To Stitch Or Glue

[Kanuist]

I'm about to start a belt holster for a J Frame revolver. I want to reinforce the opening with an extra piece of leather. Should I stitch it on, or just glue it on?

My only concern with stitching is that the stitching line on the inside of the holster will get worn by drawing and re-holstering the gun.

I making it rough side out if that makes any difference. Thanks

[dakotawolf]

Stitching it on is the common practice. Recess the stitches using a stitching groover, that way the stitches will not abrade apart.

[Jumpout]

I agree with dakotawolf. Stitch it on.

[camano ridge]

If you are using a good glue like Barge or my prference Weld wood contact cement Glu alone will probably work. However I glue and stitch everything. If you groove your stitch line on the inside as well and pull the stitch tight and go over the stitches with an over stitch wheel or rubbing stick to flatten theom into the groove their should be little to no wear. I have stitch lines on the inside of my holsters all the time and have never had a failure. I owuld do the same rough side out or not.

[Troy I]

I agree with Camano Ridge...glue and stitch.

[DuaneS]

I agree with Camano Ridge...glue and stitch.

I've heard it said that if it's important enough to stitch, then it's important enough to glue, and vice versa.

[Dwight]

Everything I would have said, . . . has been said.

Glue it, . . . stitch it, . . . go on with life.

May God bless,

Dwight

[chiefjason]

I'll add that I cut the stitch groove twice as wide on the inside. Just to ensure that the thread lays beneath the surface. It's not seen anyway, so it does not hurt. Occasionally, I would get a stitch that stood out on a single width groove. I get none of that with a double width groove. And I'm using 347 and hand stitching so it's big thread.

[Kanuist]

Thanks everyone. I will glue and stitch.

[Colt W Knight]

Glue and stitch. If the glue fails, you have stitches, if the stitches wear, you have glue.

[katsass]

Well, from the old grumpy guy (yes, I am, contrary to the belief of some, still around, Maybe a little worse for wear. but I'm here.) My first question is 'why?'. J-Frames be little bitty shooters, best suited for concealed carry. Ideal for IWB carry, but my favorite holster for a J-Frame is a standard OWB pouch with a hammer shroud. The gun stays in close and remains comfortable over a 12 hour day. There are those that swear up and down that avenger style (now, among many other styles of holsters, 'NEED' to be re-enforced with a chunk of dead cow skin, just to keep the mouth from collapsing. The avenger seems to be the first style that I have seen that popped up with that piece of "necessary reinforcement" to keep the mouth from collapsing. Now, I'll lay you odds that that is a good tale, and garners more interest than the most probable truth - that being that it's only there for looks. To show the cut edge of the front belt loop on an avenger style rig just looks like hell, no matter how you look at it. To add a bit of leather, wrapped around the front of the rig, cut in an interesting shape or design, or inlaid with a chunk of an exotic dead animal skin, is the best way to improve the appearance of the rig. In my many years of wandering around, carrying a number of different shooters, in just as many different styles and/or types of holsters, I have never had the mouth of any decent holster collapse on me. All that said, if you feel the need to add an extra chunk of dead cow skin to your rig for the little guy, just glue that damned thing up and then go to stitching, It will look a hell of a lot more finished than just a stuck on 'thing'. Mike

[camano ridge]

Mike, good to see you on here again. Hope you are doing passable. I always enjoy your quiet and reserved diplomatic style.

Edited March 20, 2014 by camano ridge

[Red Cent]

Another old timer chimes in. As Katsass, I have carried concealed for over 40 years. My favorite during some of those times were the "summer specials
. As the Avenger style, a bunch made the holster. Sort of a pancake with about 4-5/6-7 ounce sandwiched. The complaint is you cannot "reholster" the handgun. How often do you reholster? Right after a gunfight?

I put them on an Avenger just to have a belt loop.

[katsass]

As to the matter of 're-holstering' brought to light by Red Cent. As all folks do have a ..... ah, I have a strong opinion on this subject. Believe it or not, this is an awfully recent (as time goes for me) portion of handgun handling being taught by law enforcement. As normal. stuff taught by law enforcement training officers, will, in time, fall into the hands and minds of current handgun shooters all over hell. The 'collapsing holster mouth' is a falsehood that came into being as just another gimmick pointed at selling the 'new and improved' item that carries your shooter. I am a product of a time when police types 'qualified' on the range by shooting at a large bullseye target. No form was required or taught (as a matter of fact however, a two-handed hold would have gotten you laughed off the range) and you shot just about any center-fire wheel gun you could come up with. --- no matter what you carried on duty. Nobody gave a damn how you put the thing away. Later on cops were taught the most up to date handgun handling tactic known to man --- the FBI Crouch. Wow!! you drew your shooter, locked your strong side elbow (the one with the shooting hand on the end of it) on your hip, and extended your forearm level with the ground. As you did this, you stepped sideways and sank into a crouch (actually you squatted like a .......well, you squatted) Not done yet, you reached across your body with your weak hand and grasped your strong side shoulder -- supposedly to provide some bit of protection to your vitals if the bad guy shoots you (this was before vests), then you tried to zero in on a man-sized target at 10 to 15 yards away from you. Emphasis was always on the shooter snatching his gun from the holster and shooting holes into a paper target. Nobody gave a rat's ass how or when you stuffed your bang-bang back into the leather. As time went on, things changed to incorporate the 'Weaver' style stance, the 'Chapman; mod to the Weaver, and a pot-load of new and improved accoutrements to the job of making your chosen (maybe not by you, but "chosen" anyway) firearm go bang in the correct direction on the range. Snake it out and shoot it, nobody gave a damn how you put it away. Suddenly, law enforcement officers were being taught to draw, shoot, then holster -- over and over and over and over -- to make sure the new cop LOOKS like he is proficient. The thing that most folks do not realize is that this sort of education has nothing to do with competency, but ALL to do with what the officer APPEARS to be able to do. The advent of the video camera started it, then to ability of the omnipresent cell phone to take video and still pics anywhere at any time really did it. No matter how competent the shooter, actually IS, if the uneducated public (or worse, a public educated by gun handling (?) on TV ) FEELS that the officer didn't handle his weapon in a competent manner, or like they do on Hawaii 50, he will be fried in the media. Because of this law enforcement officers must be taught to LOOK GOOD, lest someone is committing the situation to video and can say that he didn't LOOK very competent. It's my two cents worth, that much of that which is taught on the range has to do with what OTHER folks see -- or THINK they see. Mike

Edited March 20, 2014 by katsass

[juanfartez]

When are you going to print all your knowledge into a book Katass? I know I could get maybe 10-20% of what is in there just from your posts. We need to make a pinned thread just for you to answer questions.