First try at a full flap holster

[Jake907]

Just finished my first full flap holster, a friend of mine has been bugging me to make one ever since I got this .44. I wear it for bear protection here, whenever I'm out in the woods. The full flap is to protect it from rain, snow, and debris, specifically for when I'm cutting firewood. With my other holster, the saw dust would always fill up the opening of the holster, so this is the solution....hopefully. Let me know what I should have done differently. 

Design is loosely based on holsters I've seen from US Cavalry, and Canadian Mounties.

8-9 oz veg tan with welt, rough out, artificial sinew thread from acs_trading_post on Ebay, hand stitched, treated with neats foot oil, and Fiebings Aussie leather conditioner, fastened with a button stud.

Edited February 4, 2018 by Jake907

[Dwight]

That's a good lookin, practical holster.

That a top break .22 inside it?

May God bless,

Dwight

[Jake907]

6 minutes ago, Dwight said:

That's a good lookin, practical holster.

That a top break .22 inside it?

May God bless,

Dwight

thanks Dwight, practicality was what I was going for. No, the gun is a Ruger .44 Redhawk 7" barrel 

[garypl]

1 minute ago, Jake907 said:

thanks Dwight, practicality was what I was going for. No, the gun is a Ruger .44 Redhawk 7" barrel 

Jake, that’s one big holster!  Nice job - looks like it should last a long long time!

Gary

[Mjolnir]

Nice work Jake! That looks authentic. just remember to carry a whistle and pepper spray also. To identify bears. Black bear scat smells sweet and has berries in it. Brown bear scat smells like pepper and has whistles in it.

[Jake907]

23 minutes ago, Mjolnir said:

Nice work Jake! That looks authentic. just remember to carry a whistle and pepper spray also. To identify bears. Black bear scat smells sweet and has berries in it. Brown bear scat smells like pepper and has whistles in it.

Thanks man! 

LOL!  Whenever a new guy moves up here and they show us their .357, or 9mm "bear gun" we always tell them that its perfect, you just have to file off the front sight.....that way it will hurt less when the bear takes it from you and shoves it up your a**! 

Edited February 4, 2018 by Jake907

[bikermutt07]

1 hour ago, Mjolnir said:

Nice work Jake! That looks authentic. just remember to carry a whistle and pepper spray also. To identify bears. Black bear scat smells sweet and has berries in it. Brown bear scat smells like pepper and has whistles in it.

That was funny.

Holster looks great. I'm assuming you covered the back of the stud so you won't scratch that beautiful Ruger?

[Jake907]

21 minutes ago, bikermutt07 said:

That was funny.

Holster looks great. I'm assuming you covered the back of the stud so you won't scratch that beautiful Ruger?

Thanks, I didn't cover the stud, but positioned it in such a place that it shouldn't scratch. besides, its a working gun not a show gun, scratches just add character! 

Edited February 5, 2018 by Jake907

[micktx]

That's one hell of a first try.  Simple and functional.  You did good.  Can I have it?  

[Jake907]

1 minute ago, micktx said:

That's one hell of a first try.  Simple and functional.  You did good.  Can I have it?  

Thanks, and um...no,  go make your own!

[micktx]

Well that's a nice howdy-do.  I'm old, bald, fat, and can't see.  Now can I have it?  

[plinkercases]

Good solid practical peace of holster Jake... I think there may be a forum rule (or should be) where the guns and baldest have to appear outside the leather at some pint. They are as much fun to look at as the sheaths and holster.

 

Sometimes bear scat also has 9mm and 357 handguns in it.....

Edited February 5, 2018 by plinkercases

[Brooks125]

That's a great classic looking holster.  Yeah, very Cav-like. The loops are always a sticking point on plain-front holsters, mostly in the aesthetics.  If that fits snug on the belt, I'd say very well done.

[Jake907]

1 hour ago, plinkercases said:

Good solid practical peace of holster Jake... I think there may be a forum rule (or should be) where the guns and baldest have to appear outside the leather at some pint. They are as much fun to look at as the sheaths and holster.

 

Sometimes bear scat also has 9mm and 357 handguns in it.....

thanks Plinker, and here ya go...

45 minutes ago, Brooks125 said:

That's a great classic looking holster.  Yeah, very Cav-like. The loops are always a sticking point on plain-front holsters, mostly in the aesthetics.  If that fits snug on the belt, I'd say very well done.

Thank you Brooks, do you mean the loops for the belt?

[plinkercases]

oooooo shinny! nice bear whistle.

[Treed]

A good look'n roughout holster.... I wish I could get more customers to go for it..... been making saddles and tack in roughout for years and with time and use they look great. Made some for my self and love them....

Bobby

[CaptQuirk]

That is a good job on a flap holster. I would have done two things differently, because of the size and weight of the gun... First, either heavier leather, or lining it. 8-9oz should be fine, but, heavier wouldn't hurt either. Second, make the belt loop just a bit wider, to keep it from seesawing on your belt. All in all, a bang up job Sir.

[Brooks125]

15 hours ago, Jake907 said:

thanks Plinker, and here ya go...

Thank you Brooks, do you mean the loops for the belt?

Yeah.  With no top strap, no slots, etc. it always seems hard to come up with a great solution for attaching it to the belt.  I get the same thing on these and I've come up with pretty much the same solution.  Also, great job on the grip presentation and having the gun accessible.  You'd be amazed at how many people miss that (or how many holsters I've thrown away because of that.)  Very Sharp!

[cradom]

I wish I'd used a stud on mine instead of that cheap Tandy snap. Got to change that. That's a good looking, functional holster.

[Dun]

Just a thought, if saw dust and debris are a regular issue, maybe leave the front open so a quick blast of air would clear it out?

[Jake907]

8 hours ago, Brooks125 said:

Yeah.  With no top strap, no slots, etc. it always seems hard to come up with a great solution for attaching it to the belt.  I get the same thing on these and I've come up with pretty much the same solution.  Also, great job on the grip presentation and having the gun accessible.  You'd be amazed at how many people miss that (or how many holsters I've thrown away because of that.)  Very Sharp!

cool, thanks! great minds think alike? Also, its not my first holster, just my first try at this style.

7 hours ago, cradom said:

I wish I'd used a stud on mine instead of that cheap Tandy snap. Got to change that. That's a good looking, functional holster.

Thank you, I really like to use button studs

5 hours ago, Dun said:

Just a thought, if saw dust and debris are a regular issue, maybe leave the front open so a quick blast of air would clear it out?

thats the way I wanted to make it originally, and I've made several with an open bottom, but a good friend pointed out that with a backwoods workin holster (especially with such a long gun) you have to worry about what happens when you kneel in the snow, or you're flinging mud with the ATV, or crawling through the underbrush, what might end up in the barrel?

[Dun]

What if the bottom also had a flap? Like hair stylist scissor bags?

[Jake907]

21 hours ago, Dun said:

What if the bottom also had a flap? Like hair stylist scissor bags?

hmm, a removable bottom? that has merit...I just can't think of a way to do it without making it awkward.

[Dun]

13 hours ago, Jake907 said:

hmm, a removable bottom? that has merit...I just can't think of a way to do it without making it awkward.

It wouldn't have to be anywhere as big as these but this was what first came to mind

From https://www.instagram.com/p/BNtE2fcj5iP/

[CaptQuirk]

Instead of leaving the toe open, close all but a small pencil sized hole near the muzzle. This keeps most stuff from going in, but allows the other stuff to fall out.