[HoosierQ]

I do and I find the whole thing rewarding...cheaper...and I get what I want. I haven't yet done any photo uploads but I am going to start. Just can't see paying $75 for something I can make for materials.

[rcmodel]

Yep!
Holsters, grips, knives, sheaths.
Been doing it for 50 years.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j219/rcmodel/KTOG/Sewing2.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j219/rcmodel/KTOG/Sewing3.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j219/rcmodel/KTOG/Knife8.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j219/rcmodel/KTOG/Knife10.jpg

Sometimes that's the only way to get what you want!

rcmodel

[SRT1]

Very nice rcmodel! Impressive.
Thanks for posting those pics.
SRT

[HoosierQ]

rcmodel

Wow. That is just great...you are an artist in this medium. I am just starting again (at 50) after working in leather as a youth...wish I'd kept going.

What do you use to stitch? Do you have a leather sewing machine?

Really great work.

[Floppy_D]

Wow rcmodel, fine work! I was just thinking about this the other day. My grandad made me a belt with my last name on it, out of hand tools, back when I was little.

I might give this a shot, any starting ideas or resources you recommend?

Thanks!

[the_fallguy]

I make my own holsters, but it would probably be really bad advertising if I didn't :D

[rcmodel]

What do you use to stitch? Do you have a leather sewing machine? No sewing machine. Wish I did sometimes!
Just can't justify the expense for one as I only do leather to support my own needs, and also to get the quality of sheaths my custom knives require.
I'm doing less & less of it anymore, as my hands are getting old. Makes them hurt too much after the ambitous projects!

Anyway, I just use hand tools and a saddlers awl.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j219/rcmodel/KTOG/Sewing1.jpg

Layout with an over-stitch tool.
http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/products.asp?number=8091-00

Pre-drill holes with a 1/16" bit in drill press.

Sew with a Speedy-Stitcher saddlers awl & waxed polyester thread.
http://thevermontshopper.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=35&language=en&cPath=25

Tandy Leather Factory is a great on-line resource for anything leather.
http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/index.asp

Also, many cities have at least one leathercraft store. You can just go there and pick thier brain while figuring out what you need.

rcmodel

[PCRCCW]

Ive been known to make a couple of them...from time to time.
Shoot well and god bless

[CypherNinja]

Pretty sweet work guys!

I've just decide to start into this. I literally ordered books from Tandy 5 minutes ago and then found this thread. :)

Eric (PCRCCW) was actually sort of a mini-inspiration, as well as not being able to find exactly what I want (nevermind the weird ideas).

Jeff (the_fallguy), your doing some pretty awesome work, too.

[dubious]

Holy smokes RC Model... I already pay extra attention to your advice on this forum... now I'm going to pay EXTRA extra attention! :what:

I have a huge cow hide sitting in salt... any advice what I should do with it? No, I don't have the brains. I'm thinking of using watered down battery acid. I heard you should use something called "Neats Foot oil"... but I have no idea where to get it or if its really necessary.

[zxcvbob]

I made a holster 20-something years ago for my Ruger Old Army (my Ruger Bisley also fit it.) I bought a whole pigskin from Tandy leather, and used tools just like in rcmodel's picture. I made the pattern out of a brown paper bag.

I know now that pigskin wasn't a great choice, but it's what I could afford back then. And the holster is "unique". :) If I can find my kid's digital camera, maybe I'll post a pic later.

[rcmodel]

I have a huge cow hide sitting in salt... any advice what I should do with it?No idea at all, whatsoever!

Tanning hides is one skill that has escaped me all these years.

I doubt whatever you do with it would make good holster material though. Salt & acid would have a very detrimental effect on gun bluing!

You might look here for tanning supplies:
http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/products.asp?Dept=140

rcmodel

[brighamr]

I've made one thus far. Skinned the deer, tanned it and created a novelty holster for my brother (he wears it out with the scouts).

Next time I'm planning to get some rawhide and shape it into a western rig for my dad's single six.

Not sure how to tan rawhide (if it's different than deer) but I've found books at the library to be very helpful.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l155/brighamr/holster221.jpg

[give]

i seen a show on the discovery channel,they were tanning leather ,did a few methods including using brains,i think you might be able to find it on the web,might be helpful anyway,nice leather work also

[lance22]

(1) Old sweat sock
(2) Can of shellac
(3) Can of black spray paint.
(4) Tin snips / heavy scissors

Place handgun into old sweat sock. Spray sweatsock with a generous amount of shellac. Allow to dry and harden overnight.

