What is it? Buscadero holster or not?

[chuck123wapati]

On 3/29/2021 at 9:28 AM, Josh Ashman said:

Hey guys, I'll chime in on the secondary topic of curved belts and how to make them. I think the "what makes it a buscadero" has been pretty well answered with the drop slot for holster attachment. 

I agree with Dwight that a curved cartridge belt is preferable to a straight one. However, I don't bother to cut my belt blanks on a curve because I think the hides yield better and are easier to cut straight with a strap cutter and it's easy enough to make them curve after you cut them. 

This isn't a buscarero but it works the same if it were. Leather is 10/11 HO cut @ 2-3/4" wide. (which is what I do for a tooled cartridge belt, if they aren't tooled I'll go with 2-1/2" wide).

Here is the straight cut blank before I started the 2nd session of tooling. After I took this picture I ran it through my bucket of water and let it sit and "case" for approximately 1 cup of coffee;

And here it is with some more tooling and formed into a curve. Simple as holding the leather flat on your work surface and forcing the ends up into the curve;

Here's the finished belt, still in curve. Not a ton of curve, but enough as far as I'm concerned;

And just for fun the finished rig complete;

As always, there's more than 1 way to do something. 

All the best, Josh

man you do nice work!

 

[Josh Ashman]

 Thanks Chuck! As I was typing my comment about my straight cut carry/pants belts always curving I thought hat somebody would chime in about how if they curve they must not be strong enough or some such silliness so I had to share the calf pulling story and pics. Pulling an elk out with a leather belt is quite a dang chore! Hope you guys are getting some spring weather up there!

Take care, Josh 

[dikman]

On 3/30/2021 at 6:41 AM, fredk said:

That shore is purdy.

Funny, that was exactly what I thought, word for word!

[Davm]

Yeah, to me a Buscadero has a downward extension on the belt with a slot through which the skirt on the holster runs.  Some of us want "historically correct" gear and as best as I can tell the Buscadero is a Hollywood invention. Maybe first showing up around 1920.  It helps on a fast draw type situation as the gun is lower but I'm not sure how well it works if you have to ride a horse.  The holsters used in the old West were the Slim Jim/California and the Mexican Double loop.

[dikman]

I forgot to ask - Josh, that wrist tattoo looks like the serpentine stamp pattern you like to use. Coincidence?

[Josh Ashman]

14 hours ago, dikman said:

I forgot to ask - Josh, that wrist tattoo looks like the serpentine stamp pattern you like to use. Coincidence?

 I like that pattern