vostracker
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key rings
Now that was cool!!!
Now that was cool!!!
Holster making for a hobby ??? show off your work... offer suggestions to a newbie...
- Thread starter Magnum Wheel Man
- Start date
aarondhgraham
New member
I'll scan the pattern tomorrow,,,
I would do it today but I didn't think to bring the pattern book,,,
Someone else might want to make some of these little guys.
I would do it today but I didn't think to bring the pattern book,,,
Someone else might want to make some of these little guys.
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
"Gummed back leather" vrs "Ironed" shoulders for holster use ???
I'm looking for a "heavier" leather for my belt loop sections on the holsters I'm modifying for my heavy weight 44 mag snubbie & my Ruger Alaskan...
I'm not seeing a more practical way to buy this leather ( anyone sell it by the SQFT ??? a shoulder aught to keep me busy for a long time... one or two sqft would be more what I need right now )
I'm looking at these
any advantages to either of these for my purpose, or should I be looking at something different ???
http://www.zackwhite.com/product.php?productid=21207&cat=1231&page=1
http://www.zackwhite.com/product.php?productid=21206&cat=1231&page=1
I'm looking for a "heavier" leather for my belt loop sections on the holsters I'm modifying for my heavy weight 44 mag snubbie & my Ruger Alaskan...
I'm not seeing a more practical way to buy this leather ( anyone sell it by the SQFT ??? a shoulder aught to keep me busy for a long time... one or two sqft would be more what I need right now )
I'm looking at these
any advantages to either of these for my purpose, or should I be looking at something different ???
http://www.zackwhite.com/product.php?productid=21207&cat=1231&page=1
http://www.zackwhite.com/product.php?productid=21206&cat=1231&page=1
aarondhgraham
New member
Hey MagMan,,,
If this is the leather you will make loops from I think I would still go for the 8/9 ounce weight,,,
It's heavy enough to make holsters from so the rest of it won't be wasted.
Places do sell leather in square foot sections,,,
But they also charge a ton of money for that convenience.
Like where a 4' by 8" sheet of plywood is $30.00,,,
But if you only want half they charge you $20.00 instead of $15.00.
Like I said before,,,
You can always sand the leather thinner.
If this is the leather you will make loops from I think I would still go for the 8/9 ounce weight,,,
It's heavy enough to make holsters from so the rest of it won't be wasted.
Places do sell leather in square foot sections,,,
But they also charge a ton of money for that convenience.
Like where a 4' by 8" sheet of plywood is $30.00,,,
But if you only want half they charge you $20.00 instead of $15.00.
Like I said before,,,
You can always sand the leather thinner.
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
my bigger concern was the "gummed back" vrs "regular"
... I'm already buying some strap leather for the loop & snap strap...
... I'm already buying some strap leather for the loop & snap strap...
aarondhgraham
New member
Gummed back?,,, I have no idea,,,,,
Ironed means the shoulder has been rolled between "iron rollers" to flatten the area where the neck was,,,
Kind of like the wringers on the old washing machines.
I honestly have no idea (so I can only guess at) what gummed back means,,,
Unless it means the flesh side has been rubbed with gum tragacanth to smooth it out a bit.
Maybe Dave Cole has heard the term used before.
The flesh side of some leather is very rough,,,
On some leather it is very smooth as if it's been polished,,,
Honestly, I think they are using buzz-words just to hype the product.
It's not something I would worry too awful much about,,,
Almost all leather gets "rolled" to flatten it out,,,
And if the flesh is too rough for me to use,,,
I just touch it a bit to the belt sander.
Ironed means the shoulder has been rolled between "iron rollers" to flatten the area where the neck was,,,
Kind of like the wringers on the old washing machines.
I honestly have no idea (so I can only guess at) what gummed back means,,,
Unless it means the flesh side has been rubbed with gum tragacanth to smooth it out a bit.
Maybe Dave Cole has heard the term used before.
The flesh side of some leather is very rough,,,
On some leather it is very smooth as if it's been polished,,,
Honestly, I think they are using buzz-words just to hype the product.
It's not something I would worry too awful much about,,,
Almost all leather gets "rolled" to flatten it out,,,
And if the flesh is too rough for me to use,,,
I just touch it a bit to the belt sander.
