Not Cowboy... But leather work/Holsters

[Marshal Tac]

I have learned alot from reading this forum and have been "tinkering" with leather since my 8th grade "Industrial Arts" class so many years ago... I have a legitimate need, as I am a working Police Officer, Firearms Instructor and general gun nut.. Hence the CAS addiction. I have made a variety of sundry leather items for my own purposes, to include belt pouches, belts, slings, phone carriers, mag pouches, cuff cases, and several varieties of holsters. 90% of my leather crafting has been directed toward the working cop and/or legally concealed handgun. I have never made anything the likes of which I have seen here in this forum, mostly due to time and/or need. I have never learned to carve leather or do any of the intricate stamping or other decorative measures that I see so often expertly demonstrated on this site. One day I will sit down and read up on it and give it a try.

Until then, I thought I would post some pictures of what I have been making.... Plain clothes/Concealed weapons holsters and gear. I have sold about 15-20 sets of this type to members of my department and found them to work well. I enjoy the craft as a hobby and am not looking to turn it into "work" (four letter word). I sell the holster/mag pouch/cuff case combo to guys at work for not much more than my cost in materials. All of my work is hand sewn, died, beveled, edged and finished.

For those out there in the "business" or who do these things professionally, please take a look at my efforts and let me know what you think. Constructive critisizm is welcomed.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j296/Tac56/100_0792.jpg        Wet molded holster in progress
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j296/Tac56/100_0796.jpg        Complete set of gear (finished)
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j296/Tac56/100_0797.jpg        "Back up" two gun holster for middle of back wear
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j296/Tac56/100_0798.jpg         Finshed Sig P220R holster

Comments are welcome.

Thanks,
-Tac

[Silver Creek Slim]

Nice work pard.

Slim

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Howdy Marshal Tac

          Nice work, looks like you have the wet molding down real well, I also like your designs. And Welcome to the forum, we're glad to have you with us.


                                                                     tEN wOLVES

[Dalton Masterson]

Very good workmanship there. Great molding, good designs. It dont look like it needs a lot of decoration, but if you do start stamping and carving, you will do fine. You got a lot of the hard parts down already. DM

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I agree with the others. that wet-molding is really nice. I particularly like the double rig you made for mid-back. I've never seen one like that. Good work, thanks for sharing.

[Marshal Tac]

Thanks for the kind words pards. I am always looking for a way to do things easier, better or more professional looking. I think that learning to border stamp and carve will be my next adventure, but I plan on a decent amount of practice before I do it on a holster that will be seen in public with my name on it! 

Marshal.. That "back-up" holster was an experiment and my first one of it's type. I have been wearing it for about a week now and have found that it is alot more comfortable than it looks and it works well. I think the key to that style is to make it for light weight guns that are reletively flat in profile. It hides under a t-shirt and I have worn it while seated in my truck for several hours. Once I got used to it, I didn't even know it was there.

[Ace Lungger]

MT,
I think you did a great job on those rigs, what i liked is to molded them to the way you wanted them, instead of buying something close and getting  by!

Keep up the good work
ACE

[Marshal Tac]

Thanks Ace... Once of these days I am going to try my hand at a cowboy rig, probably for my short barreled Scholfields, since I can't seem to find good leather for them.