A little rawhide and a little beadwork

[Graveyard Jack]

The other day I was sitting outside, smoking a cigar and looking through magazines when I had this idea to put a rawhide cuff on a sixgun holster. I've learned to keep a sketchpad nearby so I can commit my ideas to paper, lest I forget them ten minutes later. This is the result. I used a piece of my drum dyed brown leather, later dipped in walnut dye. The deer rawhide soaked in walnut dye for a few hours to get good saturation. Tin cones and fringe with a combination of modern Czech beads with antique French and Italian beads.

[Cheyenne Logan]

   Like the beads in the main seam!  Nice looking rig!

[Marshal Will Wingam]

That's a mighty fine holster. A nice application of the rawhide. I also like the way you put the beads in the main seam. Did you add them after the seam was fully stitched?

[Graveyard Jack]

That's a mighty fine holster. A nice application of the rawhide. I also like the way you put the beads in the main seam. Did you add them after the seam was fully stitched?

That's the Chuck Burrows influence at work. I started that on rawhide knife sheaths and really like the result. I was originally going to hang some beaded fringe off the cuff between the mainseam and the fold but it ended up being too low on the pouch to look right.

I gave that a lot of thought. I have a few examples of Chuck's work and you can't see everything underneath but I was able to glean enough from their construction to figure out it's best to add them afterwards. Those are larger 8/0 beads but even they don't have enough room for a full strand of artificial sinew 'and' the needle to pass. So I stitch the mainseam and then split the sinew to about 1/4 to add the beads. It's one continuous thread, I do a running stitch with one color, then come back and do the other. Vegtan you can do dry but the rawhide needs to still be wet. Also helps to kinda nestle the beads into the stitchline.

I do all my most productive thinking in the shower and that is where I figured out how to do the beaded fringe with one continuous thread. I couldn't wait to get out, dry off and sketch it up to make sure it didn't leave me. I had figured out years ago to use an 4/0 bead as a sort of stopper for the cones and was tickled to find that's what Chuck did as well. So I've got a coffee can full of ugly 4/0 craft store beads I use just for that.

[Abilene]

Add me to the list for loving that beaded seam line.  The whole holster is just great, but that bead line is fantastic!

[Graveyard Jack]

Add me to the list for loving that beaded seam line.  The whole holster is just great, but that bead line is fantastic!

Thank you very much!

[Rube Burrows]

Awesome work for sure.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

That's the Chuck Burrows influence at work. I started that on rawhide knife sheaths and really like the result. I was originally going to hang some beaded fringe off the cuff between the mainseam and the fold but it ended up being too low on the pouch to look right.

I gave that a lot of thought. I have a few examples of Chuck's work and you can't see everything underneath but I was able to glean enough from their construction to figure out it's best to add them afterwards. Those are larger 8/0 beads but even they don't have enough room for a full strand of artificial sinew 'and' the needle to pass. So I stitch the mainseam and then split the sinew to about 1/4 to add the beads. It's one continuous thread, I do a running stitch with one color, then come back and do the other. Vegtan you can do dry but the rawhide needs to still be wet. Also helps to kinda nestle the beads into the stitchline.

I do all my most productive thinking in the shower and that is where I figured out how to do the beaded fringe with one continuous thread. I couldn't wait to get out, dry off and sketch it up to make sure it didn't leave me. I had figured out years ago to use an 4/0 bead as a sort of stopper for the cones and was tickled to find that's what Chuck did as well. So I've got a coffee can full of ugly 4/0 craft store beads I use just for that.

Thanks, It looks great.