Homemade Holster

[Hunter125]

I made my own holster the other night. I've been wanting to get into making holsters for a while, just for myself, maybe for family as well, not to sell.

I was just messing with designs, not really intending to make a full holster, but once I got started I couldn't put it down.

I made it for my TCP since I didn't have an OWB holster for it yet. I intended to make a belt slide with a rentention strap, but I haven't ordered any hardware yet, so my design changed a little.








I haven't ordered good leather yet, so I just made it out of scraps that I bought at Hobby Lobby, not great leather. I was just messing around so I didn't bother with any finish or burnishing the edges.

Things I like:
-Very comfortable
-Seems to have good retention, even though I haven't boned in any definition yet
-Stays open, draws, and reholsters very well
-Stays put very well, I unloaded the gun and jumped around, ran, and even shook it upside down and the gun stays put very well
-Pretty concealable

Things I don't like
-The reinforcement band on the front is too big, it's going to be very difficult to bone in any definition and I think it looks bad
-I grooved the stitching for the belt loop and reinforcement band. I'm not sure if it was just the type of leather or if it was just a poor job on my part, but it looks like crap
-I'm not sure if the sweat guard is the right size, shape, etc. It blocks a little of my grip, but I do like it
-I'm not sure of the angle, I did angle it forward some, I'm just not sure if it's where I want it
-It doesn't hold really tight to my body, but I think that has more to do with my cheapo belt than the holster

What do you guys think? Any suggestions for future projects?

 

[rcmodel]

You won't be able to shape or bone that type of leather.
I see a lot of design problems with it, but won't pick it apart for your first attempt.
I did worse the first time!

See this link for a few tips.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=358100&highlight=sewing+leather

My first tip is to make a whole bunch of holster patterns out of grey cardboard & a stapler and come up with a final design that fits the gun, and fits you.
Before you touch a knife to a piece of leather the first time!!

Buy vegetable tanned tooling leather from Tandy or a local leather shop.
7-8 oz weight for small holster like that.

It has to be boned after casing, or wetted, then slowly dried until just damp enough to bone and hold its shape, but not wet.
At that point it is almost like clay, and will take and hold any shape you bone in after it dries.

rc

 

[Hunter125]

Yeah, I knew when I started that it wasn't going to be the greatest. It was literally a bag of scraps. Font hold back on the design problems, I won't take offense and I would appreciate anything constructive.
By the way, I lookef at the other thread you posted, you do some very nice work rcmodel.

 

[Hunter125]

One problem I'm noticing is the gun catches on the stitching inside tge holster at times. How do you avoid that, or is it something that just wears smooth over time?

 

[rcmodel]

Your stitching stitches were not pulled tight enough when you sewed it.

Tight stitching will pull flush in damp tooling leather, and then can be boned down flush so it doesn't eventually wear out before the holster does.

rc

 

[Hunter125]

So stitch it wet? That and the type of leather are probablry my problem one this one.