A Question About Designing A Pan Cake Style Holster

[Blackey Cole]

I done mainly western style holsters in the past plus one 1911 holster and the slide holster. With the latter I traced the gun and what the shape of the holster to be and added the thickness of the gun down the center line and cut two of the them out sewed them together and put the gun in it to form it it basically form both the front and back equally.

I want to design a pancake holster but instead of both the front and back forming I just wish for the front piece to form around the gun leaving the back piece flat. So I was thinking of drawing around the gun adding the outline of the holster to come up with the pattern for the back piece. Now for the front copy it cut it down the center line add twice the thickness of the gun and splice it back together. Trying that and forming it by casing it and tacking it down over a blue gun and thus forming it all on the front piece once dry sew it together and wet the front piece for final fitting and boning.

Will this work?

[Grizz1]

I think that formula will work. please post if that works out ok ! I've been trying to figure that one out too.

[Red Cent]

I use something like this.

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/app/4669021424.html

Cut the back piece as wanted. Cut a larger front piece, wet/case the front piece. Place over mold gun/real gun and place inside vacuum bag. A decent vacuum sealer will pull the leather down to the surface the gun is resting on. I let it set for a few hours. Unfortunately, it will not dry in the bag. But it has stretched the leather enough. Remove from bag and let it start to turn to the original color. Then use your thumbs, fingers, tolls, etc. Unless you are going to dye, do not rub the leather. Just press. You burnish the leather and it will change colors.

[Blackey Cole]

Nice rig RC

[Red Cent]

Thanks.

[chiefjason]

Yes, it works. Decide on the back piece and design it, that is the outline for your final holster. Then I try to cut the leather 1-2" larger than the corresponding point to the back. Don't be too conservative here. Too short on the front and you have to start cutting down the back too. Decide where the gun will "ride" in the holster and mark your front and back accordingly, that gives you a starting point to molding. Wet and case the leather. I wet and case both pieces so I can put my makers mark on the back. I case mine for about 18 minutes in a gallon ziploc bag. Place the gun on the outline you drew on the front, flip it over, and start working the leather. I start on the top of the slide and work my way across. Be careful you don't push the gun out when working under the trigger guard.

When finished molding I put both pieces on the shoe rack in the dryer for 40 minutes. Then place the gun on the mark you made on the back, then place the front over it. Turn it over and trace the outline of the back onto the back of the front piece. Once that's done, remove the gun. Place the two pieces together based on your previous outline. Then mark the inside where the pieces meet. This gives you the areas you need to glue. Glue and press. Trim, edge, groove, and stitch.

Keep in mind, there is more than one way to do this. This is just my way.

This is what the back looks like.

[Dwight]

Keep in mind, there is more than one way to do this. This is just my way.

Like he said, . . . more than one way to skin a cat,............

I prefer to first design the back, . . . that is done keeping in mind the particular cant for this holster.

Also, . . . the particular size of the belt loops will determine some of that design.

But once the back is done, . . . I use it to make the forward leading edge of the holster (front belt loop) and I mark and sew the line in front of the barrel and the sights.

I then wet the "extra big piece" I stlll have for the holster body, . . . keeping the back dry as much as possible, . . . and wet form the holster to the weapon.

The front stitch line already done, . . . gives me a really good angle break there, which I find harder to do any other way. It also makes sure I won't play slip and slide with the gun in the holster.

Once I have it a bit hand molded, . . . into the vacuum bag, . . . big squeeze, . . . holster is now formed.

Let it dry, . . . put the gun back in it to mark the front (by turning it over and outlining the back), . . . cut, glue, stitch, edge, burnish, dye, finish, . . . send on it's way.

Again, . . . as long as the customer is happy, . . . and you are happy with your process, . . . it's a "however" deal.

May God bless,

Dwight

[chiefjason]

FWIW, when I get a machine I'm adopting Dwight's way. For me, it's easier to hand stitch it all once it's glued and trimmed to size.

The up side to these is that you only have a rough pattern and that pattern can fit multiple guns with some minor tweaking and trimming after glueing. A buddy brought me a Ruger Super Red Hawk .44 3" barrel to make a holster. I had the back design I wanted from a 686 holster. I took a chance and pre cut the front. Got it wrong. Redesigned the front, cased, molded, dried, glued, and trimmed in about 3 hours which include a lot of talking and catching up with him. Then I sent him on his way with his gun. Finished the holster and shipped it to him. He is thrilled with it. So a one off, custom holster and only needed to have the gun for 3 hours. Faster if I had gotten luck on the first front piece.