Holster Patterns

[DieselTech]

42 minutes ago, JLSleather said:

I DO

I have a pattern for the shield that is a 'curved pancake".. which I greatly prefer over a "flat back".  Basically a manipulation of a "pancake" holster design, only the front is cut LARGER than the back (inside) panel, and sewn with a bend already in it.

And I also have a design around here sumares for the mag, and a double mag.

 

Ok thanks. I appreciate it. I've spent the last couple hours trying to figure a pattern out. 

I think I come up with something that might work, but wont know till I try it. 

I might need to rack your mind from time to time with some Newbie questions. 

Thanks.

[JLSleather]

48 minutes ago, JLSleather said:

I DO

I have a pattern for the shield that is a 'curved pancake".. which I greatly prefer over a "flat back".  Basically a manipulation of a "pancake" holster design, only the front is cut LARGER than the back (inside) panel, and sewn with a bend already in it.

And I also have a design around here sumares for the mag, and a double mag.

 

The link will take you to the double mag - and if you let me know you're going, if you're purchasing the double mag, I'll INCLUDE the single mag with it.

Oh, there's an "avenger" style holster for the shield 9/40 also

 

4 minutes ago, DieselTech said:

might need to rack your mind from time to time with some Newbie questions. 

no problem. I don't get here all the time these days, but I'll git to messages as i find 'em.

[DieselTech]

4 minutes ago, JLSleather said:

The link will take you to the double mag - and if you let me know you're going, if you're purchasing the double mag, I'll INCLUDE the single mag with it.

Oh, there's an "avenger" style holster for the shield 9/40 also

 

no problem. I don't get here all the time these days, but I'll git to messages as i find 'em.

Yeah I'll visit your site & look at things. I might need to purchase more than 1 pattern. Lol my funds are low after buying a bunch of good leather tools. 

Well & I got 3 veg tan whole hides, what do you recommend for leather weight to make pancake style holsters? I got 9-10oz, 6-7oz, & 4-5oz leather weights. Plus I got some 2oz calf skin. 

Thank again for the help.

[DieselTech]

Lol. Guys & gals dont laugh too hard, but here is my pattern I come up with for a m&p shield 40cal. 

Lmao I better buy stock in poster board thou. 

I'm not sure it will even work till, i cut some leather out. I think i kinda designed a curved pancake style holster. Lol i just winged it. 

[JLSleather]

43 minutes ago, DieselTech said:

what do you recommend for leather weight to make pancake style holsters? I got 9-10oz, 6-7oz, & 4-5oz leather weights. Plus I got some 2oz calf skin. 

most mid-size pistols I like 7/8   Sometimes I make that happen with 4/5 lined with 3/4, or two layers of 3/4, etc.  The 6/7 lined with the 2 put a guy real close.  Keep in mind that your pattern is cutting the OUTSIDE of teh holster, so the thicker the leather, the tighter the fit will be with the same pattern. (I've had guys pay for patterns, says right on it use 7/8, and they got mad because their 9/10 holster was far too tight  )

larger pistols a bit heavier leather, smaller rigs lighter leather.

26 minutes ago, DieselTech said:

I think i kinda designed a curved pancake style holster. Lol i just winged it. 

'just winged it' is how ya learn it -- keep that up.

[DieselTech]

22 minutes ago, JLSleather said:

most mid-size pistols I like 7/8   Sometimes I make that happen with 4/5 lined with 3/4, or two layers of 3/4, etc.  The 6/7 lined with the 2 put a guy real close.  Keep in mind that your pattern is cutting the OUTSIDE of teh holster, so the thicker the leather, the tighter the fit will be with the same pattern. (I've had guys pay for patterns, says right on it use 7/8, and they got mad because their 9/10 holster was far too tight  )

larger pistols a bit heavier leather, smaller rigs lighter leather.

'just winged it' is how ya learn it -- keep that up.

Thanks for your help & your knowledge. I'll get some leather cut out & see if it works out. It's for me anyhow. Plus it's a learning lesson. 

[Steelart999]

13 hours ago, JLSleather said:

Agreed. Until it becomes more like a job

I may have something you'll like... and if you got a caliper I'll check some dimensions and make any adjustments if needed.

If you're going to form with that yellow gun, I'm gonna recommend you cut or sand off the rear end of the "slide channel form".  I like to bevel it off so it's a bit of a ramp - exact angle doesn' t matter, but about 30ish shoud be fine.  I've colored the part i would remove.