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
Thanks for the suggestions... I already ordered the heaviest rolled shoulders, along with some strapping, a couple lacing punches, & a hole punch ( for the Heiser snap re-install ) I need to find my stitcher... I think I put it in a back pack last time I went Elk Hunting ( several years ago )
Aarond... the tool that looks like a spur on a handle is a punch space marker for stiching ??? I still haven't gotten any books yet ( hopefully next paycheck... gotta take this stuff a little at a time ) but I've pretty much completed collecting the top breaks, so that will leave more weekly money for leather stuff over the next several weeks
Aarond... the tool that looks like a spur on a handle is a punch space marker for stiching ??? I still haven't gotten any books yet ( hopefully next paycheck... gotta take this stuff a little at a time ) but I've pretty much completed collecting the top breaks, so that will leave more weekly money for leather stuff over the next several weeks
aarondhgraham
New member
It's called a stitching wheel,,,
Or a spacing wheel, or a "spur-on-a-stick."
But yes, roll it in the groove you make for the stitching line and it makes marks to space your stitches.
They come in several sizes of 5, 6, or 7 stitches per inch,,,
I almost always use the 5 per inch unless it's very thin leather on a small project using fine thread.
Some people like to use 6 per inch all the time,,,
That works well until you are sewing through a thickness of about 3/8" or more.
Or a spacing wheel, or a "spur-on-a-stick."
But yes, roll it in the groove you make for the stitching line and it makes marks to space your stitches.
They come in several sizes of 5, 6, or 7 stitches per inch,,,
I almost always use the 5 per inch unless it's very thin leather on a small project using fine thread.
Some people like to use 6 per inch all the time,,,
That works well until you are sewing through a thickness of about 3/8" or more.
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
has anyone ever used heavy wool felt as a holster liner ??? I pulled apart an old junky holster that seemed to have some sort of red fabric liner glued into the inside... I was thinking heavy "pool table type" felt might make a good liner material ( sewed, not just glued ) into the inside of a holster... it could be used to insulated the gun from any hardware used... it's available in many colors, including more natural leather colors, for a more traditional look, but also red's & blues & some brighter colors if one were inclined ( not my style for the flashy colors, but there was red in the one I pulled apart ) maybe it wouldn't wear like a leather liner, so might not be good, but was thinking it might be easier to work with for a newbie ???
aarondhgraham
New member
At one time it was popular,,,
I sure saw a lot of felt lined holsters when I was a kid,,,
They were all older ones so I guessing 30's-40's maybe.
It will not be any easier lining a holster with felt,,,
Than it would be to line with pig or calf,,,
The process would be the same.
You would still need to stitch around all of the edges,,,
And burnishing the edges would be problematic.
I think the only advantage to felt lining would be to the manufacturer,,,
When new, the lining would look very nice indeed,,,
And would be cheap to manufacture,,,
felt being cheaper than leather.
One problem with holster lining material is,,,
The rougher it is the more it collects dirt and grit,,,
Lining with smooth leather makes a non-abrasive surface.
People think because suede leather is soft to the touch that it would be good lining material,,,
Forget the fact that it is chrome tanned leather and can attack the blue finish if wet,,,
It's fuzzy nap collects dirt and grit that is like sandpaper to a gun's finish,,,
This is my opinion and agreed to by most holster makers,,,
Unlined is better than suede lined.
I have seen holsters lined with shearling sheepskin,,,
The hair was trimmed to about 3/4 inch long,,,
I'm not sure what purpose it served,,,
Most had a full cover flap.
Lining a holster with thin calf or pig isn't difficult,,,
It just means a lot more stitching is all.
The How to Make Holsters book shows the steps to line a holster in great detail.
Buy the book!
I sure saw a lot of felt lined holsters when I was a kid,,,
They were all older ones so I guessing 30's-40's maybe.
It will not be any easier lining a holster with felt,,,
Than it would be to line with pig or calf,,,
The process would be the same.
You would still need to stitch around all of the edges,,,
And burnishing the edges would be problematic.
I think the only advantage to felt lining would be to the manufacturer,,,
When new, the lining would look very nice indeed,,,
And would be cheap to manufacture,,,
felt being cheaper than leather.
One problem with holster lining material is,,,
The rougher it is the more it collects dirt and grit,,,
Lining with smooth leather makes a non-abrasive surface.
People think because suede leather is soft to the touch that it would be good lining material,,,
Forget the fact that it is chrome tanned leather and can attack the blue finish if wet,,,
It's fuzzy nap collects dirt and grit that is like sandpaper to a gun's finish,,,
This is my opinion and agreed to by most holster makers,,,
Unlined is better than suede lined.
I have seen holsters lined with shearling sheepskin,,,
The hair was trimmed to about 3/4 inch long,,,
I'm not sure what purpose it served,,,
Most had a full cover flap.
Lining a holster with thin calf or pig isn't difficult,,,
It just means a lot more stitching is all.
The How to Make Holsters book shows the steps to line a holster in great detail.
Buy the book!
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
Thanks... I'll buy the books ( at least 3 of them so far )
)aarondhgraham
New member
Essential books to learn how to make holsters,,,
Hello gentlemen,,,
I do not mind answering questions,,,
In fact if anything, I get a huge kick out of it,,,
My undergrad and graduate degrees are in occupational education.