Next day: Remove handgun, trim excess material off of sweat sock. Spray the outside with black spray paint.

Congratulations: You've just made an Uncle Mike holster. :neener:

[huff.jeremy]

Dubious:

There are several tanning methods available to use at home... but some take forever (like tanning with tannins). I was going to look this subject up in my Foxfire book, so as to provide some insight) but the volume containing tanning instructions is missing! :(

I did find this article regarding brain tanning though. It seems very helpful: http://www.jumaka.com/tanning/tanning1.html

THe lady in this article bought brains from a butcher, but i am pretty sure you can make a comparable tanning solution out of eggs and other things. I am also pretty sure that some of the old timers used ashes (and/or the lye from these ashes) as a tanning solution - or maybe that was used to remove the hair... i can't remember.

You have many options it seems.

[soutex50]

Here is my first holster ever........ First, I messed up in the selection of leather thickness, too soft....Second, I cut the forward belt loop too close to the gun........Third, I didn't quite cut it to barrel's correct length although a three incher would look awesome.

Anyways, my first holster, hand stitched and boned all the way.....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p53/soutex50/100_0637.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p53/soutex50/100_0639.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p53/soutex50/100_0638.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p53/soutex50/100_0640.jpg

[XPLSV]

Anyone with experience/recommendations for leather stitchers?

[shooterfromtexas]

Very nice work!

[BruceGibson]

I'm like those other guys. I kick-out a few here and there.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3177/2773330344_507b6e9c31.jpg?v=0

[JeepGeek]

where are you gents getting your leather from?

There are no leather supply houses locally. Can you tell me what sort of tanning, what weight of leather, etc, I should look to order online?

[rcmodel]

Anyone with experience/recommendations for leather stitchers?Read post #7.

If you mean leather sewing machines, I can't help.
They start at a thousand bucks and go up way from there.


Can you tell me what sort of tanning, what weight of leather, etc, I should look to order online?
Tandy Leather, if you can't find a cobbler or tack shop locally that sells leather..
http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/

Vegetable tanned tooling leather.
Shoulders or double shoulders.

Avoid belly & leg cuts because it is soft, stretchy, and won't hold it's shape at all.

4-5 oz for pocket holsters.

6-8 oz for most belt holsters.

rcmodel

[Deus Machina]

I'm curious how you guys are forming it to the gun. Considering I can't find a decent IWB for my old piece, I'll have to make a project of it.

[JeepGeek]

Deus- this is how I understand it:

vegetable, not chrome, tanned leather is able to be formed when it is wet. So you saturate the leather with water, insert the firearm in a baggie to keep it dry, then use various bucks (your fingers, pencils, smooth dowels and such) to form the leather to the project.

I'm sure if I have this wrong, they'll correct me.

Folks- when RCmodel speaks, listen up!

[JeepGeek]

I've made one thus far. Skinned the deer, tanned it and created a novelty holster for my brother (he wears it out with the scouts).

As in, Boy Scouts?

I was under the impression that personally-owned firearms were not allowed

[rcmodel]

I'm curious how you guys are forming it to the gun.
JeepGeek has the wet forming almost right.

You don't really saturate or soak the leather.
If you try to form it to the gun really wet, it won't mold and hold it's shape.

Actually you wet it to the point it is just wet and turned darker brown.
Then let it dry or "case" until it will hold it's shape when you form it around the gun. I like to case the leather wrapped in a towel so it takes quite a while to reach uniform dampness/dryness throughout.
It's still damp, but not really saturated or dripping wet.

When it's right, it's almost like working with stiff clay.
You press it down into a depression on the gun and it stays there.

Once done forming, leave the gun, in the plastic bag, in the holster, until it drys overnight.

rcmodel

[bsaride]

Made my first holster in July. Working on first grips and second
holster this month.

First Holster:
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d132/bsaride/IJ%20SS8/qtrflapwIJ.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d132/bsaride/IJ%20SS8/rimfiresetup.jpg

[Gibbles]

Thanks for the tips rcmodel. :)
I never thought of using a plastic bag, I would just mold it, let it sit for about 20min infront of a fan then remove the firearm and let it dry over night, this mostly worked but I have had issues with the holster getting way to tight and needing me to get the holster damp in choice areas and working the arm or mag until I could insert and remove it easily.

