Books On Modern Holster Making?

[DaltonMasterson]

Are there any books or videos on modern holster making out there?

There are plenty of books on making western style holsters, but am wondering about something that gives specific details on pancakes, iwb, etc.

Things like using a dowel for a sight track are foreign to me, as we dont need that in our western style gear.

Thanks,

DM

[Shooter McGavin]

Dont know of any books offhand, but I've found the following link to be of great help.

Holster Help

[DaltonMasterson]

Dont know of any books offhand, but I've found the following link to be of great help.

Holster Help

BUT........

Any others?

DM

[TomLine]

Do a google for John Bianchi. He wrote a good book but it's more historic than technique; and he has dvd's available on making a cowboy holster. There's a lot of technique to making good cowboy stuff. My deal with making modern holsters is stitching. I ended up getting a used press from a friend. It's about a foot tall with a big lever like a slot machine. I mounted a diamond shaped leather stitching punch in it. I mark the lines with one of those wheel things, and then punch it out with the press (leather must be dry). Then stitch by hand. Sewing machines aren't something I want to get into; they're big, complicated, expensive, and I can do a hand stitch that's prettier anyhow.

For a holster, cut it, dye it (if desired), then rub neatsfoot oil into it to soak the dye in and remove excess. Then dry it in the sun to get a good tan. Fit the gun with the leather wet, then hit it with atom wax and a soft cloth after it's dry. There's lot of products out there and you don't need but a few. Keep it simple and the final result is much better.

Having tried many holster and actually using them, I swear by the Milt Sparks style inside the waist band holster with a slight forward cant. Work the leather wet so the butt of the gun turns inward as much as you can so it won't print on your shirt or jacket that covers it.

Since the Sparks style is rough side out mostly, I apply resolene to keep it from getting ratty with use on the rough part and finish the top band and straps prettier with just a little oil to tan it, then wax and buff when it's dry.

Edited September 2, 2011 by TomLine

[Blackey Cole]

Springfield Leather Co. has a pattern out for pancake holsters for the top 5 handguns plus they have their police patterns that cover the whole same Brown rig except for a duty holster. THe book by Bianchi is blue steel and gun leather and good luck finding one at a reasonable price, I've been looking for it myself. Tandy has several project kits plus a book by Al Stolman on making holsters which you can get digitally from the Leathercraft Library. It is the typical folded holsters for most but there is a shoulder rig, a pancake and slide that I remember. I just picked up my dvds and books from the house today. I will be re-watching the holster dvd by George Hurst soon and see what it covers as I have forgotten. I also take an image of the holster I want to recreate in my way and blow it up to life size and then use it as a pattern along with using a Blue Gun for molding. I will try some Vacuum molding under heat with Kydex next month when I move closer to the house and can find everything I need to do it. I have a couple of project to knock out this month before I can do much for myself in learning new stuff plus I should have my Dusty Holster DVD tomorrow to watch.