Suggested tools for holster and belt making?

[zuludog]

Aaron, it sounds as though you can find your way round tools and sharpening. Here are some examples that I've made, to give you, and anyone else, some ideas

I have a 4" carbon steel vegetable knife that I no longer used in the kitchen. I fitted a bigger handle for more control and it's now my clicker/trimming knife

I had a cheap & nasty block plane that was fiddly to adjust and I hardly ever used it. But the blade was quite good, so I reshaped it and turned it into a Japanese style leather knife

I picked up a rusty old decorator's filling knife at a car boot sale for 50p - about 65 cents -  but underneath the dirt & rust it was good forged spring steel. I reshaped and sharpened it to make a skiving knife

See if you can get hold of old industrial hacksaw blades, they're usually in 25mm or 40mm widths. I've made them into skiving knives and kiridashi or English style paring knives

I got my dividers for £2-50 from the secondhand tool stall at my local market; my cutting mat from a craft shop, get the biggest you can manage

Have you seen Paul Seller's channel on YouTube? It's woodworking, but he shows how to make some tools, and other aspects of woodworking with hand tools

You can cut a slot by making two holes with a round punch and joining them up with straight cuts

[Double Daddy]

I'm with JLS...I simply need my tools to do what they're intended to do. I care not a "tinker's dam" about whether or not it has this maker's name on it, that type of steel/wood in it...when I pick it up and put it to leather (me doing my equal part, of course), does the tool do the job.

I've slicked leather edges with the brown/black Sharpie that I just touched 'em up with...no sense in buying that which you might have already have laying around. My father-in-law is a taxidermist...ever-now and then I can get a piece of antler to polish and use.

As far as knives & cutting goes, I use plain utility knives and X-acto (#2 blades, I believe). Ol' Sam Andrews gives good advice on how to use an X-acto knife, especially in tight corners. Check him out on YouTube...his holster videos are full of valuable information. I use a pair of heavy cutting shears from HD for bulk leather cutting.

I don't do much stamping work...wasn't a granite supply place in my area...went to HD and got a 12x12 garden patio paver and similar sized granite tile 1/2" thick...heavy-duty construction adhesive smeared around on both for 100% coverage...left to cure in the summer sun...has held up great the past 6+years on the corner of my bench (a post underneath to avoid bounce).

Harbor Freight has those acid brushes (25-30pcs for $3-4)...they great pretty good brushes...I save old glass pickle jars to use for glue pots, get a rubber grommet at Tractor Supply, drill a hole in the lid for the grommet, stick in the brush...now you can tightly slide the brush up and down.

 

Edited June 20, 2019 by Double Daddy

[JLSleather]

2 hours ago, Double Daddy said:

Ol' Sam Andrews gives good advice on how to use an X-acto knife, especially in tight corners. Check him out on YouTube.

Oh, yeah.. Sam is THE guy to see for holster videos.  There are a LOT of them out there, but cut through the NOISE 1000 guys are making and go straight to what is head and shoulders the best source of info on there.  Far less "marketing spam" and more actual useful info.  Here's one video I found very good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFsXw3gabqk#t=16

And another, where Andrews quickly and accurately describes how to make your own patterns for holsters - very well covered in 12 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PdKDmcmu8k&t=2s

 

 

[kayw]

One of the best things I have used in making holsters or knife sheaths are old or new manila file folders.  These are thick enough to make great patterns and where they are unfolded you have a center line to work from.  If you take your handgun or knife and lay it down relative to the center line it makes it easy to trace a good design.   then, you only have to cut it out on one side of the center line, then fold over the part you have cut out then trace the outline of your pattern on the other side.  Also, it is easy to make the pattern right or left handed by just flipping it over on either side when you place it on your leather and drawing the outline.  I have a large collection of these patterns over the years of all kinds of revolvers and autos that I have made, and when someone asks me to make a holster I often already have the pattern.

[TonyRV2]

19 hours ago, kayw said:

One of the best things I have used in making holsters or knife sheaths are old or new manila file folders.  These are thick enough to make great patterns and where they are unfolded you have a center line to work from.  If you take your handgun or knife and lay it down relative to the center line it makes it easy to trace a good design.   then, you only have to cut it out on one side of the center line, then fold over the part you have cut out then trace the outline of your pattern on the other side.  Also, it is easy to make the pattern right or left handed by just flipping it over on either side when you place it on your leather and drawing the outline.  I have a large collection of these patterns over the years of all kinds of revolvers and autos that I have made, and when someone asks me to make a holster I often already have the pattern.

For patterns that are too large for one manila folders you can also purchase manila pattern stock in rolls which come most commonly in 48" rolls similar to kraft paper.  Lately though I've been sketching patterns on kraft paper and transferring to them to Texon or Bontex bag stiffener for a more permanent pattern.

Edited June 21, 2019 by TonyRV2

[Mark3031]

 

this will help too.  It has good advice to help with your first one.  it actually has a list of needed tools/supplies

Edited June 21, 2019 by Mark3031
add more info

[Maverick44]

I bought a pack of those folders. They're MUCH nicer than trying to use copy paper. I also took a look at my edge beveler and it's a size 2. It cuts fine and cleanly, so I'll probably stick with it for now.

I had a piece of leather lying around that was just big enough for a scabbard style holster for my XDM-10, so I followed that video of Sam, and I'm sold on him. :D I've always had issues with getting the fit just right. More often than not, the holster would end up way too tight. The holster I just made fits perfectly. I'm a little rusty as it's probably been a year or more since I made one. It didn't turn out as nice as I would have liked, but I'm happy with the fit.

Do you guys have any advice on sewing through thick leather, especially when you're adding a welt to the holster?

 

Thanks fellas. You guys have been a huge help.

[JLSleather]

11 minutes ago, Maverick44 said:

Do you guys have any advice on sewing through thick leather, especially when you're adding a welt to the holster?

Got a drill press?  Chuck a machine needle in it and "press" the holes (don't turn it on).  

[Maverick44]

I've got two, lol. I'll give that a try. I'll order some machine needles next time I order supplies. Thanks for the tip!

[imaginatus]

I'm still pretty new to working leather, but one thing I'm finding essential is a good long straightedge.  The 48" aluminum rulers at the home center for ~$10 work a treat.  Not to heavy, marked for measurement, and thick enough to guide a knife or rotary cutter properly.