[JeepGeek]

Awesome job, BSARIDE.

I'll be making my own holster for my TZ75 here soon. A well-known holster maker has offered to send my two cut pieces of leather in the shape of this holster, and I'll take it from there (assembly, making stitch lines, awling the stitchholes, stitching, forming, and dyeing). Hell of a guy, he is.

[armoredman]

I've been known to make a couple of them...from time to time.

And how!

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b13/armoredman/advert2HBE.jpg



http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b13/armoredman/czandhbe.jpg


in use, :)

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b13/armoredman/fairfightbase-fixed.jpg

Photo edited, both figures are me, no one had a live pistol pointed at them, no animals or fish were harmed in the making of this picture, etc. However, three mosquitos and a fly were summarily executed.

[JeepGeek]

Gents-

I'm trying to make a holster for my TZ75.

How much clearance do you give around the weapon when you trace the trigger guard and so on onto the leather?

I understand if I trace right up against the weapon, I'll never get it into the holster. So how much is right?

[rcmodel]

I make patterns out of grey cardboard and keep cutting & fitting until I get what I want.

You can make the thicker sections out of corrugated cardboard to simulate how many thicknesses of leather you will have in the welt.

If you have the grain of the grey cardboard running the right direction, you can form it around a gun pretty much like the leather will form.
Then staple it all together and try it out.
Then you take it apart and trace around the parts on the damp leather.

Then you cut the leather!

(And keep the patterns for the next time you need it.)

rcmodel

[JeepGeek]

Made that TZ75 holster finally.

Details at my blog, in the sig below...

Here's a pic:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v469/burntkat/BlogSchtuff/holster-making/100_0202.jpg

[rcmodel]

Looks like you done good!

rcmodel

[Friendly, Don't Fire!]

You have been doing it for 50 years and it shows!
Excellent workmanship!;)

If I made one, it would look just like I've been doing it for five minutes.:eek:

It certainly WOULD NOT be anything I would want to put up a picture of!:(

[Deus Machina]

Ohhh, good stuff...

Thinking about trying my hand at it, since it's tough finding something perfect for me, and I'm a DIYer.

How do you guys handle the sight channel, or is it not bad enough to worry about?

[JeepGeek]

tape a pencil or dowel atop the slide, between the front post and the rear. Form the leather, and there ya go.

Wish I could say I came up with the idea. :)

RCModel- I have to give credit where it's due: UBGHolsters provided the die-cut leather sides, and I took it from there. Details are on the blog, but I think I did the hard part.

Of course, it's plain and undecorated- but it's designed for use in concealment, so I won't fault myself on that.

[JeepGeek]

RCModel-

I'm curious- how do you manage the long back side of the sewing awl line?

IE: The way I did it, was to take about 2X the path of the project to the back side, and start stitching. As you can imagine, that slows the project down when you have to reel in all the line on the back side, feed it through the loop, pull taut, and continue.

Is there a faster way?

[rcmodel]

I double it and twist it around itself which cuts the length by 1/3 or more.

The waxed thread pretty much stays stuck to itself until you get down to the twisted part and untwist it, or shorten it by half & twist it again if you still have a lot of length left.

rcmodel

[JeepGeek]

Oh.
Duh.

Brilliant :)

[Friendly, Don't Fire!]

Sounds so easy, even a child could do it.:)

Glad I'm not a child!

hehehehehe:)

[Gibbles]

Nice job!
I have a holster like that on order for my 1911, I plan on doing a little bit of a copy of it for my makarov.

[JeepGeek]

Nate of UBG does damn fine work. You wont' be disappointed!

Having shown this to several folks at the range, I have 6 orders on the books now.

Now I gotta find a source of leather!

[Randyc74]

I made this one for my Glock 34.
http://i379.photobucket.com/albums/oo235/Randyc74/Unedited%20Holster%20Pictures/100_1cropped.jpg

http://i379.photobucket.com/albums/oo235/Randyc74/Unedited%20Holster%20Pictures/100_1618cropped.jpg

[Daizee]

Ooh, you guys are doing some really nice work over here!

I've been running a long thread on my learning process over at rugerforum.net.

