New Member Introduction

[Bree]

Welcome, Bree.

Don't know if you've had the opportunity or inclination, but have you knocked on Lou Alessi's door yet? He's often been willing to share aspects of holster-making. He's right in your backyard....

I have passed by his place many times. Often I just zoom by there without thinking that one of the top gunleather men is in there. I love his CQC/S holster for semi-automatics. What a great design and fine craftsmanship. They are pricey but quality costs $$$.

Maybe I will drop in one day. I guess I'm a little shy. Maybe I could make up a holster for my XD-45 Compact and get a critique from the Master to break the ice. I bought a Blue gun for molding purposes and I just need to summon up the time, craft a decent design, and then start cutting.

I got me a nice new Gemsy electric rotary cutter which cuts through 8oz leather like a hot knife through butter. It cuts as good a line as my round knife and... I think... with more safety. I have plenty of tooling leather and tools. I also have a lot of Kydex if I decide to make some combo leather/Kydex holsters. It just takes the will. I'm working on that... slowly but surely.

And I think it probably calls for a new heavy stitcher as my Juki 1541-S really can't handle the kind of thread necessary for good gunleather. I think I need to be at 277 or higher for this type of product. I am not like Ann Stohlman with her awl, two needles, and stitching pony. So I am working on getting a new 441 clone which I think will be good for gunleather and good for my patch business (the 16" throat is very valuable to me) as well as a lot of other projects I might get involved with. I like making lined half chaps and cuffs with Berber fleece. I think a 441 would be great for this kind of sewing.

With the right tools, some practice, and some hard work, maybe I can come up with something that I wouldn't be ashamed to show to Lou.

[Beaverslayer]

Welcome to the forum Bree, I'm sure your going to enjoy this place quite a bit. There is a whole slew of great people here that are more than willing to help out where and when they can.

Good luck with your leatherwork, and hope to see some of it shortly.

Ken

[Bree]

Welcome to the forum Bree, I'm sure your going to enjoy this place quite a bit. There is a whole slew of great people here that are more than willing to help out where and when they can.

Good luck with your leatherwork, and hope to see some of it shortly.

Ken

Thanks! I looked to see if I had some PIX of some items I made and I found a few so I will post them... biker stuff.

Some Berber fleece lined cuffs for an engineer friend who works the Union Pacific run between Tucson and El Paso. He wanted one concho... and one concho only... per cuff so he got what he wanted.

A fleece lined heat guard for a guy that rides a Harley Ultra and was getting his thigh burned from summer heat rising from the rear V-Twin cylinder. Webbing clips to his belt to hold it up. Worked great!! First one ever!

And some detail from a set of heavy Berber fleece lined half chaps... first set of these that I made.

If I find any more I will show.

[trastu]

to the forum Bree.