How Often Do You That Are Experienced Screw Up A Holster?

[cleanview]

Title says it all. Just screwed up a holster at the very end. without any details that is what happened. Of course furious with myself and just had to go outside and cool off ................got me to wondering where were you in experience level when you stopped making major errors. I have really only totally wasted 2-3 holsters and consider my self an infant compared to the experience that is on this forum.

Just curious.......

[SteelcityK9Cop]

I'm by no means "experienced" compared to some here but.... I once had to make a THIRD holster for a customer before I was satisfied that it could go out the door. On the first one, I blew the stitches out by cutting my stitch line too close to the edge. On the second, I got sloppy when I was hand-boning and nicked it with a bone folder. I had to walk away for a day I was so hot..... then I came back and #3 turned out just fine.

I dyed the one with the nick black and gave it to a kid down the street who's always running around playing Army.

I suspect even the biggest names have bad days.

[camano ridge]

I have been making holsters for over 40 years. I have never screwed up a holster. I have a box of learnng experiences and those learning experiences date from 1973 to present. If you stop having things that present a challenge or always turn out the way you want them. Things would be very boring. Even experienced people can have things not turn out the way they planned. It is easy to do things such as forgetting to reverse a pattern when cutting out a left handed holster. A few months ago. I made a matching pair of holsters they were both suposed to be dyed Bordeaux. I dyed one holster then had to quit and take care of. When I came back i grabbed my bottle of dye squirted some on my sponge and wiped the dye on only to realize I had just dyed the holster dark brown instead of bordeaux. I grabbed the wrong bottle of dye in my haste. It happens. Throw it in your box of learning experiences and move on.

[cleanview]

very good way to look at it.

[chiefjason]

I just re made one for a buddy. I could have sworn he said no cant instead of just a little cant. lol

I have gotten pretty creative with fixing a few. I've had a few sit around until somebody that was here showed interest. I explain the problem and cut them a deal if they want it. And I have a number of them that are in no position to leave.

My worst being an Avenger style cross draw for a S&W 500. I tried to do a traditional thumb break, but the snap ended up just at the top of the cylinder. DOH! That was probably my biggest bombed one to date. It's in a buddies safe because he wanted to test fit a pistol, but it did not work either. Finally went with the snap on the outside of the holster. I've sold 3 of them so far.

You learn something from every one of them.

[Jumpout]

"Learning experiences" I like that! I have regular learning experiences after 20 years of holster making.

[Dwight]

I haven't had a "learning experience" holster lately, . . . but does a rifle scabbard count?

I had marked where to punch the holes for the conchos, . . . punched the holes.

Only one of the holes, . . . of course on the front, . . . in the singularly most obvious position, . . . was in the wrong place, . . . and it was only off by 3 inches.

I made a new scabbard. I think I'll just keep the other one for myself, . . . use it on Sunday, . . . call it my holy scabbard.

Just don't let it get to you, . . . laugh, . . . spit, . . . drink 2 liters of Mt. Dew, . . . do something to get over it, . . . then, . . . yeah, . . . get over it.

Folks been making learning experiences since Cain whacked Abel and found out that wasn't in the original script.

Leather work is just a different way of making them.

May God bless,

Dwight

[snubbyfan]

I had a project not too long ago. I was making a chest holster for my neighbor.

The pattern was done and the design was approved so I went to cut the leather.

Somehow one side was cut backwards, oops. Fortunately I was able to use the leather for another project.

[cleanview]

Well i aint feeling so so bad now..........just need a bigger box for my learning experiences.

I think I have 3 nearly completed holsters that are laying around and it is actually handy to ave a round for various reasons, one is satisfying curiosity about patterns. Had an XD learning experience and because it was handy I could see clearly that the pattern for it would work for xdm as well

[BHPshooter]

Luckily, I haven't completely botched one in a while, knock on wood.

My recent mistakes have been along the lines of cutting a pattern right-handed instead of left-handed, or for a Commander-sized (4.25") 1911 instead of a 4" 1911. In those cases I completed them later, and was able to sell them without issue. Those are the kinds of mistakes that I can live with.

For me, the biggest lesson is not to rush. That's when I make the vast majority of my mistakes.