Getting started in holster making

[GP40X]

Hello,

Complete noob here looking to start making holsters for mainly personal use. I need recommendations for the basic tools I will need. I know I will need a basic leather sewing kit (already bought the Stholman Hand Stitching Kit)and at least a stiching pony but I am at a loss for what other tools I will need. It seems there are many specialized knives and other tools that I am at a loss form what I need to start. I figured I would post here sice my main interest is holsters.

Thanks in Advance

Bill

[Jordan]

You can get by with some pretty basic tools, a razor knife, a good pair of scissors, a hole punch, a stylus to transfer a pattern to the leather, needles and thread, stitching pony, leather glue and a few other items. You did not specify what type of holsters, there are two basic types, western revolver and modern automatic pistols. The How to make holsters book by Stohlman is good for revolver basics and there may be some good ones for autos but I can't think of any right now. This forum has a lot of good info. I am sure others will chime in and there are some other threads on the site with lists of tools and such to get started. Have fun and expect to do a lot of experimenting. Here are a couple of examples

[Billsotx]

This tutorial is a good place to start:

http://www.leatherworker.net/HolsterHenry.htm

I would get a round knife or head knife. There’s a learning curve so expect that, a distinct skill, so expect more practice than a conventional knife, but you’ll find you can do a lot more with this tool than you can with straight blades. If you buy the cheapest one you can find, spend a few hours sharpening it or send it off to be sharpened, because it won’t be sharp enough out of the box. If you buy from a custom maker, you can just about bet it’ll be ready to go.

http://www.leatherworker.net/Head%20Knife.htm

http://leatherworker.net/sharpenheadknife.htm

You’ll find Stohlman’s book on using, sharpening and maintaining tools invaluable.

[MADMAX22]

Hello,

Complete noob here looking to start making holsters for mainly personal use. I need recommendations for the basic tools I will need. I know I will need a basic leather sewing kit (already bought the Stholman Hand Stitching Kit)and at least a stiching pony but I am at a loss for what other tools I will need. It seems there are many specialized knives and other tools that I am at a loss form what I need to start. I figured I would post here sice my main interest is holsters.

Thanks in Advance

Bill

My only advice as I am still pretty much a beginner is read thru the forum adn related links alot. Get a couple of books if you can. I started out wanting to recover my motorcycle seat, well that was about a year ago and I still havent covered it. Made some pretty cool stuff and gotten alot of tools and such. It takes a little while to really get some of the stuff down but once you do youll start getting some good projects going.

G/L

[GP40X]

Thanks guys. My main holster interest will be modern IWB & OWB holsters for SA & DA Automatic Pistols and modern DA revolvers. The first two I will attempt will be summer special style IWB holsters for my Walther PPS (current CCW) & the XD-M 9 I am planing to buy when it comes out (hopefully in November).

Thanks,

Bill

[Srigs]

Like others have said, start of slow but one thing I would suggest is not worry about using a hand stitcher that you get in some of the kits unless you like to bleed

What I like to do is use a 1 and 3 prong rectangle punches when I need to make holes for stitching. So a good mallet (go to harbor freight and get the hard plastic and rubber mallet) and the two punches will meet your hole making needs and will add constancy to your stitching lines. For a knife, I like the good quality (metal) snap off blade type (no plastic based because they don't hold up and provide a stable platform to control the knife edge) for a good sharp cutting edge. Head knifes can be dam dangerous for folks not use to them. Get a good set of pound punches not the crappy hand all-in-one puncher because they don't work. Lastly, buy thicker thread because it helps with the stitches lock (many people who start out use very thin thread instead of a good stitching thread. Get a good punch/rubber cutting board 12x12 to start.

Hope this helps.