First Holster welcome suggestion, ideas

[BobbyF]

I'm finally trying to apply all the info that you Pards generously passed along. I'm hoping to just remember some of it. Simple field holster to carry safely my Ruger 7" Blackhawk. I'm anxious to see how the pattern I made works out. If it does I try to make the next one prettier. I was going to put two straps with buckles across the bucket. What type and size would you think appropriate? I didn't  line it so I was wondering if there is a good way to "defuzz"the flesh side. I will burnish and finish the edges and probably stain it. I also plan to make a 2 1/2" belt for same. I hope the two rough pictures come through. I will readily accept all and any criticism great fully. Thanks -BobbyF

[Cliff Fendley]

Your off to a good start.

You can rub the edges and flesh side down with Gum Trag and burnish to smooth it up some but nothing makes up for good firm leather.

For me the quality of the flesh sides of leather are as important as the grain side.

[Red Cent]

That is a good start. As a beginner myself, I would round the corners and have curves and bends that flows.

Are you gonna hand sew or machine?

This had better not be a knee jerk and you are really John Bianchi or the like .

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Looks good already, Bobby. For esthetics, you could put a very slight taper to the toe and round it like Red suggested. For function, you're there. Looking forward to pics of it finished.

[Bugscuffle]

Yep, you have a good start on your holster. I see that you have left the hammer and trigger covered. I am a beginner as well, having made four holsters which includes one complete double rig. I covered the triggers on my holsters too, but I did it because I have a real tendency to put my finger on the trigger while drawing the gun. With the trigger covered, I don't do that so I may just keep all of my toes. I don't know about the hammer though. I don't have a problem cocking the gun with the off hand. There is no auto cock mechanism built into my hand and I can safely get the gun to bear before it is cocked and ready to fire. When it comes time to sew it up you can use a technique that Cliff Fendley passed on a while back. He uses a milling machine, I use a drill press, but it does the same thing for this operation, and he chucks up a finishing nail in it to punch the holes for the needle. It works great and if you are punching through only two layers of not too thick leather you don't even have to run the drill. The holes all come out perpendicular and even which is important if you want the back side of the sewing to look as nice and even as the front side. Remember that if you want contrasting stitching you will need to dye your leather before you sew it together.

[BobbyF]

Hi Cliff, Red,
    Cliff it's me for real,I wish I had some of Mr Bianchi's talent or yours or Red's. maybe some day. Until then I'm enjoying the heck out of this learning process. I will pay more attention to the flesh side next time I pick up a piece of material. I think I lucked out with this piece though, it has a hardy "leather" look on the flesh side not a overly wooly look. I will get rid of the square look with some gradual flowing curves. I thought to leave 1/2 " of the skirt exposed on the sides and run it to the toe. I also plan to put a wedge shaped welt on the main seam by the trigger guard for a nice fit and also fit it as a trigger guard stop. I also was thinking of a toe plug and hammer strap. I was going to incorporate two 3/4" straps with buckles to attach the bucket with the skirt, what do you think? I will be sewing by hand
     Bugscuffle, just caught your post in time. Going to try the finishing nail idea, sounds good. Good tip on the

[Bugscuffle]

I put a welt in my holsters too. I used three layers of 8 oz. leather. First I made a tracing of the underside of the gun from the middle of the trigger guard to the base of the barrel. I cut one piece of the leather to match the tracing and then using a Dremel tool I shaved it down to fit exactly (well pretty much) the bottom of the gun. I left that one about two inches high (as measured from the bottom of the gun to the edge of the holster). Then I cut two more pieces of leather to match the first one's contour, but I cut them about 1/2 inch high. After cleaning them up with the Dremel tool I glued and sewed them together with the tall piece in the middle and again using the Dremel tool ground down the edges to make a nice smooth transition from one piece to the next on both sides. Now you can lay the gun on top of the holster and fold the leather over to simulate the holster as it will be. Position the welt up against the gun and mark the long welt piece for where the high piece of welt will stick out and cut that off. You can in theory leave all three pieces of the welt high, but if you do you'll have to try to drill through five layers of thick leather perfectly perpendicular in two dimensions in order for the stitching to be the same on both sides (on the same line and equal spacing). Three layers is a LOT EASIER. Ask me how I know this. The only thing is that you have to be careful because you are now dealing with a triangular or tapered piece that you are drilling through, not a flat one, but it is a LOT EASIER. Ask me how I know this. As I said before, I'm no holster guru, I'm just trying to pass on the mistakes that I made so that you can make them too. 