BETTER YET - I like to take it all teh way off, gouge a groove down the center of the slide.  Then wet the sewn holster, shove the dummy in there, and then drive a dowel (or pencil, whatever) UP from teh muzzle end.  The round stock will track right in teh groove, keeping it in the center, and will stretch the leather ONLY where needed - not change the fit of the whole thing.  NOTE that when using this method, I use a dowel with that same bevel on teh high end, and you only want it to go as far as it needs to go.  Using your gun as example, you only need a site channel until the frame clears the low end of the holster, or basically the dowel can stop about the bottom of the port

Obviously there's a redesign of the trigger guard since that previous design, so that will matter.  A slight change would make that cosmetic detail stand up, which would be nice.

Does your gun have that aggressive rail?  Your holster pic suggests it might.  When forming, I would "pad" that rail with some package tape, or similar - just to keep the leather from forming INTO the rail.

 

But I do make a "curved panel" for the older style G19, which may be more along the lines of what you're wanting to do.  Look a bit like this....

J, the shaded area you marked is not the slide, but rather a ridge added to the top of the slide, with the profile of the front sight, that stretches all the way to the back.  This creates the channel in the leather for the sight when removing the handgun.  I think that is much the same effect as what you were suggesting with the dowel ... right?

This mold is of a Polymer80 version of the Glock 19 and was made for creating kydex holsters.  It does have a few differences from a factory G19.  The rail is that aggressive, but there is no reason for me not to fill it in with epoxy and smooth it out.  I didn't have any issues with the leather forming into the rail, but it very like would with thinner leather.  I dunno ... I'm still learning the properties of leather and wet leather.

I DO like the looks of the "curved panel" holster you showed.  I had thought to fabricate a block of wood, profiled into a curve, that I would mold the leather over inside the vacuum bag.  Is that what you ended up doing?

Edited January 25, 2024 by Steelart999

[JLSleather]

4 minutes ago, Steelart999 said:

it is a ridge added to the top of the slide, ...creates the channel for the sight when extracting the firearm... much the same effect as what you are getting with the added doweling.

correct - same thing.  Difference then, is that the kydex will remain in the position it was cooled in (until/unless it cracks), whereas the leather is creating "air space" you don't need and dont want.  You really only need a 'site channel' that goes a bit beyond where the muzzle end of the slide clears the narrower part of the holster.  You didn't show us the other side of the "dummy", but I assume that a mold for kydex has had the port filled in as well to prevent molding into the port.  With a leather holster, this is more 'optional' - and I only mention it because that's about how high your "site channel" needs to be.

30 minutes ago, Steelart999 said:

no reason for me not to fill that area with epoxy and smooth it out

yup, that would do it.  That will let the gun slide into the wet leather easier I would guess.  

This is a Sig, but shows the point pretty well.  You can clearly see where the dowel/channel stop.  This was "high enough" to let the slide clear into where the holster opening widens, and will vary depending on the model. Course, if you're driving the dowel from the bottom, all a guy gotta do it tap it up until you get the height you want and let the rest stick out.

[JLSleather]

On 1/25/2024 at 6:10 AM, Steelart999 said:

I DO like the looks of the "curved panel" holster you showed.  I had thought to fabricate a block of wood, profiled into a curve, that I would mold the leather over inside the vacuum bag.  Is that what you ended up doing?

Well, no.  Actually those holsters are made from patterns, much like other patterns. But the front piece is wider than the back panel, so if you glue it where ya should, then stick it together on the outside edges lined up, the curve forms in naturally. You can kinda see this in an old video I made forever ago... using a "curved panel" holster and a "pancake" mag carrier for the same gun, kinda two birds with one rock type instruction (actually was about something else, but I still think it's worth the 4 minutes  ).

 

[Steelart999]

Ahhh ... I see what you did there.  Was the holster wetted and then formed over a gun mold via pressure or vacuum?  Or did the firearm fit the existing opening without molding?

The more I thought about it, I decided to try doing a molding of the leather pattern (oversized) of just the front panel, then sewing to a properly profiled back panel and then sanding/shaping the both pieces of leather to the back panel pattern.  Of course, I'd have to shape and finish the entry edge of the front panel before or after vacuum shaping it, but before sewing them together.

With any luck, this weekend I may retry my Glock 19 pattern using the above plan to see if I can get a better finished product from my first attempt.  I do recall your comment about the leather being a bit dry looking (i agree), so I'll do a better job of prep there too.

Thanks!