Horse Hide, Starting A New Holster And Mag Pouch

[mrfixit]

Well, after posting my opinion of a newbies review of horse hide, I finally got a chance to go and work with it a bit.

First, I want to say a big thank you to Jeff Hays. He helped me out with some patterns, which I have modified for this project.

I also want to say thank you to the many members with advice about dye. For this project I used Fiebings dye in brown and thinned it a lot. About half a small bottle of dye with enough denatured alcohol to make a quart.

The horsehide cuts so much easier than the cow hide I've used before. In fact, I had to be very careful not to cut too much and get inside the pattern.

I dip dyed all the pieces so they would match. I'm really excited about seeing how the patterns in the horse hide come out. So far I like working with the horse!

A few pics to show how it's going:

You can see how much of the smaller butt strip it took for a holster and mag pouch

A little closer on the grain or figure in the leather before dying.

And a close up after a dip in the dye. I hoping the figure pops out later again.

I hope to get back to it in the next couple of days.

Mr Fixit

[steelhawk]

I'm looking forward to seeing the final result.

[King's X]

Looks like you are on your way. Good luck

[mrfixit]

I messed up!

I had some patterns, and decided to modify them. The mag pouch seems to be turning out ok, in fact it's finished and is fine. The holseter..........No go.

I sewed the stitch line to close, way to close, I cant even get the gun in past the barrel.

So I cut some more horsehide and made a pancake holster with the pattern I had. This is it, after forming and before oiling and finishing.

This will be the third holster I've completed, and the fourth that I have started. In the major leagues a .750 average would be great, glad I'm not selling these.

I'm unhappy with this holster because I made a mistake that I couldn't fix after I recognized it. It stares at me defiantly every time I look at it. I wonder how long it will take you folks to see it.

I hope my stitching has improved from my last..

I'll oil and finish and post photos of the completed holster and mag pouch soon as i get it done.

Mr Fixit

[Eaglestroker]

Your stitching looks really nice!

[Abram]

I like the looks and the pattern. I am a newbie and so in no position to critique another persons work but I think I see the mistake you speak of, the stitch line on the trigger side is a tad wavy.

[marine mp]

He who makes no mistakes, is doing nothing!!! Good-on-ya!!! Another one....If at first you don't succeed.....you know the rest!!! Semper-fi Mike

[mrfixit]

I like the looks and the pattern. I am a newbie and so in no position to critique another persons work but I think I see the mistake you speak of, the stitch line on the trigger side is a tad wavy.

You're close, but actually that is the way it is designed. I'll tell later tonight if I get back on the 'net.

[Colt Hammerless]

I'm going to take a guess at what you think is wrong with it. Where the dust cover on the frame and the recoil spring housing on the slide meet, you tried to follow it with the stitch line and missed a little. Am I right? Happened to me on my first 1911 holster. Anyway, it's easy to adjust the line for the next one. And I agree with Eaglestroker, your stitching is looking good.

Colt Hammerless

[mrfixit]

I'm going to take a guess at what you think is wrong with it. Where the dust cover on the frame and the recoil spring housing on the slide meet, you tried to follow it with the stitch line and missed a little. Am I right? Happened to me on my first 1911 holster. Anyway, it's easy to adjust the line for the next one. And I agree with Eaglestroker, your stitching is looking good.

Colt Hammerless

You guys are both very close.

The stitch line is just the way I layed it out. I layed it all out from the pattern i had. BUT........................................

The pattern is for a full size government model with 5" barrel. I have commander with a 4.25".

I had thought about it before I layed it out, thinking to myself that I need to correct the pattern for the shorter gun. Then a couple of hours later I layed the pattern out on the leather, traced it............. I didn't realize what I had done (or rather didn't do) until I had already sewed it and was about to form it.

I hate it. It just looks wrong to me.

Guess I'll just have to make another.

On a similar note, my middle son asked me "Why do you keep making all those holsters?"

I told him the truth; "I'm trying to get one right."

[Colt Hammerless]

It certainly doesn't look bad. I had to look at this thread about 3 or 4 times to come up with my guess. Kept wondering, "What's here that he doesn't like?" We're our own worst critics. I don't have a 4.25 inch 1911 (sad face) so I didn't realize there was much difference in the dust cover length. I'm about to start my first project with horse hide. I've got a piece from Springfield that's got some figure to it like yours. I'm debating weather to dye it something light like saddle tan, or just oil it. Deffinitely don't want to cover up that grain, it's like walnut with tiger stripes or curly maple or something.

Colt Hammerless

[mrfixit]

It certainly doesn't look bad. I had to look at this thread about 3 or 4 times to come up with my guess. Kept wondering, "What's here that he doesn't like?" We're our own worst critics. I don't have a 4.25 inch 1911 (sad face) so I didn't realize there was much difference in the dust cover length. I'm about to start my first project with horse hide. I've got a piece from Springfield that's got some figure to it like yours. I'm debating weather to dye it something light like saddle tan, or just oil it. Deffinitely don't want to cover up that grain, it's like walnut with tiger stripes or curly maple or something.

Colt Hammerless

I've only just started with horse hide, but you might want to hold off on dyeing it.

These i did dip dye in brown Fiebings cut like 8:1 denatured alcohol to dye, it is a very light color that I might even call tan. But, I think the dye evened out the striping. The mag pouch I finished first. Cut, dip dye, dry, glue, sand edges, sew, wet, form, dry, oil, dry, finish. The mag pouch I finished with Tan Kote, and the stripes barely show. So the holster I did all the same, but the finish was Resolene. Same thing, the stripes barely show.

On another thought, I also tried the resolene on some undyed horse hide, and the stripes showed up fairly well. But I just thought that that piece was also un-oiled.

I wonder if the dye or oil is what made a difference in the stripes. By the way, the holser, mag pouch, and undyed piece all were within inches of each other on the butt strip of leather.

[Haystacker]

I think you can fix the holster. You may be able to see where you fixed it but only you will know. You will have to pull your stitching and run a new stitch line. You will only have to cut the bottom of the holster. So your new stitch line will go from the original outside stitch line to the original inside stitch line.

I think it will work and give you a holster you will like.

Good luck.

Jeff

[Colt Hammerless]

Very interesting. I'll probably try just oiling it first and see what happens before I put a finish on. If it evens out the figure, I may dye it, then finish. Funny that you and I are worrying about the dye jobs on our projects turning out too even!