Here's my SP101 holster (cut for a 3" with my 4" in it):

http://thaumaturgy.net/~etgold/images/snugs/DSC01034-small.JPG

-Daizee

[sumiso]

I hope this isn't too much of a thread hijack, but I'm wondering where you start to learn about leatherworking?

As a woman, it is difficult to find a holster that works with my body shape, and I would love to be able to design my own. I just have no clue where to start!

sumiso

[Daizee]

Hi Sumiso,

I read about it on the internet. :-)
Actually, there's a local fellow who had done some non-holster leatherwork and gave me some tips, but ultimately I ordered my materials from Tandy (tandyleatherfactory.com) and followed some step-by-steps that I found online after looking at LOTS of high-end holsters.

I find the hardest part to be figuring out what the cut pattern should be, and in what order things should go together if they're complicated.

1/8" craft foam is cheap and works as a very nice stand-in for making holster patterns without the anxiety of cutting up your nice clean leather. Then you trace the outline of the pattern onto the leather and cut it out. From there it's just drawing your stitching lines, punching the holes, and then lacing it up in front of the TV. Molding, trimming, and finishing is a snap, assuming you've put your stitching in the right place.

I'm certainly not the expert on this stuff around here, but I was very enthusiastic when I started and took a bunch of pictures and documented the process somewhat.

My inspiration was here: http://unblinkingeye.com/Guns/Holsters/BH01/bh01.html

And my learning thread is here: http://www.rugerforum.net/showthread.php?t=8415

It's really really satisfying. If you have hard-to-fill requirements (or not-marketed-to requirements... or you're a cheapo like me) or unusual guns that people don't make stock holsters for, it's a great way to go. If you're marginally crafty it's not difficult. After the first couple holsters you'll have made your money in materials and tools back (if you don't go hog wild on tools!). Tandy often has regular sales on their holster-weight veggie-tanned leather.

I'd be interested to hear from rcmodel in what order he does his decorative patterning, dyeing, and stitching.

-Daizee

[sumiso]

Thanks, Daizee! The pictures on your thread didn't show up for me, but the ones from the Unblinking Eye did.

I like your idea of using craft foam as a pattern instead of cardboard. The flexibility would make it easier to tell how the pattern will form around the gun.

Now to check out the Tandy website!

[rcmodel]

I'd be interested to hear from rcmodel in what order he does his decorative patterning, dyeing, and stitching.Just standard leather tooling stuff.

The leather is carved with a swivel-knife while cased wet. Then the stamping.

Finally, all mating surfaces are glued with Formica cement, placed together, and stitching laid out & done. If you are making a lined holster, the lining has to be glued in with the holster leather curved almost like it will be when finished, or the lining will wrinkle when it is bent later.

After that, the leather is again dampened, and as much forming to the gun as possible is done. After it dries, the background is died, and edge dressing applied.

Hand-tooled designs cannot be boned or formed to a gun as much as plain leather, or you will iron out the tooling and ruin it.

Finally, the holster is allowed to air dry for a couple of days, and Crisco pure vegetable oil applied to bring out the color of the leather. Not too much oil mind you, as you don't want it oil soaked when you get done.

When that is complete and the oil has equalized in the leather for a couple of days, a finish coat of Leather-Sheen is applied.

rcmodel

[Daizee]

Thanks, rcmodel!

I like the crisco treatment before the leather-sheen finish coat. I'd wondered about moisturizing.

-Daizee

[Sunray]

"...what I should do with it?..." Go talk to a taxidermist. There are tanning kits available, but tanning is smelly.
"...where you start to learn about leatherworking?..." Tandy's Leather has all kinds of books that cover everything about leather work. Some are about holster making and have patterns plus how to make your own patterns. If there's a local shop near you, they sometimes give courses too.
Twenty minutes in front of a fan isn't enough for forming a holster. The leather will still be damp and will keep shrinking. Leather does that. Expands when wet then shrinks as it dries. And it can shrink a great deal. Know a guy who made a leather bottle that would have held a litre. He put it in his oven, set on low, to speed up the drying and forgot about it. The bottle was prefectly formed and waterproof(lot of work with melted beeswax to do that), but shrank to shot glass size.
"...a finish coat of Leather-Sheen..." Regular shoe polish works best on non-tooled leather. Waterproofs and gives it a 'spit' shine with enough coats and buffing.