My first two attempts at tooled holsters
- Thread starter IDAHOMIKE
- Start date
Thank you all for the kind words. Hopefully one of these days I can make this my full time gig. I have a '62 Colt I want to do something up for, but I haven't quite figured out what type to build. I'm thinking something with a flap so as I have more room for tooloing.
Denster-Wish I had some orders to fill, I keep eyeballin' that '58 of yours for sale, but I'm pretty muzzleloader poor right now.
Denster-Wish I had some orders to fill, I keep eyeballin' that '58 of yours for sale, but I'm pretty muzzleloader poor right now.
Since y'all seem to like those other ones, here's a few of the non-tooled ones I've done.
Cimarron Model P, .44 Special, or Elmer Folt as I like to call it. With a bullet loop to top the gun off if I'm goin' into a saloon in Dodge City or somethin'.
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This one here now belongs to bbqbob from here, who some of you may know. This was the first holster I shipped out.
Cimarron Model P, .44 Special, or Elmer Folt as I like to call it. With a bullet loop to top the gun off if I'm goin' into a saloon in Dodge City or somethin'.
This one here now belongs to bbqbob from here, who some of you may know. This was the first holster I shipped out.
Thanks Hawg and Doc for the kind words.
Hawg- I used the same basic template for the two cap n' balls, mostly because it gave me a little more room for tooling, and I personally like the looks. When talking with bbqbob about the Single Six holster, he had asked that I cover the trigger. The pic below shows the prtotype of "The Stringbean". So it just kinda stayed that way and turned into my two "Holster with No Name" examples.
Doc-Build time on a simpler holster would be somewhere in the 3-4 hour range, give or take an hour either way. The rig for the '51 took I'd guess 10-12 hours, didn't really keep track as I worked on it here and there over a week or so. It was a long ways across that belt and it was a pain leaving the untooled potion down the center and around the conchos. The holsters are much easier. The lil' 1860 one went real quick, more like a simple design.
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Hawg- I used the same basic template for the two cap n' balls, mostly because it gave me a little more room for tooling, and I personally like the looks. When talking with bbqbob about the Single Six holster, he had asked that I cover the trigger. The pic below shows the prtotype of "The Stringbean". So it just kinda stayed that way and turned into my two "Holster with No Name" examples.
Doc-Build time on a simpler holster would be somewhere in the 3-4 hour range, give or take an hour either way. The rig for the '51 took I'd guess 10-12 hours, didn't really keep track as I worked on it here and there over a week or so. It was a long ways across that belt and it was a pain leaving the untooled potion down the center and around the conchos. The holsters are much easier. The lil' 1860 one went real quick, more like a simple design.
Excellent work !!!
Could tell, right off that you are not new to Leather-Craft. ....
I use quite a few basket-weave tools and folks should appreciate that each weave is an individual stamp. If a person doesn't get the right alignment, the piece will look bad. Yours look great. Are you using a stitching awl or double needle? Thank you for you pictures and post. .....
Be Safe !!!
Could tell, right off that you are not new to Leather-Craft. ....
I use quite a few basket-weave tools and folks should appreciate that each weave is an individual stamp. If a person doesn't get the right alignment, the piece will look bad. Yours look great. Are you using a stitching awl or double needle? Thank you for you pictures and post. .....
Be Safe !!!
ScottRiqui
New member
Since you sell these, I hope it's not impolite to ask about how much they cost? I don't know the first thing about prices for hand-tooled holsters/belts, but with 10-12 hours of labor alone in the rig for the '51 plus materials, I'm "guesstimating" $600-800?
(Again, I have no experience with handmade holsters & such, so if that's way off, please don't be offended.)
(Again, I have no experience with handmade holsters & such, so if that's way off, please don't be offended.)
More kind words, I appreciate them. Its shocking to me, I guess because I see all the little imperfections in them. To answer about the stitching, I use the double needle, a press to punch the holes, and my two hands is all. I do this partly because thats how I've always done it, and I like to make the stitching on the back look pretty too.
Pahoo-Yes, one stamp at a time does take some time doesn't it? The little "dots" on the 51 really eat up the minutes and I did it mostly freehand, no reference lines and what not.
Scott-Honestly, I have no idea what I would charge for that rig for example. I find pricing hard since as I mentioned above, all I see is the stuff thats wrong with it. Heck, I was considering sellin the rig with the gun for 5 or 6 hundred, but haven't quite decided yet.
Hawg-I tried the awl for a bit, as in about half a holster. that was on the 1st one I did, and I couldn't tell you where the awl is now. I cheat a bit and chuck my punch in a drill press to poke the thread holes. I tried tapping them through with a mallet, but I tend towards thick leather and I'd have to beat the snot outta them to get them through. Drill press is so much nicer.
Pahoo-Yes, one stamp at a time does take some time doesn't it? The little "dots" on the 51 really eat up the minutes and I did it mostly freehand, no reference lines and what not.
Scott-Honestly, I have no idea what I would charge for that rig for example. I find pricing hard since as I mentioned above, all I see is the stuff thats wrong with it. Heck, I was considering sellin the rig with the gun for 5 or 6 hundred, but haven't quite decided yet.
Hawg-I tried the awl for a bit, as in about half a holster. that was on the 1st one I did, and I couldn't tell you where the awl is now. I cheat a bit and chuck my punch in a drill press to poke the thread holes. I tried tapping them through with a mallet, but I tend towards thick leather and I'd have to beat the snot outta them to get them through. Drill press is so much nicer.
Pbearperry
New member
You say they are not perfect,but I think they are pretty darn good for sure.
Don't sell yourself short. Your work is very good. You see the imperfections because you know where they are and to you they probably look like huge glaring mistakes but I could probably own one of them and never see a mistake anywhere. My work is nothing compared to yours but I use a dremel to make holes.