Brooks125 Report post Posted February 28, 2022 I have a customer who wants a re-make of an existing holster for competition. His current holster fits a 1911 with a minimalist holster on a western belt. He wants a holster and belt that fits a CZ Shadow 2. The existing holster is steel lined. He wants to stay away from steel and I know some makers use rawhide as a stiffener. My question, how do you put the rawhide between leather layers and get it to fit well, particularly on the inside radius, against the gun? I've discovered the Barge cement won't adhere to wet rawhide. Is there a way to get the layers to bond, or not really? By the way, this is NOT a detailed boning on the outside of the holster. Kind of a western take on a modern gun. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HandyDave Report post Posted March 1, 2022 Can you post pics of holster? Maybe will help with ideas for this crowd if we can see kinda what your shooting for. Is it one of those super cut down comp holsters and does the metal or rawhide create the retention? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brooks125 Report post Posted March 1, 2022 (edited) Lets try this. Yes, it is a cut down holster with the stiffness providing the retention. Edited March 1, 2022 by Brooks125 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dwight Report post Posted March 1, 2022 If you soak rawhide real good . . . you can then shape it pretty good. I did that for a knife sheath some time back. After it dried out . . . I glued the rawhide to the suede . . . with the rawhide seam so that the top of the blade was at that seam. The sharp part of the blade found a solid piece of rawhide . . . My customer was super happy with it. He also got the beadwork on the 45-70 rifle case as well. May God bless, Dwight Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bert03241 Report post Posted March 2, 2022 why not just use some heavy 9 to 10 oz veg tan wet mold it?. should be very stiff with good retention Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AzShooter Report post Posted March 2, 2022 Your talking about copying an Ernie HIll rig. He switched to rawhide lined holsters a few years ago and is very successful especially in Cowboy Speed Shooting Events. Once the rawhide is almost dried you should be able to use Barge. Good Luck. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brooks125 Report post Posted March 3, 2022 18 hours ago, AzShooter said: Your talking about copying an Ernie HIll rig. He switched to rawhide lined holsters a few years ago and is very successful especially in Cowboy Speed Shooting Events. Once the rawhide is almost dried you should be able to use Barge. Good Luck. This is a Bianchi, which may be a copy of his design. I'll try to play with the drying/Barge timing. Thanks! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bert03241 Report post Posted March 5, 2022 after looking up the Ernie Hill rig I see my suggestion was way off LOL Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brooks125 Report post Posted March 7, 2022 On 3/2/2022 at 3:16 AM, AzShooter said: Your talking about copying an Ernie HIll rig. He switched to rawhide lined holsters a few years ago and is very successful especially in Cowboy Speed Shooting Events. Once the rawhide is almost dried you should be able to use Barge. Good Luck. However, I used the rawhide on a different project and it looks like, yeah, it leaves a pretty decent window where it's dry enough to accept the Barge and hydrated enough to work with. I'll keep you posted. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuck123wapati Report post Posted March 7, 2022 On 2/28/2022 at 9:15 PM, Dwight said: If you soak rawhide real good . . . you can then shape it pretty good. I did that for a knife sheath some time back. After it dried out . . . I glued the rawhide to the suede . . . with the rawhide seam so that the top of the blade was at that seam. The sharp part of the blade found a solid piece of rawhide . . . My customer was super happy with it. He also got the beadwork on the 45-70 rifle case as well. May God bless, Dwight that is good beadwork! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dwight Report post Posted March 7, 2022 1 hour ago, chuck123wapati said: that is good beadwork! Thanks, Chuck . . . I had never really done any before . . . first one I did was enough out of proportion that I did not like it . . . so I did it all over again. Would you believe that my pattern maker is Microsoft Excel?? It actually is. But thanks for the compliment . . . it was a fun project. May God bless, Dwight Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JayEhl Report post Posted March 7, 2022 on another side note, the CZ is one fine under rated firearm. A buddy had the Shadow and it was really sweet; heavy and solid but boy it was fun to shoot. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dwight Report post Posted March 8, 2022 12 hours ago, chuck123wapati said: that is good beadwork! I went looking for these the other day . . . took 2 days to find where I'd stashed them. I read once that some of the native Americans used beads to "sort of" depict things from times past . . . part of their personal experiences . . . I took that idea and ran with it . . . will be my left and right sleeve leaders down over each shoulder toward the front. My navy career . . . my ol Navy uncle . . . are on one of them . . . the most important Bible verse is on the other . . . Just need to get the buckskin jacket made so I can put these on it. May God bless, Dwight Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AzShooter Report post Posted March 8, 2022 Awesome work. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dwight Report post Posted March 8, 2022 47 minutes ago, AzShooter said: Awesome work. Thanks AzShooter . . . One of the things I really do have fun with. I actually make the pattern on Microsoft Excel . . . Then sit down and bead it up . . . I kinda giggle all the way thru it . . . knowing that Bill Gates would have a fit if he knew what all that coding and programming produced: a beading pattern maker . . . lol May God bless, Dwight Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuck123wapati Report post Posted March 8, 2022 9 hours ago, Dwight said: Thanks AzShooter . . . One of the things I really do have fun with. I actually make the pattern on Microsoft Excel . . . Then sit down and bead it up . . . I kinda giggle all the way thru it . . . knowing that Bill Gates would have a fit if he knew what all that coding and programming produced: a beading pattern maker . . . lol May God bless, Dwight thanks for posting those they are beautiful. I have always loved beadwork, never was good at it lol i did a couple little pieces on my possible bag. God bless you i needed some good feeling today. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brooks125 Report post Posted March 26, 2022 (edited) Well, to get back to the holster, I just finished it up (yes, the oil is still wet). It's certainly not as stiff as steel, but it firms up nicely. This rig has a leg thong, so I think it will serve quite well. Yes, there is a real timing issue when you laminate leather-rawhide-lining. I had to wait for the rawhide to soften up, then wait for it to dry enough to accept the Barge, and then stitch, form and hold it in position until it dried enough to put on the rack for final drying. Figure on scheduling your evening around the process. Thanks for everyone's input! Edited March 26, 2022 by Brooks125 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AzShooter Report post Posted March 26, 2022 Great holster there and the rawhide will really keep it that way. Congratulations. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
