Mcqueen Holster - Sort Of....

[Toney]

Very nice!

[dikman]

Thanks Toney, I think I've almost got it. Next one should fix the mistakes.

[Red Cent]

Dikman, I do not use diluted dye on my leather. Can't say you will have the same results. I have found that diluted dye wiped on with sponge or rag will have some dark places when dry. I personally believe that all the alcohol makes for inconsistency.

[dikman]

I was only trying it at the suggestion of the chap where I bought it, he said it should lighten the colour a little (which it did, but it also brought out the red in it). I can see where thinning the dye could cause problems due to the reduced colour content. I intend to experiment a bit more later, but at the moment I'm making Holster #9, to match the last one. It will be natural (oiled and waxed only) and definitely not as well-finished as yours, but that doesn't matter as they're only for me and I'm hoping they'll quickly get an aged/used/knocked about look about them.

The gunbelt is causing me some indecision. My thoughts are for a single layer (I don't want it too thick), rough side in with an Eastwood style buckle and tongue and stitched along the edge. I don't want to stamp it, but am undecided about stitching in the "gunfighter" pattern. Trouble is that it might look pretty plain with just the natural finish. I'll just have to make it and see what it looks like, I guess.

[dikman]

The (almost) finished product. Taking the photos against the green has made it look lighter than it is. This whole exercise was partly an experiment to see how the leather would look "natural". Although it doesn't show on the photos, the neatsfoot oil application came out a little patchy, something to watch out for in future. The belt is only a single layer of 8-9 oz veg (the thickest I had) because I didn't want a stiff belt, I wanted something that would tend to mold to the body and I wanted the rough side in to give a little friction. Only problem I think I can see is with the tongue, it may be a little thin for the overall weight of the rig. I may glue a piece of Kangaroo onto the inside of the tongue to reinforce it, as the Kangaroo is very thin but extremely tough for it's weight.

The belt only has a single line of stitching around the edge for now, as I'm not sure what I want to do with it. I may stitch a pattern on it or just run a second line of stitching around it. Still thinking.

[Red Cent]

Most all of my SASS belts have a thin layer of suede sewn on. I usually use an 8-9 for the outer, 5-6 for the liner plus the suede. I inform customers I build for speed and ergonomics. All of the holsters are rock hard and fitted to the handgun. Might need a tad of tweaking by the customer to reduce some tension. A properly cinched belt along with the suede will inhibit holster and belt rise in case of a bad draw.

....

[dikman]

I've made belts using the same weight leather as you use (minus the suede) but I find them too stiff for my needs. Because I use a cross-draw rig the strong side (right hand, in my case) holster I tend to sit lower so that the belt is angled down across my body. The cross-draw holster is sitting higher, of course, but that doesn't matter. If the belt is too stiff it won't stay put where I want it!

My holsters are also hard and the guns slide out easily - as long as I don't catch the front sight, but I'm learning!

On the subject of suede, I originally intended to use it as you do, but after discussing it with the chap where I buy my leather I decided against it. I don't know if our suede is made different to yours, but he said it's pre-coloured (as it doesn't accept dyes) and the colour has a tendency to bleed out if it gets sweaty. Still, I might use it sometime just to try it out.

The biggest problem I have is that I don't make them for sale, and there's only so many holsters I can make for myself .