A Little Short

[Johnny Dingus]

Hi Fellas,

I've been lurking not wanting to post till I had something of your calibre work to show you.  But today I just have to show you my second attempt at making a holster.  This one is not western per se but it could be.  The first one is for my 45's but it is only good to carry in the woods and you all would just laugh at me.
I was tellin a fellow co worker that I was getting into leather working and he asked me to make him a holster.
Well I thought I could learn more on his dime so I decided to go a head and take him up on it.  He told me he had a 357 Mag Smith and Wesson 6" barrel.  Well my how to make holsters book just had a pattern waiting for it so I got started right a way.
Well today he brought me his gun to test fit in the holster.  The holster is not oiled yet but here are some pics.
Oh by the way Thanks Chuck for your vinagaroon it works real well for me.

Johnny Dingus  aka vince

[Dalton Masterson]

Hey that looks pretty good!! Stitching looks pretty even, and there are no noticeable flaws in the stamping. After a few more you'll be a pro!
All in all, a heckuva fine holster. DM

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

      Nice job Pal, i think your friend will be proud to wear this , and i love Chucks vinegaroon too, you did well on your basket weave, and your border.   

                                     It's nice to have you with us Johnny Dingus, we hope to see more of your work
                                             

                                                                       tEN wOLVES 

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Welcome, pard. That holster is a good one. The basketweave looks to be done perfectly. Not always an easy task. That vinegaroon black is the best way to go. Nice work. Thanks for the pic. Looking forward to seeing more of you around here.

[Johnny Dingus]

Thanks for the kind words.
Here are two more shots after I oiled it a little.

Johnny Dingus aka vince

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Yep. The oil was just the thing to finish the job right. Thanks for the pics.

[Dr. Bob]

Johnny D.,

That is one FINE looking first holster.  Looks like you have been doing this for years.

[Johnny Dingus]

Thanks Dr Bob,

O.K. guys now I know you are going to laugh and I said I wouldn't post it but you can blame Dr Bob.

My first holster is wet formed and holds it shape great will hold the 45 but only if I don't make some better holsters.

But you gotta start somewhere and this here is my absolute first holster....





Johnny Dingus

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Hello Johnny

      Pard you have nothing to be embarrassed about, this being your first holster, you have the right idea, you just need ( like all of us ) to refine your talent, we all had to start some where , and i'd say you have a head start, not everybody can do what you've done on the first try , you cut your leather, and put it together, the way you shaped it tells me your going to do just fine, the more you do the better you will get at it , this is a very very rewarding trade or craft, you can have fun at it or you can make money at too, or just have fun making money.

                               We enjoy you sharing these things with us , and look forward to seeing more of your work.



                                                                                tEN wOLVES 

[Marshal Will Wingam]

That's pretty good for a first one, Johnny. No apologies for that one. That shows a lot of talent. What fun to check that against recent ones now and then.

[Ace Lungger]

First off, i would like to say HOWDY ,  I think you did a super job on the S&W holster!!! And there is nothing wrong with your first, not everyone (me included) will make a pro holster right off the bat!! The S&W looks a lot better than any I have done, i have only made 3 rigs, but I have a BIG PROBLEM and i allways have had it, i want to go to fast!! And I am learning the hard way, leather work takes paitence, something I have never had! I have never put anything on lay a way, because i want it now!!!
But, I can tell you one thing, there is not a person on here that will ever bad mouth you ! Because if they were i would of done got it!!
I tell my self everytime I am going to slow down, but it seems I just can't get there! And I am going to have to learn! I have had a lot of help from these pards, i told TW the other day that I just couldn't keep my stamps strait he told me a way to do it, and it realy did make a ton of diff. And I am sure if you read this forum a lot you seen me gripe about wanting to learn to carve, i was thinking yesterday that I better learn to do the easy stuff before jumping head first into carving when I still haven't got the basic down yet! But as I said I need to SLOW DOWN! But I see all this beautifull carved holsters that the guys on here do, and i want to do that, but the old saying is, you have to pay your dues first!!!!

Johnny your work looks great!!
Keep it up!
ACE

[Johnny Dingus]

Thanks Ace,

Your one of the reasons I am doing this. 
After reading your posts and seeing how good you do I decided to give it a try also.
Now when you were fist getting started and posted about want to get some tools cowboyWC told you you could find some on e-bay and at garage sales.....
Well that told me I wanted to be apart of this.  WC has a store in Calif near my old stomping grounds.  And here he dosen't try to sell you the lastest greatest but suggests different ways to save money.
So in May while he was in Sheridan (darn) I went and visited his store.  I decided to give some of my money to someone who exemplifys the cowboy way.  Really I needed to get more stuff for this new habbit that is forming.  Well Sandi his manager was a great help.  And his store is really well stocked and a bustle of activity and energy.  Great people to deal with and without asking got a discount for being a cowboy.  Wow!!
Thanks Wayne sorry I did'nt get to meet you....but I'll be back someday.

Well any way I know I got a ways to go but I don't want to just do stamping on all my holsters so need to give carving a try.

Ace I have that same problem of wanting it done now.  I have paitence but I need to let it out more often.  Now you just go ahead and give carving a try I know I am going to.

Last thing thanks all for being kind I know I have a ways to go and don't want to have smoke blowed at me.  If you see where I need improvement go ahead and let me know.  I know I am not casing right yet and haven't found the big mallet to get those basket weave stamps to stand out as well as it should.

Big Thanks to all of you.

Johnny Dingus

[knucklehead]

You shouldave seen my first holster.

i tried to make a holster from scratch. i layed my ruger 357 sec 6 on paper and did the pattern design like to book said to.
and then i made holster.

after i got holster stamped and sewed up ready for wet forming the 357 would not fit the holster.
my ruger 22/45 fit the holster.
and i also put way too much oil on the holster. it bled oil for about 1 month.

both holsters look great and i would have never guessed the 2nd holster was your 2nd holster.

one little design change idea i have for you on the 2nd holster is the sharp corner right next to you trigger gaurd area.
i would have rounded it just a little bit.
may not be a problem with you. but i always make sure to round that corner when i do my holsters. its just one of the things that bug me on holsters.

[HorsePen Henry]

Johnny, that's one heck of a leap in improvement between holster #1 and holster #2!!!! Keep it up, Pard. Dern nice work.

X Horse Pen

[santee]

I bet that pard of yours will love it!! Looks professional to me!