Leather Holster

Leather holsters are expensive...

...so I have tried to make some of my own. They havent come out well, but thats because I have used junky leather. I think that if you get some good leather it shouldnt be too hard. Give it a try.

You can find some basic instruction books at places such as Tandy Leather Factory or Hide Crafter Leather Company. As mentioned above, the quality of leather used makes a big difference for a lot of reasons. Select a double shoulder in the 8-9 oz range. Oftentimes, the Tandy Leather Factory store near you will have scrap/left over pieces that may be enough for you to use. There's some basic tools that you would need. The folks at either Tandy Leather Factory or Hide Crafter can help direct you in that respect.

There's a lot of satisfaction that comes from making your own holster. Best of luck to you, and feel free to ask any questions.

Try to make your own. I do and am perfectly happy with them. However, a good piece of leather may provide three or four holsters, but will cost about as much as a finished holster.

You may want to take a look at www.simplyrugged.com as they make holsters that are, well, simply rugged, and very functional.

Welcome to the forum. See recent thread on same topic for more info:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=243235

Good shooting and be safe.
LB

Unless you are a professional leather worker, you better plan on doing your sewing by hand. Those heavy duty machines for sewing leather get pricey! Another alternative is lacing, which I think is very nice looking. Have laced all of my holsters.

Good shooting and be safe.
LB

High quality sewing machines can cost quite a bit - and a whole lot more than the traditional home sewing machines. The ones used by Lou Alessi, Matt Del Fatti, etc., range in the 6k - 7k price range.

Here's a discussion from a while back where a lot of the basics on holster making were discussed: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=133426.

I'd also suggest contacting Hide Crafter Leather Company for a video titled, "Holsters & Knife Sheaths," by Dusty Johnson. It shows a lot of good information, some of which I still use today. Also included with the video is a variety of patterns.

Yes, I designed and made my own shoulder harness for two of my shoulder holsters. Mine are designed for comfort but not for concealment. I have a strap running horizontally around my chest and it shows in the front. Since I only use my shoulder holsters for hunting pistols, it is not a problem and is much more comfortable than normal harness for me.

Good shooting and be safe.
LB