P.S. make sure that you taper the ends of the welt pieces in the vertical dimension at the point that the barrel begins or the ejector rod button will hang up on that sharp edge and you can't get the gun out of the holster.. Ask me how I know this.

[Red Cent]

You may be able to make a Mexican loop holster out of the pattern. Period and simple way to anchor holster to backflap.

[Nasty Nate]

I think you're off to a really good start. I've attached a picture of a rig I did last year for a Ruger Super Blackhawk. I used the linked tutorial to get me going on pattern design. Good luck! It's addictive.

http://leatherworker.net/SimmonsHolster.pdf

[Graveyard Jack]

For me the quality of the flesh sides of leather are as important as the grain side.

This is becoming more and more apparent to me. No more budget hides from Tandy. I did manage to get four of their premium double shoulders on clearance and their flesh side is very well done. Once they're gone, it's Wicket & Craig or RJF.

[Bugscuffle]

Here is a place that I just found. I haven't tried them out yet, but I like their prices.

http://www.leatherunltd.com/leather/oak/oak.html

[BobbyF]

Hi Nasty Nate, I thank you and all the other Pards for taking the time t teach me. You sent.the pics just in time, I was staring at the welt section and the hammer safety strap. Now I got it. It was good luck fate. The pics are a terrific guide as I am trying to make what you just did. They are beautiful and your photos are my goal.
     Side note for your moniker, my black and white tuxedo cat is named, you guessed it "Nasty Nate". He is 26 lbs, and not afraid of anyone of anything .-BobbyF

[Nasty Nate]

No problem Bobby. Let me know if I can help in any way.

[Cliff Fendley]

This is becoming more and more apparent to me. No more budget hides from Tandy. I did manage to get four of their premium double shoulders on clearance and their flesh side is very well done. Once they're gone, it's Wicket & Craig or RJF.

Craig, I'd highly recommend the RJF route, they are a Thoroughbred leather distributor. Thoroughbred's warehouse is in Louisville and I have started using them a little over a year ago. I used W&C in the past for holster and strap leather. I still use some of Wicket's skirting but only because I can get sides split to the weight I want and I have sent back several sides because they didn't stack up.

A local saddler friend with a small splitter has offered to use his splitter and hopefully this works out. If I had a splitter I'd be using Thoroughbred exclusively. When using skirting leather for gun rigs I need matching thin leather for bullet loops, money belts, and sometimes lining.

The Thoroughbred leather has more "life" to it and is like skirting leather. The W&C strap leather is drier and any more has gotten to be just like cardboard. You can't bend it dry at all without it cracking.

[GunClick Rick]

I think you're off to a really good start. I've attached a picture of a rig I did last year for a Ruger Super Blackhawk. I used the linked tutorial to get me going on pattern design. Good luck! It's addictive.

http://leatherworker.net/SimmonsHolster.pdf

Nate is the skirt textured on that rig??If it is,i like it,makes the holster stand out,looks like the skirt is dimpled,might be just the pic.

OOPS,took a closer look at the other pics,it's not dimpled,but that would be a great idea

[Nasty Nate]

Nate is the skirt textured on that rig??If it is,i like it,makes the holster stand out,looks like the skirt is dimpled,might be just the pic.

OOPS,took a closer look at the other pics,it's not dimpled,but that would be a great idea

No, but I think what you might be seeing is some wrinkles from where I folded the skirt to get it through the slot on the belt.