more holster help please

harpman · March 18, 2007, 12:03:17 AM

I got the Stohlman book for holsters and patterns...I'm guessing to make a holster for smaller waist, I take a pattern and somehow take even amount off length in the back and front ?...my patterns are all like 34-38 inch waist, and I am a 30, so maybe 32 over my regular belt..I noticed if you do take off in the back, the design is all shot to hek too..

Marshal Will Wingam · March 18, 2007, 02:02:05 AM

I'm not clear what you're asking. If you shorten a belt, you take it off the end, or ends in the case of a buscadero style. Can you be a little more specific?

knucklehead · March 18, 2007, 09:34:05 AM

the holster does not fit your waist.

I think you are trying to make a gunbelt

If this is the case do not use your pants size for the belt.....
You need a sewing tape measure. the tape measure is very flexable and you wrap it around your waist to measure.
where the tape overlaps is the size of your waist. when you get that measurement you will add about 5" to it.
that should be the length of your gun belt.
after i get that measurement i will cut out the gun belt and have the person put it on. This way i can adjust the belt as needed and i know for a fact that it will fit the person.

once the belt is finished and ready for the person to wear, i will refit it to the person. the person will put it on and i will mark where the buckle wants to buckle at. then i will punch 5 holes in the belt. the 2nd hole will be where the buckle wants to buckle at then the other 3 will be for when the person wears heavier clothes or grows alittle.
i space out the buckle holes 3/4" apart.

I know there is other/easier ways to do this. but this way works for me.
I do it this way because i had one customer swear to god that he had a 32" waist. the belt was 6" too short.
He gave me his pants size. So the customer ended up with 2 belts when i got done.

hope this helps you

Trailrider · March 18, 2007, 10:28:16 AM

Quote from: knucklehead on March 18, 2007, 09:34:05 AM
the holster does not fit your waist.

I think you are trying to make a gunbelt

If this is the case do not use your pants size for the belt.....
You need a sewing tape measure. the tape measure is very flexable and you wrap it around your waist to measure.
where the tape overlaps is the size of your waist. when you get that measurement you will add about 5" to it.
that should be the length of your gun belt.
after i get that measurement i will cut out the gun belt and have the person put it on. This way i can adjust the belt as needed and i know for a fact that it will fit the person.

once the belt is finished and ready for the person to wear, i will refit it to the person. the person will put it on and i will mark where the buckle wants to buckle at. then i will punch 5 holes in the belt. the 2nd hole will be where the buckle wants to buckle at then the other 3 will be for when the person wears heavier clothes or grows alittle.
i space out the buckle holes 3/4" apart.

I know there is other/easier ways to do this. but this way works for me.
I do it this way because i had one customer swear to god that he had a 32" waist. the belt was 6" too short.
He gave me his pants size. So the customer ended up with 2 belts when i got done.

hope this helps you

Howdy, Pard,

Boy you got that part about measuring versus pants size!!! I had a customer call me up and told me he wore size 36 Levi's. I made him the belt and when he tried it on, he needed a size 43! Seems he'd been wearing the same pair of Levi's for about 10 years, and they had stretched! I made him the correct size belt after he measured with a dressmaker's tape. But from then on, I have told customers that I won't be responsible for mistakes if they don't provide me with an actual measurement around the outside of whereever they are going to wear the belt.

So far as shortening the belt pattern in question is concerned, I'm not sure what he's talking about, but I would guess he has to maintain the position of the holster on his hip, so both ends have to be shortened, if the holster can't slide around on the belt (goes through a drop-loop slot, etc.).

But, like you said, be sure to allow at least three looser holes and two tighter. I leave an inch between holes, but that's a matter of choice.

Ride easy, Pards,

Capt. Augustus · March 18, 2007, 12:05:42 PM

Are you making a Buskadero rig?

Slowhand Bob · March 18, 2007, 12:59:07 PM

What? Thirty or thirtytwo, my Gawd son, you need to start eating at my house. A buskyderro belt is what would make sense in this question but I do not remember patterns for them being in the Stohlman holster book. First you will need an accurate measurement for where the belt is to fit on your hips (most common) and an understanding of general belt fitting. Remove the amount of necessary reduction, for proper fit, from the middle (which is the rear center) of the Busky belt pattern and tape it back together here. This will leave the drop loops out of position for placeing the holsters on the outer hip bone but this is a simple fix with your new pattern. Run a tape across the front of your body from hip seam to hip seam of your jeans, assuming a two gun rig, and jot down this measurement. Based on your patterns center buckle hole measure each way one half of your hip to hip measurement and mark this spot on each side. Neatly trim off the holster drop loops from their existing position on the pattern and tape them back on centered to your new fitting mark. Paper is cheep, play with patterns until you get the design right before laying blade to leather. Keep your orriginal patterns safe and make copies for cutting and playing with. Masking tape is great for making adjustments and adding back to paper designs in progress. Hope I have not confused yall as bad as I have myself!

harpman · March 18, 2007, 03:49:09 PM

Thanks...Yea , I was talking about double rigs, if they are patterned for a 38 inch, and you just shorten the belt in front, then on a skinny tad pole like me, wouldnt the holsters actually be sitting towards my front more and not the sides ?

knucklehead · March 18, 2007, 11:01:38 PM

probably.

idea for you. copy the pattern to some butcher paper. I use butcher paper that you can get on a roll(the kind for wrapping meat). cut it out and wrap it around your skinny waist. this will show you where the holster slots will be in reference to your body.
get someone to help you with fitting the pattern. now that you know where the holster slots sit for a 38" cut the belt pattern(you did copy the pattern to butcher paper right?) right smack in the middle so you have two halves to the pattern now.
now get your helper to hold the cut pieces together on your backside. have him/her move the two pieces together/apart till you like where the holster slots are on your body. now have him/her tape the two pieces together at that point.

Now you have a pattern that will fit you.

hope you can decipher my chicken scratch.

harpman · March 19, 2007, 08:34:57 PM

OK, I got it all cyphered out men. Thanks for all the tips...actually, I knew all this, I was just testin ya !

NOT !

Slowhand Bob · March 19, 2007, 11:50:01 PM

Pard, there is a relatively new pattern set out by Will Gorhmly, The Black Canyon Rig, and it has a dandy buskaderro belt pattern (nice holsters also) and each of his pattern sets serve as minny tutorials also. Included is a small section on fitting this type pattern to the individual in a fairly simple fashion. These can be found at Tandys.