Pistol Holsters ?

Thanks Strig and Eagle! Strig I think the kevlar might be a little more flexible! I've never used G10 or CF so never had any to shoot. That was pro made denim micarta by they way. They'd told me they'd had a bad batch of resin (they'd replaced my stock for me) went out and shot it and then they realized I didn't have any of the bad batch later. All perfectly good handle materials shot up.

Eagle, wow my friend beautiful stuff there! Just beatiful. I have avoided, with great intensity, (and have turned down numerous requests) making cartirdge belts and or slides. Someday I shall try one. Whats the light wood on the grips birch or maple? I am also digging the saddle blanket.

Ken, we were out at the ranch couple of three weeks back. It was cold, Nichole had her woolies on. A buddy brought out a flask to take the nip out. What was cool was it was two twin metal cylindars joined together. Oneside had a screw cap and the other a friction cap. The screwcap side was for the snakebite medicine and the other side for a cigar. What was really cool was the whole thing was covered in leather like Eagle's pipe there. And it was done very well just like the pipe. Most of the other leather covered flasks I've seen were pretty shoddy.

Three tips I've learned doing that Carlos border stamp over the years, I might pass on if someone is interested:

1) Your pattern needs to start and stop somewhere. Plan that out. Also, it doesn't go around acute corners very well, sweeping curves great, sharp curves not so much.

2) On the swivel knife cuts, cut away from both sides of a corner if that makees sense. It opens the corner up equally and keeps it looking right.

3)After you are done (and after wet molding on a sheath or holster), run your stylus point along the swivel knife cuts and re open them up. This is relatively new trick for me and I see both of those examples (1911 holster detail shot and mt holster for my Bersa) would have benefitted from this.
 
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I have so much to learn!

Dave, I'm used to plotting out my stitching so that I get the right placement, I always start marking my placement at the bottom/tip and groove/place the final stitches at the mouth. Sometimes I have to fudge a tad to get it looking proper ( I always shorten the stitch on either side, and avoid adding length), but I'm wondering how you accommodate for the Carlos stamp? I'm sure I'd have realized that it might be a problem the second I picked up the stamp, but I haven't got one yet. Hand stitches and camo are easy to plot, but the meander/Carlos seem like they'd need to be dead on.

Please tell me there's a trick and no math. [emoji14]
 
Mario Hanel, a very respected saddlemaker got me going with that stamp. He would lay out each stamps placement using dividers. I did it this way for sometime. Now I just eyeball it. Course I'm not making $7,000 saddles either like he is.
 
Thanks for all the pictures of your excellent work Dave and Eagle. I learn a lot from them and I learn I have a long way to go.
John S.
 
Dave, the wood on that set is a quartersawn birdseye maple. Mr. Kurac whose on your side of the country made them for me, and sold the wood to a local friend who made the file knife for me. They make quite a handsome pair to my eye. Thanks for the kind words and for the things to note on that border. Maybe in another 5 years I'll get 'round to it!

Regarding ammo belts don't run from em. They are profitable and you'll get more sales because of it. Personally I take great satisfaction in making whole matching 'rigs' and 75% of my orders are belt/holster combos with a large chunk of those having other accessories. This is nothing new but I bought the minimum needed to get some heavy canvas and make 3" ammo belts. They take coffee stain great and the big bonus is you can leave 'em loaded up with no tarnishing. If you want to give some a try shoot me an email.




I made this one for a fella's 44 he liked to use when riding around in the jeep. Was a retirement present to himself after 40 years in LEO.




Ammo slides are an EASY money maker so quit turning them down. I make them out of scrap pieces and leave them unfinished until an order comes through so I know how to finish it out. One of my better customers out of West Texas ordered this rig about a year ago. Ended up being a total of 40 some odd pieces, folks with big collections sometimes still use them!





 
Thanks Eagle! Cool pics! Ya just about got me convinced! I've been scared of em for years. Had a guy recently wanted me to put 6 loops for a .357 on the flap of his holster. Changed his mind after riding on the ranch with us for a bit. Thought they might be too exposed after we chased cows through some brush at about 90 and then did the Snowy River thing off a pretty steep hill through more brush still after cattle. A slip would be the idea thing cause it would keep em in close to the body. Maybe he'll get the first Horsewright slip. I just really enjoy your photography too.
 
Horsewright and all those who make leather items, just let me say I do not work leather, the only sheath I ever made I would not show you at gun point. I read this forum as it is Eye Candy for me, the skill to make the belts, knife sheaths and holsters just amazes me. Horsewright you say you do not like the Sam Brown studs, and I can understand the part about limiting the type of handgun that will now fit the holster, but not sure if I agree about the trusting part. I spend 30 years and 4 days in the U.S. Army and most of that time the M1911 was the issued handgun, with the leather holster with the stud for closure. They were used for many years in the Cavalry, and we used them for ski training, mountain climbing, moving at night over VERY difficult terrain, throughout the Vietnam war and even jumping out of perfectly good USAF aircraft and I cannot ever remember someone losing a M1911 because the flap came open. I also can agree that opening a belt buckle can be as fast as bringing your hand up so your thumb comes up under the flap, pops the flap off of the stud and you access the M1911. Having said all of that, again I am constantly amazed at the workmanship that you and others do with leather. Sincerely, John
 
Horsewight, Change one, The last sentence should read " I also can NOT agree that opening a belt buckle can be as fast". I know that in the old Cavalry, they used a lanyard, but to my understanding that was so the M1911 would not be dropped AFTER it was taken out of the holster. John
 
Not exactly what you are looking for (ranch use revolver), but here is my favorite daily wear. Even though I've be concealed for nearly two decades and have found some decent IWB's, I've come to enjoy the comfort that comes with OWB (outside waistband). My most comfortable and versatile is a basic open top shortcut. If wrapped around a 1911, it will fit most any 1911. If wrapped around a Glock (double stack), it'll fit most every Glock.

