Progress

[dbusarow]

About 6 weeks ago I posted my first attempt at making a holster. Thanks to all for your comments, they help a beginner out more than you can know.

Since then I've made a few more and I think my craftsmanship is coming along. I thought I'd show a series of pics in chronological order.

First pic is my first and second holsters. Second one was intended for a 1911 but I really messed up the stitch lines. Luckily a Beretta 92G with Brigadier slide is big enough to take up most of the slop. Plus it's a range/competition gun so staying tight isn't all that important.

After that debacle I went back and did a couple more western style holsters for my wife, the one for her Beretta 85 is her new favorite. She has a thing for butterflys. I just whacked them with a stamp.

Then I tried another pancake for myself. This one for a G19 and it has replaced my old holster for EDC. Wearing it as I type. I messed up the finish by putting super sheen on it and I've been trying to mellow that out ever since. But it is a CCW holster so nobody but me sees it. And it works great, tucks in nice and tight.

Next I thought I'd experiment with carving. I have a long ways to go here but it still came out pretty nice. I'm going to try to establish the Texas custom of BBQ guns up here.

Oh, and I love the open trigger guard, can't wait to wear this one to a range!

And finally the one I just finished a couple of days ago, a 1911 pancake. I still need to find something I like for a top coat, I'm looking to get a bit of a "glow" without the gloss. I have some Bag-Kote on order. Vinagaroon with one coat of oil and then saddle soap for now.

I also did the last one with the flesh side out in back. I like the look, going to see how it works with tan next.

Well, let me have it. All comments welcome!

Thanks,

Dan

[MADMAX22]

Very good job on those holsters. I like that CCW one for your glock, and the 1911 both look really good.

How do you like that vinagaroon? You do anything to get rid of the smell on it?

Ive just tried using vinagaroon with a coat or two of oil and then snow-seal, it doesnt make a really glossy finish just a mellow nice finish and from some of the comparisons that were done I guess snowseal is really good for water repellent and such. Just not sure how long itll last.

[dbusarow]

Very good job on those holsters. I like that CCW one for your glock, and the 1911 both look really good.

Thank you very much!

How do you like that vinagaroon? You do anything to get rid of the smell on it?

I like it a lot. Except the smell I rinse it really well in luke warm water as soon as I take it out of the vinagaroon. Molding is the next step so getting it good and wet is the idea anyway. Right out of the stuff my wife complains about the smell but it seems to go away pretty quick. She sits a foot away from the G19 rig every night and hasn't said a word.

Ive just tried using vinagaroon with a coat or two of oil and then snow-seal, it doesnt make a really glossy finish just a mellow nice finish and from some of the comparisons that were done I guess snowseal is really good for water repellent and such. Just not sure how long itll last.

Sounds like what I'm after, I'll give it a try.

Thanks again.

Dan

[BruceGibson]

I like 'em all! Well done, Dan!

[Tac]

Dan, you have the "gift" brother..... please keep up the fantastic work and share your photo's often! I like all of them, ans love the pancake for the Thunder ranch 1911... I'll bet Clint would approve.... as well as Ed Brown. Your progress from first to last is a time-warp compared to mine.... There is some talent there.

[Rayban]

Very impressive Dan...looks likefirst class quality to me.

[rickybobby]

Dan,

Nice job on all of them, You have been officially bitten by the "leather bug" !! Just tell your wife now that all additional money in the house fund will go to leather tools and supplies!!!

Keep posting! Your work looks great!!

Get a few "standard" holster patterns perfected and you have yourself a little "bizness" That will help pay for your new "HABIT"

Take care, Rick J.

[Rhome]

Very, very nice holsters. and I like your choices in firearms also !

[DCKNIVES]

Very nicely done.You definately are showing some skills.Stick with it.Dave

Edited November 29, 2008 by DCKNIVES

[dbusarow]

Wow. Thank you all. I really wasn't expecting so much praise. I'll take it though

BruceGibson, I've had a picture of the G19 holster on your home page sitting on my desk for inspiration for a couple of weeks now. The color on that one is my current goal. Vinagaroon makes black easy, but tan/brown is eluding me. I'm practicing on scrap, I'll get it yet.

I think I've gotten a bit of inspiration here and there from each of you looking at the work you've posted.

LW is an amazing resource.

Thanks,

Dan

[BruceGibson]

"...BruceGibson, I've had a picture of the G19 holster on your home page sitting on my desk for inspiration for a couple of weeks now. The color on that one is my current goal...."

Thanks,

Dan

Thank you, Dan--you made my day. Which holster are you referring to? Is it the Natural, or the Light Brown? This one's the light brown...

[dickf]

Dan, these look superb! I'm also having issues with achieving a solid tan finish. All in good time I suppose. Yours look really really nice.

Bruce, I admit - I'm also a closet Gibson fan. Thanks for the inspiration.

Cheers!

[dbusarow]

Thank you, Dan--you made my day. Which holster are you referring to? Is it the Natural, or the Light Brown? This one's the light brown...

The Natural. The Light Brown is really nice too but your natural finish is what I'm shooting for now.

Dan

[Randyc]

Dan

Real nice work. Good solid design work.

Keep it up.

Randy

[BruceGibson]

Dan, these look superb! I'm also having issues with achieving a solid tan finish. All in good time I suppose. Yours look really really nice.

