoulder holster where the holster is integral to the shoulder harness peice as apposed to it being attached with straps, rivets or sewing / lacing? That is how I am proceeding but I have never seen anything like it before.

The Bianchi X15 was at least close to that. It was a vertical shoulder holster in which tabs headed off in opposite directions, kind of like scissors, from either side of the (folded) holster.

[Dwight]

Dwight - someone was asking about this just a day or two ago in another thread. May I ask - do you simply offset your stitch line from the firearm, for example, 3/4" on the front piece, and maybe 1/4" from the firearm on the back? Or do you have to use different offsets to compensate for different widths as you progress down the firearm (For basic pancakes, I use the same offset the entire length of the gun and have never had a problem)?

Because each gun is thicker / thinner / wider / or something than all others, . . . each one needs a different "offset".

I cured that conundrum with one simple step.

After making the basic back (outline including wings and sweatshield), . . . I make a front panel that I know is extra long. The front wing is perfected, . . . the front wing is sewn together, . . . but no belt hole punched yet.

I just douse that extra long front panel (keep the back panel dry), . . . fold it over about 120 degrees so I can lay my gun down on the back panel exactly where it will ride once the holster is finished, . . . and I begin to slowly but surely fold the front panel over the handgun, . . . molding it as I go, . . . about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch at a time, . . . doing as much detail molding as I can using only my fingers and thumbs.

That is my simple step.

Once the handgun is molded, . . . I very gingerly remove the handgun from the "half wet" holster, . . . hang it over a string through the sight channel, . . . let it dry overnight, . . . glue the back wing, . . . trim, edge, burnish, sew, . . . and finish it up.

I like it better only because for me, . . . it is more comfortable. A fully enveloped pancake is easier and quicker for me to make, . . . but again, . . . I'm an old guy, . . . and comfort means a lot to me .

May God bless,

Dwight