Glock 17 holster moulding only 1 side?

[Mocivnik]

So, I've made this first holster, from the pattern of the JLS leather. I think it came out OKAY-ish, but not the best as I'd like to.

 

I've got this "Problem", where I stitched the holster together, then damped it in warm water (not hot!) and moulded it by the gun. The real problem here is, that I had to mold both sides instead of just one, as now the holster is convex on both sides, but I'd like to be only on the outter side (and flat on the side, that is touching your hip).

 

Does anyone knows, how to re-do the template, so I will dampen  only the outter side and it will be enough space for the gun?

 

Thanks for all the help!

[JLSleather]

Got a pic of the back side? Or maybe one looking at it from the front end?

 

[Mocivnik]

Sorry no. But it's mirror one side to another. On both sides bulges are the same.
I can add 2 more photos, as I don't have the holster on me right now (but will at the end of the week).

[JLSleather]

Yeah, that's those "50/50 pancake" holsters so many people make - other words "mirror one side to another".  I like 2-piece holsters curved to suit the hip, myself.  But there IS cause to lay it out that way, since from there you can make the curved "pancake" holster, or any number of other "models".    

Must be getting forgetful .. I keep talking about doing an article about how to go about altering these. I did get as far as how to turn that '50/50' into a basic "avenger" and a simple "IWB" model (I guess that 'counts'). The short version of turning those (50/50) into flat or curved back is pretty simple.

First, a brief discussion of the problem.  Those "mirror one side to another" love to BIND.  Traditional ‘pancake’ holsters are tighter on the belt than they are when held in the hand.  The ‘retention’ of the holster is not better when worn (it’s the same holster) – they’re simply relying on the flexion of the holster to bind on the gun for retention. This is an inherent flaw in the "mirror" design. MANY "holster makers" simply add room by moving the stitch lines OUT from the pistol, hoping to reduce the binding built into the "50/50" design (and usually offer an added 'story' about the user responsible to "break in" the holster).  But moving the lines out, loosening the holster and eliminating the fit,  doesn't eliminate the bind. This much has been covered already at http://www.jlsleather.com/holster-design-upgrade/

SO how to adjust so the FIT is the same but the SHAPE is not "mirror one side to another" )50/50)?  For the moment, let's agree that:

• the gun doesn't change, regardless of the holster you're making; and
• the INSIDE of the holster should be the same size as the OUTSIDE of the weapon.

Easiest way to illustrate is with a circle. That discussion coming in a minute ... gotta prepare some cheap down 'n'' dirty graphics.

[JLSleather]

Skipping all other factors for the time, assume the gun is a cylinder (circle on the ends). 

 

So think of the holster around it as a split bushing.

 

 

 Which on a 50/50 split would look like this.

 

[JLSleather]

If on the other hand, you prefer to have less contour in the back, most or all of teh molding on the outside, then you would split the leather more like this.

Which would then look a bit like this.

 

Since the distance AROUND the cylinder is unchanged, what you add to one side should be subtracted from the other side.

 

So in the discussion of "how to" make these 2-piece models ( http://www.jlsleather.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Holster_Theory.pdf  ) if for example you wanted your holster fully flat in the back, all the 'form' in the outside, then 

(Height) + ( LEFT / 2) +( RIGHT / 2)+ (Leather)+( Leather) for each piece becomes instead 

(Height) + ( LEFT ) +( RIGHT )+ (Leather)+( Leather) for the outside, and 

(Height) + (Leather)+( Leather) for the inside.

This is oversimplified, but enough for this conversation.Where most people "booger" it is often under the trigger guard, which should be treated the same way (and sometimes isn't).

You can, of course, do like MANY others and make holsters WITHOUT ANY pattern at all - it's done all day every day.  This, though, leaves you molding, allowing to dry, THEN stitching, which limits how close you can stitch (often "fixed" with a story to the buyer that it's somehow their responsibility).

Oh, I assume tha's a G17 in a G19 holster - looks about right for that.  I don't know how you got that color, but I rather like it.