Holster Patterns

[bikermutt07]

53 minutes ago, JLSleather said:

Must have slowed down a bit - maybe need to upload something new?  As of this morning, total of 127,748 free downloads.  The winner?  Glock 19 pancake style holster (6,024 downloads).

Well are you finally settled in after the move?

[frenchy07]

I haven't taken the time yet so I will now. Yeah, I snagged em! All of EM! Some of them I think I got more than once (the haze got to me and clouded my eyeballers). Great stuff for my library of patterns but mostly they really help me when I draw my own patterns, which I prefer to do but it is nice to have a reference. 

I promise to not blatantly copy your patterns and pawn them off as my creations (at least as far as you know). Now where was the guy that wanted to buy some 1911 pancake patterns?

 

Gracious

B

(and yes, that is about the extent of my Latin skills)

[JLSleather]

Have at 'er - that's what they're for.  Mix 'em, match 'em, use 'em as is, whatever.  Share 'em with a buddy.  Stew on 'em til ya git yer own idea.  All the above. No extra charge for using 'em a second time, either.  

Ordinarily, there was a link in teh signature on this site to the patterns on that site.  But with folks gittin' tax refunds, I thought it might be a good time to link y'all to Bob at Toledo (here and again below) so you can hit him up about leather stitchers 'n' such.  Patterns 'n' discussions at http://www.jlsleather.com/diy/holster-patterns-diy/

[Blubrd363]

Hi guys, new to here, but had a few questions maybe you can answer. I am trying to make a pancake style holster for a close friend. For a glock 40mos, and can't seem to locate a pattern for it. Also is pancake style ok for that gun? Thanks in advance. 

[Ryoiter]

OK Here goes Looks like JLSleather has the most to say on here. I'm a first time holster/any leather wannabe maker. Been eye balling Mr Andrews wares (saddle style) got some of yours JLSleather free patterns and information sheets. I'm trying to make some holsters for the Makarov, Shield 45 , 1911's.  I'll just do one or 2 questions for now if I may............Lets see, in making a saddle/pancake holster ( not the 50/50 ) what would be the best method to determine the larger/longer/lineir top piece in making the holster curve to fit the hip using numbers/measurements or best easy quick method. Sorry for the long winded question, newbie my excuse. Is making the outer piece bigger to form a pocket cause less leather stretch and force the holster to curve advantageous and any other suggestions you could offer would be appreciated and I'm sure helpful. I have scoured the internet looking for these answers but no joy. So I'm asking for some help.

Thanks David   

[Fire88]

On 2/1/2018 at 2:08 PM, JLSleather said:

Have at 'er - that's what they're for.  Mix 'em, match 'em, use 'em as is, whatever.  Share 'em with a buddy.  Stew on 'em til ya git yer own idea.  All the above. No extra charge for using 'em a second time, either.  

Ordinarily, there was a link in teh signature on this site to the patterns on that site.  But with folks gittin' tax refunds, I thought it might be a good time to link y'all to Bob at Toledo (here and again below) so you can hit him up about leather stitchers 'n' such.  Patterns 'n' discussions at http://www.jlsleather.com/diy/holster-patterns-diy/

Your site seems to be down, not sure if you are aware. 

I have used a couple of your patterns with modifications here and there and they have all come out great even for a newb!

[JLSleather]

On 2/21/2018 at 4:41 PM, Ryoiter said:

best method to determine the larger/longer/lineir top piece in making the holster curve to fit the hip using numbers/measurements or best easy quick method

Been scratching my head a bit here lately about how to describe this concisely.  At least in my mind, this is closely related to why people so routinely get the belt size wrong, so I think it's easier to tackle both of those together.  Coming soon ...

For now, I'll say that the PROBLEM with those '50/50' things is not the STRETCHING of the FRONT, but rather the COLLAPSING of the BACK.   To fit, the INSIDE of teh holster would be the same as the OUTSIDE of teh pistol.  And the gun doesn't change depending on the style of holster. 

Say it's 6" around the gun (just a number - whatever yours is).  To wrap it in 2 piece holster, you can go around from center to center with each piece (50/50), or you can leave one side flat, and use the other piece to go around the rest (thickness of the top, plus height of gun, plus thickness of back of pistol), or 70/30 (or whatever your gun is).  BUT IT"S STILL 6" "AROUND" the gun.

This BEGINS to explain that, and I'll continue that before long. http://www.jlsleather.com/holster-design-upgrade/

 

On 2/21/2018 at 4:41 PM, Ryoiter said:

making the outer piece bigger to form a pocket cause less leather stretch and force the holster to curve

 Like anything else, leather has a tensile strength - and a point at which it weakens and fails. I don't like to STRETCH the leather for the fit.  I want a holster that FITS the rig it was made for.  A customer should not have to STRETCH the rig to use it.  Holster makers often use the term "break in" to avoid saying they botched it. 

Here's a bit of simple thought, clearly stated:  If the holster fits the gun when you make it, then STRETCHING it would make it NOT FIT.  

A holster should not have to rely on pressure from the belt to hold the pistol.  So, obvious question is WHY, then, would I make those '50/50' rigs?  And I don't as a rule.   But I DO make the design that way, since from that "center line" size, I can quickly make small alterations to turn it into a "curved back" version, or an IWB, or an "avenger" holster .. etc.  The same STITCH LINE PLACEMENT will still work if you cut teh "wings" off and add a clip, or a leather loop, etc.  If you cut the "wings" off a "pancake" holster and add a belt clip, and the holster is now LOOSE, then your fit wasn't right to begin with - you are relying on teh BELT to retain the firearm.

This looks like I'm answering two questions, but it's really just one question.

KEEP IN MIND that you asked about making these "using numbers/measurements ".  You could also wet the leather, form it over the pistol, let it dry, then assemble.  A LOT of holsters are made without using any pattern at all.  I don't do it that way, because it makes it difficult to machine sew close to the formed edge, and I don't want a stitch line AWAY FROM the pistol (you CAN easily do it hand stitching, though).  I want to see it WHERE IT GOES, like ...

Edited May 6, 2018 by JLSleather

[JLSleather]

On 2/21/2018 at 10:08 PM, Fire88 said:

Your site seems to be down, not sure if you are aware. 

I have used a couple of your patterns with modifications here and there and they have all come out great even for a newb!

Fixd er!  Occasionally, there are so many downloads of those patterns going on that it "boogers" the bandwidth -- which i could fix by bumping up my hosting plan, but I'm not sure that's required.  

[JLSleather]

Did I do this one?  

[koreric75]

On 5/6/2018 at 11:26 AM, JLSleather said:

Did I do this one?  

Ok, i'll bite, looking at it, I'd say no?  I haven't seen you put a retention strap on a pistol, but I haven't seen any of your pistol holsters tooled to that extent either, so maybe, hard to tell from the pics, but it appears to have a good curve on the back panel, and the stitch lines look to be tight to the shape of the gun (something i "learnt" from watching you)...lol  so i dunno...sure is a nice bit of carving though.  The impressions along the stitch line...were they form or function, I have been trying to think of a way to make the impressions of the presser foot less apparent after stitching, so far I've been relying on trying to press them down when tapping the stitch lines.