cleanview Report post Posted October 10, 2015 I dont have need for higher production yet.......but wonder how many holsters you make a week. And if you are alone or have help and approx approximate hours spent. Only been doing it for the public about a year, and am in the shop anywher from 12-20 hrs a week. Keep fastidious records, just to see what can be done and ideas for the future. I seem to do 5-7 holsters a week and it seems about 3 hrs a holster unless it is something new or odd. I have a lot of ideas as to little helps on production in the future, but it really seems like a clicker cutting would be the biggest help. A local leather store has a set up and I am sure I could get dies and pay a fee to punch a side of leather out......but I ASSUME that would mean making a lot of the patterns the a general same size. I would also assume the clicker would save timenot only on cutting, but sanding as well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JLSleather Report post Posted October 10, 2015 Leather people are funny, though they're not the only ones. Long speeches about how it's all "hand made" or "hand crafted". Then they spend thousands of dollars on machines and equipment and its - somehow - still "hand made" My personal opinion, if someone clicks out parts, machine stitches 'em, press forms 'em, then the 'hand made' is gone. With that happening, then the 'solo' person is doing the same thing as Galco or any other manufacturer.... but Galco (one example) just does it BETTER than they do. A clicker WOULD absolutely speed things up. Straight cuts can easily and quickly be made with a knife, strap cutter, etc., but the more curves involved the more the clicker will aid the process. The [possible] downside being that the more you try to conform your designs to fewer dies, the more alike they become, and soon your "gallery' of finished goods looks very 'cookie cutter' -- and there goes the 'hand made' scam. just a note, and a 'plug'... if you like the idea of clicking some parts, but not making holsters which look identical, see George B.'s site.. my opinion he does exactly that - and does it well. There really isn't all that much to holsters -- not that much in design, not much labor, not much expense. This is of course the reason there are SO many people making them -- it's cheap and easy. The more automated the process can be made, the more people will be jumping on that wagon. But, as for how many in a week... If I wasn't making a new design, or tooling a belt, or on the phone (or killing this time for coffee), then perhaps 30-35. That's a guess based on about 5-a-day (which I have done). Well, IF that chubby girl delivers to the post office for me .... and materials are delivered on time ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cleanview Report post Posted October 10, 2015 interesting.....I was just conversing with someone this week about "when is it no longer hand made?" and the thought of them having to "look alike" also entered my mind.......I guess I was wonder ing if you guys that do a lot more business than I do, use them I have had some goals for my first year and pretty much seem to have met them....one of the biggest is working on more than one and knowing what comes next the minute you pick it up....that along with many other things comes with practice and repetition......learned alot along those lines and seems like the more you learn the more questions seem to come to miind, about "well I wonder how others that do more, do it?" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JLSleather Report post Posted October 11, 2015 Yeah, something to be said for repetition -- and organization. I know I could put out more holsters if I didn't tool belts. Some time gets used up (not wasted, but used) putting these tools away and getting "those' tools out, and then back again. Even though the tools aren't actually moved, there is a shift in focus which does cause a bit of slow down - each time. True of most projects, but just using holsters as an example... certainly a guy can't do 5 holsters in a day, start to finish. Simply because they won't dry quickly enough.. the water, the oil, the finish, etc... all takes time. But a guy CAN cut out (or click) 20, mark as needed, add any snaps / springs / etc. Then day 2, glue, stitch, form Day 3.. oil / finish Day 4 package and ship. Doing this - or something like this - can comfortably work out to 5/ day average. Same thing with tooling belts. Cut strips, tips, mark sizing, pair with hardware, put up unused hides. Tool 4-5 Tool 4-5 Tool 4-5 Dye / stain / oil all 15 line and stitch all 15 pack n ship And there you have a 2-per-day tooled belt thing. Now, I'll stop talking about that - since it's been a good while since I got an order for 15 tooled belts, and it's incredibly upsetting Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chiefjason Report post Posted October 11, 2015 21 hybrids last week, finished 2 leather holsters, finished about 5 mag holders, got 2 more holsters should be ready by Monday, 3 more should be ready Tuesday. But I do a mix of custom one off stuff and pre built holsters for certain guns. Got a guy coming tomorrow to finish fitting and buy the chest rig for a S&W Stealth Hunter. Oh, and that's on top of my full time job. Hard to believe I actually got to hunt some too. I'm not one for exact record keeping, especially on time. But that's off the top of my head. Started a knife sheath this evening. And got the money for 3 more holsters today. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JLSleather Report post Posted October 11, 2015 OH were we including kydex? Well, then HUNDREDS of em. All same thickness, no marks or scratches to cut out or around, no dyeing, no drying, no oiling.... formed in SECONDS... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Josh Ashman Report post Posted October 12, 2015 Tooled western rigs take a full work week and I have to hustle. Plain carry rigs with a belt, mag pouch and holster takes a work week and I don't have to hurry too much. I usually put in 2 to 3 hours a day before I go to my "real" job. I have a sewing machine, which has speed up the carry gear a lot and made doing lined items much quicker everything else is done with hand tools. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
George B Report post Posted October 12, 2015 Just being a one man shop I can turn out 33 pancakes and avengers in a week figuring 5 days at 10 hours a day. Gun show season and the holidays makes my winters nothing but work. I hand cut, hand edge, machine sand then hand sand edges, hand applied edge dressing and machine sewn. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RVM45 Report post Posted October 13, 2015 just a note, and a 'plug'... if you like the idea of clicking some parts, but not making holsters which look identical, see George B.'s site.. my opinion he does exactly that - and does it well. Friend, I hate to show my ignorance—but where is George B.'s Site? He doesn't seem to have a link attached to his Signature. …..RVM45 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JLSleather Report post Posted October 13, 2015 Never mind. There's George right there ↑ and he says no clicked parts. I saw some of the work, and it looks like he uses the same design on multiple models for the belt loop. Efficient, without looking monotonous Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
penguineer Report post Posted October 13, 2015 (edited) Friend, I hate to show my ignorancebut where is George B.'s Site? He doesn't seem to have a link attached to his Signature. ..RVM45 It's on his profile page - http://www.gbleatherco.com and is a link to an etsy shop.A lot of the pancake holsters look reasonably similar, but different enough that you would do it once, make a template and move on. Doing a clicker knife for each variant of gun would become very expensive very quickly, so unless you had an order for 200 colt 1911 holsters.... Cheers! Edited October 13, 2015 by penguineer Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cleanview Report post Posted October 14, 2015 Very interesting, so far. I clearly have seen so far that the more I work on at one time the less over all time it takes for each holster, I could only assume that can be even better shold the day ever come that orders really take off. There are so many things that happen a little smoother and less time with practice and repetition ....... and that will better itself as well with more experience George B seems to be the only full time one on here so far and those numbers seem very impressive to me ......looked at the site as well.....very nice thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Sioux Saddlery Report post Posted October 14, 2015 Josh Ashman I don't do much gunleather but those look awesome! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Josh Ashman Report post Posted October 14, 2015 Thanks Big Sioux! When I fessed up that I could only get one rig per week done I felt the need to share pics to show that at least they were nice looking! How in the world George and JLS put out 30 some holsters a week with the level of quality they have in them is beyond me. Have a good day folks! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JLSleather Report post Posted October 14, 2015 at least they were nice looking! How in the world George and JLS put out 30 some holsters a week Well, I was talkin' holsters, not complete rigs! And that's if they aint tooled. Basically, trick is to do nothing else ... so any carved belts ordered cut into that time. New holster design? Then the numbers come down again! As a rule, the process for 'git er done' is a 3-step model... Do nothing else. Drink much coffee. Keep an eye on George,.. that guy mess around 'n' teach ya sumthin' Thanks all the same, though! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Cent Report post Posted October 14, 2015 A double holster western rig with gun belt does take a lot of time. Even when not tooled. Never really examined how many per week. Sometimes it rains, sometimes the sun shines. Not sour grapes, but I am having fun. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