However there are a few books that will explain everything,,,
And they have big pretty pictures to illustrate the tasks.
So if you really want to learn leathercraft and holster making,,,
Please consider buying these three books.
The grand total of $35.97 is cheap at twice the cost.
1) How to Make Holsters.
This book is by Al Stohlman, the Patron Saint of Tandy Leather.
At $12.99 this book is a must have.
It will show you:
How to create your own holster patterns,,,
How to make cross-draw holsters,,,
How to make lined holsters,,,
How to sew a toe plug,,,
How to do it all.
2) The Art of Hand Sewing Leather.
Another book by Al Stohlman,,,
At $12.99 this book is also in the must have category.
Unless you can afford over $1,000.00 for a leather sewing machine,,,
You absolutely must learn and master this skill
It will show you absolutely everything you need to know about hand stitching leather the correct way.
It shows you how to do a true saddle-stitch using two needles and one piece of thread,,,
Instead of the inferior lock stitch using a sewing awl.
Absolutely everything you will ever need to know how to do is in this excellent book,,,
Lots of well done illustrations make learning this essential skill very easy.
3) Leathercraft Tools.
One more book by Al Stohlman,,,
At $9.99 this book is the third in the must have category.
This book shows you just about every hand tool there is for leather craft.
It shows you:
How to use the tool properly,,,
How to keep them sharp,,,
What they are used for,,,
When to use a tool,,,
Why it is used.
This is not a project book,,,
There are no craft patterns in these pages,,,
They contain essential techniques on using the tools.
So, if you are serious about learning how to create your own holsters and gun-belts,,,
Make this $35.97 investment before you buy one tool or scrap of leather,,,
Take the time to read the pages and look at the pretty pictures,,,
I guarantee you will be better off for doing it.
There will be more books later on for specific things,,,
Someday you will want to learn how to do fancy lacing techniques,,,
You will want to learn how to make saddle-bags and other leather items.
There are books for those other types of projects as well,,,
But they are for you to buy and read later on,,,
It's holster making for now.
Buy The Books!,,,
Aarond
Hello gentlemen,,,
I do not mind answering questions,,,
In fact if anything, I get a huge kick out of it,,,
My undergrad and graduate degrees are in occupational education.
However there are a few books that will explain everything,,,
And they have big pretty pictures to illustrate the tasks.
So if you really want to learn leathercraft and holster making,,,
Please consider buying these three books.
The grand total of $35.97 is cheap at twice the cost.
1) How to Make Holsters.
This book is by Al Stohlman, the Patron Saint of Tandy Leather.
At $12.99 this book is a must have.
It will show you:
How to create your own holster patterns,,,
How to make cross-draw holsters,,,
How to make lined holsters,,,
How to sew a toe plug,,,
How to do it all.
2) The Art of Hand Sewing Leather.
Another book by Al Stohlman,,,
At $12.99 this book is also in the must have category.
Unless you can afford over $1,000.00 for a leather sewing machine,,,
You absolutely must learn and master this skill
It will show you absolutely everything you need to know about hand stitching leather the correct way.
It shows you how to do a true saddle-stitch using two needles and one piece of thread,,,
Instead of the inferior lock stitch using a sewing awl.
Absolutely everything you will ever need to know how to do is in this excellent book,,,
Lots of well done illustrations make learning this essential skill very easy.
3) Leathercraft Tools.
One more book by Al Stohlman,,,
At $9.99 this book is the third in the must have category.
This book shows you just about every hand tool there is for leather craft.
It shows you:
How to use the tool properly,,,
How to keep them sharp,,,
What they are used for,,,
When to use a tool,,,
Why it is used.
This is not a project book,,,
There are no craft patterns in these pages,,,
They contain essential techniques on using the tools.
So, if you are serious about learning how to create your own holsters and gun-belts,,,
Make this $35.97 investment before you buy one tool or scrap of leather,,,
Take the time to read the pages and look at the pretty pictures,,,
I guarantee you will be better off for doing it.
There will be more books later on for specific things,,,
Someday you will want to learn how to do fancy lacing techniques,,,
You will want to learn how to make saddle-bags and other leather items.
There are books for those other types of projects as well,,,
But they are for you to buy and read later on,,,
It's holster making for now.
Buy The Books!,,,
Aarond
I again agree with Aarond, stick with a smooth pigskin or regular veg-tan lining.They will stand the test of time and do less damage to your guns or knives.I haven't heard the term "Gummed" leather before but think they have taken a poor quality fuzzy flesh side and used Gum Tragacanth on it and are charging more for it, just hype is my guess.Buy the good stuff and it will be cheaper and better in the long run.Dave
aarondhgraham
New member
Here is that KeySlinger pattern,,,
The pattern is in Adobe .PDF format,,,
There should be no problem opening it.