Bruce, I admit - I'm also a closet Gibson fan. Thanks for the inspiration.

Cheers!

Much obliged for the kind words, dickf.

Dan, the holster you refer to is shown in a post we started back in September. You'll find it here:

1911 Holster-Light Brown Pancake

The original subject was the 1911 holster, range scars, dye blotches and all. The holster was made for a friend of mine who's a local sheriff's deputy and veteran of both Iraq conflicts. His troops had pitched-in and bought him a customized 1911 Government (5") when he came home, and he wanted a holster specifically for it. In short, I hated the way the holster turned out. He, on the other hand, loved it. The customer's always right, so he's happily using that rig for his prized 1911. I used that Forum post to by-gawd try and figure out a way to get a consistent, clean/even finish with Fiebing's Light Brown Oil Dye.

I don't like using any more harsh/noxious chemical formulations than I absolutely have to, so I'm not a fan of stuff like acetone to deglaze. At some point in the above-post I was playing amateur chemist and remembered a trick Chuck Burrows (a member here) used to deglaze. It was 70% isopropyl alcohol that you can get at any pharmacy or Wal-Mart. I think Chuck uses a spray bottle, but a piece of sheepskin is my preferred application method. Anyway, that worked, so that's what I do now to get an even finish with the lighter dyes.

As for the Glock holster in natural, I'd be happy to share how I did that. Y'all just cut me some slack on the butcher-job I did with the border stamp. Here's the holster:

Natural, with white stitching is my favorite gunleather color combination. Not only because you eliminate the potential aggravation of dealing with finicky dyes, but because I think it just looks good. The leather is Hermann Oak, which is all I use for holsters. I started with HO, and never played with any other brand, but I hear good things about Wickett/Craig. On holsters that I detail bone/mold, I use the press and squash the snot out of it. On this one, with the border-stamp, it's completely hand-finished because the press would destroy the tooling.

Once it was molded/shaped, I detail-boned the back of the holster for retention. It's not visible on the face, but the back is where the trigger guard and finer boning details are done. The leather has been cased, and it's still damp. In fact, you'll get a little burnish with the boning tools when the moisture content's just right. At this point, weather-permitting, I take it outside with the mold-gun still in it, and hang it upside down to dry away from direct sunlight. Here on the Redneck Riviera, that's usually only an hour or two.

When it was dry, I brought it back in the shop and applied a LIGHT coat of 100% pure neatsfoot oil. That sentence right there will scare the hell out of at least half the modern-day, high-tech, tactical holster makers I know. It shouldn't. The operative word is, "LIGHT." I'm sure there are other ways (there always are), but my way of applying the neatsfoot is with a piece of t-shirt material. I use sheepskin for heavier saddle-weight leather, but t-shirt for holster-weight. Wipe on a nice, even coat, with the dummy gun in place. The dummy, or mold gun, has been in the holster from the start. Once that's done, I take it back outside, and hang it upside down again for a few hours. You don't want direct sunlight where it burns like a drunk tourist on vacation, but you do want it to spend some time in the sun and open air. That's where the magic happens, and the Hermann Oak veg-tan takes on a nice honey gold, deep color.

The final finish, once the holster's spent some time outside hanging around like Jessica Simpson on an MTV Spring Break tour, is aerosol Leather Sheen. I used two or three light coats, back and front, to get a matte finish. I don't like it to be too shiny, but I do want the neatsfoot sealed. I spray the Leather Sheen AFTER I've removed the mold gun. On the INTERIOR, I use Fiebing's Leather Balm with Atom Wax. It's a ridiculous name, but I love the stuff. I apply it with a wool dauber, and use one good heavy coat.

I hope that helps--that's every step I used to get the finished product on the holster pictured. The "secret" is a light coat of 100% pure neatsfoot oil (don't use the other crap) and a dose of natural sunlight.

If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to ask. And, thanks again for the kind words!

[dbusarow]

I'm thinking my leather may be part of the problem I'm having with the natural finish. I ordered one of Weaver's imported double shoulders to start with. Wasn't even one of their "name" imports. Holster #3 above started out like you describe with just a single light coat of 100% neatsfoot. It came out flesh colored, not very attractive in a holster So I added another coat of oil, and then another. It got darker but never got the warm color you have, kind of muddy actually. I'm getting close to ordering again and I'm planning on the best grade from Wickett and Craig this time. I'd try Hermann Oak but I can't justify buying enough to go direct and am leary of ordering from someone like Weaver or another supplier who may cherry pick the good hides for themselves and sell off their rejects. Don't know if that's a valid concern but I saw something like that posted here and it makes sense.

So I guess I wait for the new leather before I can try for that beautiful natural finish.

Thanks for the explanation!

Dan

[BruceGibson]

My wife says I'm long-winded, so I apologize for my rambling posts.

I recommend Weaver because I don't buy ten sides at a time, either (the Hermann Oak direct-minimum). I've dealt with them for years, and they've always done a good job. When you order, they'll ask you what it's for--if they don't ask, don't hesitate to tell them what the plan is. Maybe I've been lucky, but I haven't gotten a bad side of Hermann Oak from them yet.

[dbusarow]

Thanks Bruce. Another member also PMd me and let me know that my fears about Weaver and HO were groundless.

Good to know. Thank you guys.

Dan