1st Attempt at a Cowboy Single Action Holster & Rig

[Professor]

Fine looking holster, excellent craftsmanship.

I'm rebuilding a basket case early variation Single Six,and I'm considering getting a Bisley style grip frame. So far I've only got $20 in this revolver so I may decide to invest a bit or just finish it out as cheaply as possible.

Old methods I've used, mainly obsolete.

I use a stitching awl for holsters and most any thick pieces. I use the thick needle that came with it on thick areas but I use a somewhat more slender needle of a type used on upholstery sewing machines where ever possible because there's less drag that way.

To stitch very thick built up places I make the pre-punched holes deep enough using a Slender screw driver slimmed down a bit more with the head sharpened. When necessary I punch from either side so the holes meet. 

While I've seen it recommended to cut a groove along the path of the stitching I prefer to use a narrow paint scraper with blade ground dull and polished to impress a groove. I've also used a small diameter pizza cutter similarly dulled to roll in a groove. For turning curves I use a screwdriver blade to impress between each punched hole. That way I don't have to break the surface.

the lock stitch of the awl allows one to draw the thread down tight into the groove so it sits even with the surface. 

[noobleather]

On 10/21/2019 at 5:49 AM, Professor said:

Fine looking holster, excellent craftsmanship.

I'm rebuilding a basket case early variation Single Six,and I'm considering getting a Bisley style grip frame. So far I've only got $20 in this revolver so I may decide to invest a bit or just finish it out as cheaply as possible.

Old methods I've used, mainly obsolete.

I use a stitching awl for holsters and most any thick pieces. I use the thick needle that came with it on thick areas but I use a somewhat more slender needle of a type used on upholstery sewing machines where ever possible because there's less drag that way.

To stitch very thick built up places I make the pre-punched holes deep enough using a Slender screw driver slimmed down a bit more with the head sharpened. When necessary I punch from either side so the holes meet. 

While I've seen it recommended to cut a groove along the path of the stitching I prefer to use a narrow paint scraper with blade ground dull and polished to impress a groove. I've also used a small diameter pizza cutter similarly dulled to roll in a groove. For turning curves I use a screwdriver blade to impress between each punched hole. That way I don't have to break the surface.

the lock stitch of the awl allows one to draw the thread down tight into the groove so it sits even with the surface. 

Thanks for the advise and information on some of your tooling

[thawk8541]

that's a really nice holster, thanks for showing us!