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Make your own,

hobbles

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2009
Messages
43
Location
Scottsville, Kentucky, USA
I have no idea how that tandy got a link hooked to it, I didn't put it there, and nothing shows up when I try to edit it.
And the link takes you to K mart. Interesting....
 
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hobbles

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2009
Messages
43
Location
Scottsville, Kentucky, USA
Thanks for the reply, I have no idea how that is doing what it is doing. That's a first for me. Looks like it's time for me to learn something, I hate doing that. Every time I learn one thing, I find out I have to learn 5 more things to go with it.
Bad_puter.gif
 
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BrianB

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
Messages
223
Location
Florida
Thanks for the reply, I have no idea how that is doing what it is doing. That's a first for me. Looks like it's time for me to learn something, I hate doing that. Every time I learn one thing, I find out I have to learn 5 more things to go with it.
Bad_puter.gif

The forum automatically places advertising related links on certain keywords in posts. Presumably the forum owner derives some revenue from that ad placement. The links aren't actually part of your post, hence you can't edit them.

It would be nice if somehow the process that inserts the links made it a little more clear that it was a system thing and the links weren't put there by the OP as they could very well lead to someplace the poster wouldn't wish to support (and the links being in their post may imply that they support such place if readers don't know the poster didn't place the links).

Not a big deal, but something that has crossed my mind before.
 

hobbles

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2009
Messages
43
Location
Scottsville, Kentucky, USA
Good point BrianB, and true. I make belts, rifle slings and dog leash's and collers using the trick braid. I had a member ask me how I do it so I found a link that gave very easy instructions and posted it. Two days later I went back to the post and found out it was a link to a S&M site. I put the link on a family black power site. Yep,, I heard about that one.
protect.gif
 

Silvertongue

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2013
Messages
213
Location
Marion County, Tennessee
I'm a DIY-er of the Kydex fashion. Made my own rinky-dink press and everything. Fun stuff.

It's pretty cheap to get started if you already have the tools and stuff.

Plus, working with your hands is a great stress reliever.
 

WalkingWolf

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
11,930
Location
North Carolina
I like leather better than kydex. I just made a crossdraw with 5 oz lace belly yesterday. The lace leather is very light but absorbs hot wax like a towel absorbs water. When done I end up with a kydex like leather holster that will not stress crack like kydex over time. I'll try to get up a photo tomorrow, it is not a pretty holster, nothing fancy but very functional, and with the same retention qualities of kydex. The kicker is~~~that lace bellies are very inexpensive, if I remember correctly I paid 5 dollars for this one and I can still make a couple more holsters out of it.

IMG_2014-01-30103929776_zps256b4d38.jpg
 
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EtdBob

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2009
Messages
48
Location
Planet Bob, ,
Here's a rig I made a few years back -
The belt is just a ten dollar tool belt from Home Depot. The holsters and shotgun shell holder I made from whatever leather I had laying around at the time. I dyed everything with a strong mix of tea and coffee.
Yeah, this rig is for SASS as you can tell from the two-at-a-time shotgun shell holder and the second left hand holster ( which shows almost no wear! The right hand does because it got used for daily carry quite a bit ).

This year I made two holsters for some cap and ball guns, just laced together out of leather from an old farriers apron that I found in a friends barn. Because the leather is so stiff and scarred they came out looking nice and rustic. Sorry, I don't have any photos of 'em.

I stated making holsters for my thumbusters two decades ago. Most were stitched, but come to think about it the laced ones saw the most use. Lacing 'em up along the edge of a single folded sheet of leather is a right easy way to make a great holster.

Wait, found another pic - This one of a rig I made for my wifes Glock 17L.
Ya can't find holsters for these long barreled glocks very easily, and my wife didn't like what I did find. So that was definitely a case of necessity.

Walking Wolf,
I've never dipped my holsters in melted wax and am curious to learn more about the process and why you might do that. You use bees wax or paraffin? Does it shrink the leather?

That's a neat little cross draw rig you show, but it is made of awful thin leather. Does it collapse when the weapon is drawn?
One thing I learned doing SASS shooting is that a fast re-holster is just as important as a reasonably fast and fumble free draw. 'Course that's just because they use two side arms in a match. Daily carry it probably isn't as much of a big deal, but when I ride I do like a holster that will keep its shape so I can easily re-holster it one handed if I had to draw.
 

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WalkingWolf

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
11,930
Location
North Carolina
Hot waxing leather makes it like armor, except very water resistant. The leather for the cross draw is only 5 oz, but it is very stiff and does not collapse. I use mostly paraffin from tea candles, but I have used bees wax. The soldiers in Europe used bees wax to make their leather armor. Beeswax has a higher melting point then most paraffin wax, but my holsters hold up well even when it is hot outside. I have not checked the melting point of the candles, but tea candles are small slow burning candles. I can buy them cheap from Big Lots.
 

EtdBob

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2009
Messages
48
Location
Planet Bob, ,
Yeah, I seem to remember something about "cuir bouilli" ( not sure about the spelling there ) waxed or boiled leather armor from my D&D days back in the late 70 - early 80s.

I've never tried the technique but I might have to look into it. Thick leather for holsters sure is getting spendy and lined holsters are to much trouble for me.

Where do you get your light leather?
 

WalkingWolf

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
11,930
Location
North Carolina
Yeah, I seem to remember something about "cuir bouilli" ( not sure about the spelling there ) waxed or boiled leather armor from my D&D days back in the late 70 - early 80s.

I've never tried the technique but I might have to look into it. Thick leather for holsters sure is getting spendy and lined holsters are to much trouble for me.

Where do you get your light leather?

I got the last batch from leather unlimited. I used to get leather from a luggage manufacturer years ago, but they have gone out of business.
 

davidmcbeth

Banned
Joined
Jan 14, 2012
Messages
16,167
Location
earth's crust
I like leather better than kydex. I just made a crossdraw with 5 oz lace belly yesterday. The lace leather is very light but absorbs hot wax like a towel absorbs water. When done I end up with a kydex like leather holster that will not stress crack like kydex over time. I'll try to get up a photo tomorrow, it is not a pretty holster, nothing fancy but very functional, and with the same retention qualities of kydex. The kicker is~~~that lace bellies are very inexpensive, if I remember correctly I paid 5 dollars for this one and I can still make a couple more holsters out of it.

IMG_2014-01-30103929776_zps256b4d38.jpg

Did you make the gun too? Then you'll be the master...
 

j4l

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2011
Messages
1,835
Location
fl
Been making my own for about 4 years or so now.. come to think of it, I've never actually bought a holster from anywhere, I just made my own.. got into even messing with leather out of frustration from not being able to find any decent leather ones to fit my 845...made several custom ones for others, as well.







Also make my own knife sheaths, and gun-belts, made a few sheaths/holsters for a few forum-members here, also.





And I make my own knives, and handles for knives



 

Silvertongue

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2013
Messages
213
Location
Marion County, Tennessee
Been making my own for about 4 years or so now.. come to think of it, I've never actually bought a holster from anywhere, I just made my own.. got into even messing with leather out of frustration from not being able to find any decent leather ones to fit my 845...made several custom ones for others, as well.







Also make my own knife sheaths, and gun-belts, made a few sheaths/holsters for a few forum-members here, also.





And I make my own knives, and handles for knives




That, sir, is some beautiful work. Have you ever gotten into recurve blades?
 
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