Tallbald
Buckeye
Between belt orders or when only drying time is needed crafting laminated belts for others, I love designing and making holsters for some of my favorite wheelguns. I cannot hunt any more, but I especially love making full flap holsters I would use if I could still walk the hills. These photos show my simple clamping method in the end stages of crafting a full flap holster for one of my Old Armys, also shown. Contact cement joins the edges for sewing.The leather is cut from the same hides I use for belts, 7-8 ounce American Hermann Oak vegetable tanned cowhide. The finish isn't complete, but so far shows the holster with just the brown dye I use and a first application of Resolene acrylic top coat. I had to determine the sequence of assembly in order not to sew myself "into a corner", but that's part of the fascination of the crafting process. Thread is brown nylon. Solid copper rivets are used on this holster for reinforcement, and my Old Army will seat deep into the holster bucket to protect the nipples. Were I able still to hunt, my ROA would be a wonderful tool. It shoots cloverleafs at 20 paces for me with round ball from a rest. How I wish I had had the black powder fever back in the 70's when I had a family farm to wander. I missed out on a lot of fun back then.
When designing a holster, a great deal of thought and planning goes into the process. I myself draw patterns on poster board and use a razor knife to cut them out. They are then fitted just like true leather parts and usually multiple adjustments have to be made and added using masking tape, or a bit removed here and there to make for a good fit. Some folks are able to use computer drawing programs I'm told to mock up parts to cut out.They are a lot smarter than me.
I highly recommend that anyone seeking a new hobby investigate leather crafting. All leather doesn't have to be the $10+ a square foot quality I use in my artworks. Often a person can find online bargains in imported tooling leather, and one can choose pre-dyed leathers too if step saving is wanted. As confidence is gained, a new crafter can step up the specifications of the materials they use. I started with a homemade stitching horse, and had to switch to a machine sewing method because of illness. But I made dozens of holsters, cell phone cases, and other accessories using simple inexpensive tools before moving up to tools I now have.
Be prepared to make some mistakes and don't be too hard on yourself in the beginning. All leather crafters, including me, seem to have their own "wall of shame" so to say, and learn from their booboos. I have tried many many techniques over the last three years and now know what works for me and what doesn't.
Anyway, If anyone has a new interest in leather crafting I would be tickled to offer pointers and links to videos.
Thanks for looking. And it would be fun to see other holsters folks have come up with for their ROA's. I'll post photos of this project when I finish. I will likely finish it, shelve it carefully and begin another in time. It's just a satisfying endeavor. Don Sterchi
When designing a holster, a great deal of thought and planning goes into the process. I myself draw patterns on poster board and use a razor knife to cut them out. They are then fitted just like true leather parts and usually multiple adjustments have to be made and added using masking tape, or a bit removed here and there to make for a good fit. Some folks are able to use computer drawing programs I'm told to mock up parts to cut out.They are a lot smarter than me.
I highly recommend that anyone seeking a new hobby investigate leather crafting. All leather doesn't have to be the $10+ a square foot quality I use in my artworks. Often a person can find online bargains in imported tooling leather, and one can choose pre-dyed leathers too if step saving is wanted. As confidence is gained, a new crafter can step up the specifications of the materials they use. I started with a homemade stitching horse, and had to switch to a machine sewing method because of illness. But I made dozens of holsters, cell phone cases, and other accessories using simple inexpensive tools before moving up to tools I now have.
Be prepared to make some mistakes and don't be too hard on yourself in the beginning. All leather crafters, including me, seem to have their own "wall of shame" so to say, and learn from their booboos. I have tried many many techniques over the last three years and now know what works for me and what doesn't.
Anyway, If anyone has a new interest in leather crafting I would be tickled to offer pointers and links to videos.
Thanks for looking. And it would be fun to see other holsters folks have come up with for their ROA's. I'll post photos of this project when I finish. I will likely finish it, shelve it carefully and begin another in time. It's just a satisfying endeavor. Don Sterchi
