First few holsters

[Acydtrip]

So apparently I signed up here back in 08, when I started working with leather again after a number of years away (military, family, other hobbies, etc.) but I apparently never posted. I've been reading extensively for the last few weeks and figured I might as well toss my hat into the ring (although the leather hat I've started is a whole other category and a nightmare unto itself...)

Decided I needed a quick holster for an 1851 Colt (Pietta) I bought to celebrate landing a new job. Only problem was, I had just started a new job and the gun drained my bank So I pulled down what was left of a double bend off the shelf, set up a work area and had at it.  Overall, not bad, but I'd rather not share that one at this point.  So that one wrapped up, I decided to correct all my mistakes and build a range holster for my PPK, as it was a pain dealing with the pocket holster I had. I wanted an OWB, riding a bit high, with a detachable thumb break (red/brown below). Works well, nice and stiff, doubled 5oz(ish).  My buddy and his girlfriend instantly wanted something, so I said I'd do 5 total as practice, just to cover cost of materials and toss me a couple bucks if they were happy.  He wanted a near identical one for a Millennium, but it had to be green and he wanted a design, so skip the removable snaps. Went through several designs, finally chose a shamrock with kind of a carved stone look.  Rather tough to photograph, but really nice depth and variation to the color in the sunlight. She, on the other hand, wanted something flashier, had to have roses and fit her M&P Shield 9mm.  I'm not overly thrilled with the tooling on the roses, but hey, first tooling in 15+ years...  Stitching on the back wasn't as nicely lined up as I'd have liked, but it's not seen, so I'm ok with it on a practice piece. In looking at it, you'd think it'd be tough to draw and would need more relief under the grip, but it was discussed at length when I was making the pattern and was a design choice. In reality, it draws just fine for her, can't even notice the extra bit that would have been relieved...

The next one is sitting on the bench now, the prototype for a S&W642 was tested out the other day and my buddy fell in love with it to an extent he's thinking of getting a 642 (this one is for his dad's). The 'prototype' had too many issues for the number of folks that will see it, he also decided after it was done that rough-out wasn't the way to go, thus, it went from #3 to prototype and will live in a box on my shelf with the other 'life lessons'.

Thoughts and opinions welcomed, I'm not comfortable selling yet, but with these two in the wild now I have 7 people asking when they can get in line, seems another asks each day...

 

[JLSleather]

7 minutes ago, Acydtrip said:

Decided I needed a quick holster for an 1851 Colt (Pietta) I bought to celebrate landing a new job. Only problem was, I had just started a new job and the gun drained my bank  

My comments got nuthin' to do with this part, but tha's jus' funny right there.

8 minutes ago, Acydtrip said:

range holster for my PPK, ...Works well, nice and stiff, doubled 5oz(ish).  My buddy and his girlfriend instantly wanted something,...

So, the guy who uses it likes the fit, AND it brought in "work".  No problems there!

11 minutes ago, Acydtrip said:

He wanted ... green and he wanted a design, ...really nice depth and variation to the color in the sunlight.

She, on the other hand, wanted something flashier, had to have roses and fit her M&P Shield 9mm.  ...

NAILED it.  Green is tough to do well, I don't care WHO ya are   And while the color on the S/W is too much for me, that was exactly the ORDER of the day, and if you were after "girlie"... NAILED IT

Overall, I don't think mine would look that sleek if I took 15 year breaks!  Nice job.

 

[bikermutt07]

I think they look really good and will only get better after seven more......so have at it.

[Acydtrip]

Thanks guys!  I've got another one sitting on the bench now, waiting for some thread to come in, figure I might as well start on another one for me, thinking on how to make it both IWB/OWB and look like it was just one or the other.

JLS, thank you for the kind words. I will say my wife didn't find the first part as funny as you did, but it's good for a laugh in hindsight   He's the only one that gets green, like a brother to me, and green is definitely a nightmare (I thought it was just me...).  The roses are for his girlfriend, it was a bit of a surprise and girlie was definitely the goal. 

Have another one coming up with a pokemon on it...for a former Marine in his mid 30's. I feel a bit silly just thinking about it, but he's got more guns than some of the local shops, so what he wants, he gets

Trip