Sorry about the crappy pics, they're all I have right now. This is one I made for a friend and his Ruger LC9. In one pic, you can see a bit of my EDC, the S&W PC1911. Unfortunately the holster is hidden by the gun, but it's very similar to the Ruger holster.

Pretty much the only changes I make is for the can't (gun angle) the person wants, and shape of the back to shield body as much as possible. The back is kept flat for comfort. The front is stamped with a basket weave pattern (seems to add to long term rigidity) then wet molded around the actual gun. Retention is produced by a tight form fit, boned around the ejection port, and a deep press inside the trigger guard. I use a small rubber ball and clamp to achieve the deep trigger guard impression.

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John THANK-YOU for your service! I might of wrote it wrong but I love the Sam Bowne studs. Its the snaps I don't trust in rough country. The problem with the Sam Browne studs are their limitation on fit. If I don't have the customers exact gun I can't get the fit right with the stud. For instance in that one pic of mine there is a Single Six with aftermarket target grips. The fit of that Single Six and a stock Single Six would be completely different and couldn't be accomodated with with a Sam Browne stud, which is a shame because the studs are cool! Of my personal 4 Rangeflap holsters 3 have studs and one has a buckle. I also have a flapped scabbard for a scoped BLR in .243. Thats got a stud too. Speaking of old calvary I've got a cool pic of my maternal grandfather in uniform. He was in the Calvary prior to WW1 and was with Pershing in Mexico in 1916 and then went to Europe when we got involved.
 
Horsewright, I have seen a few photos of the expedition Pershing did into Mexico after Pancho Villa, M1903 Springfield rifles and M1911 in holsters. Thanks for the more detailed explanation on the studs, and I can see the problem with the size of the pistol grip, especially if the person puts an after market set of grips on. Thanks for your thanks on my service, not necessary as it was something I wanted to do. Thanks to you and the rest of the contributors to this link with all the great information and photos of your/their leather work. John
 
okay, now i have a question, for the answer for this has eluded me so far. how do you folks get the leather stamped AND wetmolded so closely? no way you wetmolded first and stamped afterwards for example around the trigger assembly. when i stamp the leather and wetmold afterwards i usually flatten out the stamping again... i seems to be doing something wrong.
 
Dave, it's so easy a caveman could do it :cool: Use some 4oz on the loops and let the machine do the talking. Once you figure out your loop widths it's a cake walk. I'm with you in that I will not put loops on a holster. Don't like it and it won't hold up long term. Thanks for the kind words on my camera playing as well. I just haul 'em out back and snap a few before shipment!

vilePossum said:
okay, now i have a question, for the answer for this has eluded me so far. how do you folks get the leather stamped AND wetmolded so closely? no way you wetmolded first and stamped afterwards for example around the trigger assembly. when i stamp the leather and wet mold afterwards i usually flatten out the stamping again... i seems to be doing something wrong.
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Case the leather properly before tooling, go for the deepest impressions you can stamping, and then case the leather again before wet molding. Hand form only on tooled holsters for best results. The biggest thing that made a difference on my tooling was a proper pounding surface, mine is a marble slab that covers my work bench appx 48" x 24" - I keep a cut mat over it when not in use.






As with anything in leather, the more you do it the more satisfactory your results will be. My tooling a year ago is 'junk' compared to what I do today. I had the problem of stamps washing out the first year or so and learned I was trying to mold the holsters when they were too damp.
 
Anyone done a pancake for 5.5" barreled revolver? Love to see those pics!
 
WEB2 said:
Anyone done a pancake for 5.5" barreled revolver? Love to see those pics!
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This is a southpaw pancake for a mid frame Ruger Blackhawk with a 5.5" snout. I'm sure there are a few more hiding on my photobucket somewhere, a local customer carries his 4 3/4" under a jacket as a winter carry.

 
This just gets better and better! Thanks Eagle guess I'm just gonna have to cowboy up and get er done. If ya gonna be a bear might as well be a grizzly. Nice work on those holsters bflying. Very clever idea on the ball and clamp to form the triggerguard depression. Noticed on the rear body protection tab you have a crosshatching/basketstamping thing going on there too. How did ya do that?
 
Forget the leather, this thread is really making me want a firearm! :)

Seriously though, when I stop by on Friday I fully expect to take a gander at your arsenal Dave. Knives, guns, leather? Sign me up. I feel like I'm going to be a better man after that. [emoji14]

The other work shown is absolutely stellar. How cool would it be if we could all meet up? It's a shame that I'll never likely rub elbows with most of you guys. This is indeed a fantastic thread!
 
Horsewright said:
This just gets better and better! Thanks Eagle guess I'm just gonna have to cowboy up and get er done. If ya gonna be a bear might as well be a grizzly. Nice work on those holsters bflying. Very clever idea on the ball and clamp to form the triggerguard depression. Noticed on the rear body protection tab you have a crosshatching/basketstamping thing going on there too. How did ya do that?
Click to expand...

On the back piece, I laminate (contact cement) a pre-embossed lambskin. Mostly just for looks so you don't see the back side of the leather. But it does add strength and rigidity to the back and body shield. I've found the most comfort by keeping all of the gun shape in the front, and the back is only allowed to form the curve of your body and protect from unwanted pressure points.
 
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