My First Wet Molding Holster (Xd)

[Kansan]

My foray into the holster world with Will Ghormley's 1911 patterns convinced me to try my hand at a wet molded holster for my Springfield XD9SC.

Any critiques or suggestions? I've noticed that many holsters like this have an extra piece of leather sewn onto the front. Is that to add stiffness? Or to guard against wear and tear?

[Red Cent]

A "stiffener". The thought that it helps to holster the pistol. When I first buckle on my EDC, I then holster the pistol. And I never have to "re" holster the pistol. I think the only time you would holster your pistol would be right after the gun fight. Seriously, I don't care for them. I will put them on the holster if requested.

[lws380]

I like a little more leather to go up the slide some. A hump if you will. I call the extra leather a mouth reinforcement and it does help keep the mouth of the holster open for re-holstering.

I used to make the mouth reinforcement optional and just charged a little more if they wanted it. The great majority wanted the reinforcement, so I just changed my price to reflect the extra charge and make it a standard feature for both IWB and OWB holsters. I also think it does help the looks of the holster, IMO.

[JLSleather]

It's a 'stiffener' in the sense that two lighter leathers pulling against each other is more rigid than a single layer of the same thickness. A "cord of three strands is very strong". A single layer of 9 ounce leather hardened up is pretty firm -- at first. Two layers will stay firmer longer.

[Dwight]

I always put that piece out there, . . . and part of the reason is that it makes a wonderful place to add some personal touch: initials, . . . logo, . . . etc.

I've even done a two tone by dying the holster one way, . . . the stiffener another.

This was one I was especially proud of having made.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Kansan]

Thanks guys, for the different perspectives. On my next holster, I'd like to put a lining in there, so it will already be a little thicker. However, I may try the leather reinforcement piece to see how I like it. Regardless of whether it is absolutely needed or not, I do think that it makes the holster look a little nicer.

I'm sure there are a lot of different ways to wet mold a holster, but I sewed the leather together flat first and then wet them, and molded them. I assume there is a way out there to mold and then sew (?). So anyway... for the mouth reinforcement piece, the correct steps would be to sew it on first, then sew the two sides of the holster, then wet, then mold, correct? Sorry this is probably a stupid question but I'm obviously in the learning phase.

Dwight, that holster looks incredible. How much time does it take you to make something like that? Time is the one reason I don't think I could make a business very lucrative - it takes me so long to do a project that I would be making a very low income per hour (like maybe $1 per hour).

lws380 - thanks for the suggestion. I wasn't sure what the best profile would be for the top of the holster. I mostly concentrated on making sure the trigger was mostly covered. I'll experiment with a long hump on the slide next time and see how it goes.

[Dwight]

Kansan, . . . generally speaking, . . . I do all the stitching and sewing except for the trigger guard seam(s), . . . and that is when I wet mold.

Most of the time I just hand mold and bone it, . . . sometimes I do put it in my vacuum bag, . . . depends on the gun / customer / look I want to achieve, etc.

Then, . . . after 24 hours of drying, . . . I contact cement the edges, . . . put the weapon back in there, . . . squeeze it together exactly where and how i want it to lay, . . . pull out the weapon, . . . sew and finish.

Just my old redneck way of being different, . . . and it does take longer, . . . but when I get done with that final stitching seam, . . . it is right.

Ummm, . . . well at least most of the time it is,.................

May God bless,

Dwight

[JLSleather]

Thanks guys, for the different perspectives. On my next holster, I'd like to put a lining in there, so it will already be a little thicker. However, I may try the leather reinforcement piece to see how I like it. Regardless of whether it is absolutely needed or not, I do think that it makes the holster look a little nicer.

I'm sure there are a lot of different ways to wet mold a holster, but I sewed the leather together flat first and then wet them, and molded them. I assume there is a way out there to mold and then sew (?). So anyway... for the mouth reinforcement piece, the correct steps would be to sew it on first, then sew the two sides of the holster, then wet, then mold, correct? Sorry this is probably a stupid question but I'm obviously in the learning phase.

Dwight, that holster looks incredible. How much time does it take you to make something like that? Time is the one reason I don't think I could make a business very lucrative - it takes me so long to do a project that I would be making a very low income per hour (like maybe $1 per hour).

lws380 - thanks for the suggestion. I wasn't sure what the best profile would be for the top of the holster. I mostly concentrated on making sure the trigger was mostly covered. I'll experiment with a long hump on the slide next time and see how it goes.

Boss -

I think you'll find that with a lined holster, you won't need the "stiffener" panel. Sometimes on tooled holsters, I line 'em just for the stiffness, but leaves the face open (more space for tooling). With two layers back to back, you'll likely find it firm (and thick) enough. For a weapon that small, I wouldn't use anything heavier than 4/5 if you're doubling it (and 3/4 is enough if you have it).

As for the "hump" you discussed, you can get a CLOSE-ISH idea of where to run it by ....

Lay yer pistol on the paper

rotate it to the angle (cant) you want

draw in yer slots, belt width

draw another line - parallel to the belt line - at the height you want (keepin one eye on the trigger guard).

Wonder if this might help. If not, toss it in the trash, and not to worry

[JLSleather]

Trick sometimes, is not to let any one person influence YOUR work.

Edited September 27, 2014 by JLSleather

[Kansan]

Thank you guys for the image & gif. Those make the pattern drawing easier. I'll have to try a few more before I find a groove of what I like and what works for me. Dwight - you're right, that is quite the process, but I can see how it would ensure the final holster is exactly right. I guess if you have the time, why not? I enjoy leather projects and am kind of sad when each one is done, so prolonging it a bit to make it "just right" is never a bad thing.

[malabar]

First things first: I think you'll find that holster with that pistol will have a tendency to tilt away from the body. There's a lot of weight above the holster and the belt is essentially a fulcrum. You need a good inch or more below the bottom of the belt to prevent it from camming outward.

As far as reinforcing pieces go, you have to know your audience. Most pancake holsters do not have reinforcing pieces at the mouth. Some do.

I'm a firearms instructor and I build all of my holsters keeping in mind proper technique for presentation and reholstering. That's one reason why kydex is popular with the tacticool set -- proper reholstering is easy.

Most of my holsters have a mouth that is reinforced with a steel insert -- but they're not pancakes.

tk

[Kansan]

Good feedback, Malabar. I may make the next one lower, especially since it's for a larger gun.

I tried again with a clip on IWB and might have over-engineered it. I went with 8-9 oz leather, with 6-7oz mouth reinforcement piece. Also, lined it with ~2oz pigskin. It's certainly solid and the mouth stays open even IWB, making it easy to re holster.

It works great, with the only two downsides being that I couldn't mold it as deeply with such a thick piece, and it may be too thick for some body types or clothing styles.

Edited October 6, 2014 by Kansan