As tough as Old Shoe Leather...

[Dnaltrop]

And so it begins...

Take one engineer boot, retired from garden duty as a younger, perkier boot has taken it's place ...



Big feet mean lots of spare leather to work with...



I have my awl... I have a spool of heavy poly thread, 4 needles and patience.

I intend on making a cavalry style, slightly flapped holster for my dear Schofield replica, but I'd like to make the first one IWB. (I DO have another beat up boot to use after this)

This being my first foray into leatherworking, I intend on working the kinks out before I order a sheet of virgin cowhide to make the wife a CCW sling bag.

I'll update this thread as I make progress, but for now, any illumination from those who have walked this well-trod path before me would be greatly appreciated...

Onward with the shaping, I've left .75"/1" around the edge to allow room for the stitches. and I have enough left for the flap it appears without cannabalizing another boot.

 

[Iggy]

At the risk of sounding picky, that gun deserves better.

 

[Dnaltrop]

You mean like this?





The usual home for the Schofield is an OWB , AE Nelson, police-issue Clamshell Retention holster, originally designed for a SW K frame pistol. My old man had the luck to find a shopping bag FULL of holsters at a garage sale for $10 and this little gem was at the bottom.

Unfortunately as you can see, the 5" barrel is slightly too long, and while the fit and hold of the holster are superb, OC ... while legal with my CCW card here in Portland Oregon... generally attracts too much of the wrong attention.

The purpose of the IWB Cavalry holster project is twofold.

One... Create a basic holster allowing for better concealment when the mood strikes me to carry around my favorite pistol.

Two... get my stitching to the point where it does not embarrass me, before embarking on attempting to duplicate the pattern of my wife's beloved cross-shoulder sling bag, in an incarnation appropriate for her CCW.

Thankfully there are 2 decent leather distributors locally, but before I drop a few hundred on a full sheet of cow, I want to make sure that I'm not going to screw it up beyond recognition.

Hope that makes you feel a bit better about the Scho's bedding.

Edit- The current generation of this model --- http://nelsonleather.com/product_info.php?cPath=73_76_79&products_id=171

 

[Dnaltrop]

One more.... when It's cool enough for my jacket....




Hula girls and Jungle foliage usually work for Carry Camoflage... but sometimes you just can't draw the eyes where you want them.

 

[Iggy]

Thar ya go. That's better. Din't mean to insult you or nuthin'

The boot deal will be a good learning vehicle and then you can build sumthin' really fittin' for that ol Schofield.

 

[Dnaltrop]

No offense taken, I should have put the filler information at the top of the thread to clear that up immediately.

It's a damn good holster, but it's led to a TINY nick out of the tip of the barrel where it remains unprotected.

Next step is likely a decent shoulder rig for winter/hunting when I have my Super Blackhawk in hand.

Wife's car needs a timing chain job... it's been due. Goodbye Gun Cash Cache. Bah.

Will sew more tomorrow once the kids are off with grandma... was halfway along one side when the thread wore through.