Have fun,,,
Aarond H. Graham
The pattern is in Adobe .PDF format,,,
There should be no problem opening it.
Have fun,,,
Aarond H. Graham
Last edited:
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
thank you sir... I'll put them in with my ( new & small ) leather file...
Evyl Robot
New member
Here's a crazy-looking, race-inspired wingtipped holster that I made to fit a 686:
Here's a great little subcompact glock high-rise belt holster. The girl who commissioned it requested the purple glitter:
Orange sunburst pancake for my wife's snubby:
This is probably my favorite to date. It's an all-leather, fully-lined racer for a 627 Pro:
Here's one of my newer models, a convertible pocket/tuckable IWB for subcompacts. One in black stingray and the other in plain unfinished shoulder:
And, yes. I also do basic black. Here's a 4-inch 629 in a kidney-position pancake that I made for a woods holster:
Needless to say, I like making holsters for women because they typically want to wear something other than brown or black.
Here's a great little subcompact glock high-rise belt holster. The girl who commissioned it requested the purple glitter:
Orange sunburst pancake for my wife's snubby:
This is probably my favorite to date. It's an all-leather, fully-lined racer for a 627 Pro:
Here's one of my newer models, a convertible pocket/tuckable IWB for subcompacts. One in black stingray and the other in plain unfinished shoulder:
And, yes. I also do basic black. Here's a 4-inch 629 in a kidney-position pancake that I made for a woods holster:
Needless to say, I like making holsters for women because they typically want to wear something other than brown or black.
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
nice looking rigs...
I got my shoulder & my 3/4" strap today, along with a punch for that old Heiser snap, a couple of buck stitch lacing punches, & some boston screws today...
the weather is drizzely today & supposed to be that way tomorrow as well... so I might get a chance to play with the couple projects I have started... wish I could find MRS Magnum's old leather tooling set...
I got my shoulder & my 3/4" strap today, along with a punch for that old Heiser snap, a couple of buck stitch lacing punches, & some boston screws today...
the weather is drizzely today & supposed to be that way tomorrow as well... so I might get a chance to play with the couple projects I have started... wish I could find MRS Magnum's old leather tooling set...
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
got my strap cut & the hole punched for the old Heiser snap, for my resto project... there was a piece that was roughly 12" X 12" that stuck out of the rolled up shoulder ( BTW... I got the gummed, & the flesh side is nearly as smooth as the hide side ) so I didn't even untie the roll of hide... I cut that 12" square in half for the custom belt band that I'm doing for the 2 heavy weight holsters I'm modifying for my Dan Wesson 44 mag & Ruger 454 Casull snubbies...
I'm wanting to fold over the outer edges of the new leather that stick out on the sides past the holster body so that it's 2 layers thick & have already rough cut it to match the outline of the holster on each side... I thought I'd stitch the edge to mirror the stitching in the holster body, & glue that doubled over portion of the new leather... I'm thinking if I glue those portions 1st putting them in a vice or clamping them while drying, then punching & stiching after dry it might be easier to punch the holes & stitch... or is it better to stitch before gluing ??? the new leather will be laced all the way across the top where the new leather is 2 layers thick, & across the top of the old holster to blend them together... on one of the holsters I've ripped the original side stiching, so I can more easily stitch the canted belt slide through area, then will re-stitch the holster body after the new & old leathers are joined
what do you guys like to use for glue... I see everything from what looks like wood glue, to what looks like rubber or contact cement for sale on the leather sites
I'm wanting to fold over the outer edges of the new leather that stick out on the sides past the holster body so that it's 2 layers thick & have already rough cut it to match the outline of the holster on each side... I thought I'd stitch the edge to mirror the stitching in the holster body, & glue that doubled over portion of the new leather... I'm thinking if I glue those portions 1st putting them in a vice or clamping them while drying, then punching & stiching after dry it might be easier to punch the holes & stitch... or is it better to stitch before gluing ??? the new leather will be laced all the way across the top where the new leather is 2 layers thick, & across the top of the old holster to blend them together... on one of the holsters I've ripped the original side stiching, so I can more easily stitch the canted belt slide through area, then will re-stitch the holster body after the new & old leathers are joined
what do you guys like to use for glue... I see everything from what looks like wood glue, to what looks like rubber or contact cement for sale on the leather sites
Evyl Robot
New member
I do use contact cement quite a bit, and I do sew through the stuff - both by hand and by machine. I can't really offer any advice on any other adhesives. You know, when you find one that works why mess with it?