Make your own,

[hobbles]

If you like making things and have a Tandy leather store close, or live near the Mennonites you can get some leather and do it your self. You can lace them up by hand or if you have a sewing contraption or do it by hand their fun to make.
Remember,, nothing is hard to do, once you know how to do it.
Just a thought.

 

[hobbles]

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....

 

[hobbles]

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.

 

[BrianB]

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.

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]

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.

 

[WalkingWolf]

I make my own stuff but do not use Tandy. They has always been overpriced in my experience.

 

[Silvertongue]

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.

 

[tomrkba]

Pictorial Guide to making a Kydex Holster

 

[WalkingWolf]

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.

 

[Silvertongue]

That's my current belt configuration. Pretty cheap to do, used about $15 worth of materials.



Sans knives, for now.

 

[FreeInAZ]

That's my current belt configuration. Pretty cheap to do, used about $15 worth of materials.

View attachment 11215

Sans knives, for now.

Nice rig & should the pistol malfunction, you could always use that HUGE phone as a bludgeon!

 

[Silvertongue]

Nice rig & should the pistol malfunction, you could always use that HUGE phone as a bludgeon!

"Sam Sung makes a heavy cellular."

Adopted from Ed Harris in Appaloosa.

Thanks for the compliment, buddy!

 

[EtdBob]

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.

 

[WalkingWolf]

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]

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]

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]

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.

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

 

[WalkingWolf]

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

Nope, the gun is a old Colt Police Positive in 32-20 manufactured in 1911.

 

[j4l]

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]

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?