Making Holster and Belts

Hardcase · June 9, 2011, 11:16 AM

I picked up a few of Al Stohlman's books and now I feel like I'm ready to take the plunge into making a belt and a couple of holsters. So now the questions.

Where should I get the tools and leather from? Is Tandy a reasonable place? I'm not going to crank out much - just the belt and holsters for now. There's a Tandy store here in town, so I can just waltz in and buy what I need (hopefully). I just don't want to spend an arm and a leg where just an arm will do.

So any suggestions and advice would be very welcome!

aarondhgraham · June 9, 2011, 11:43 AM

But Tandy is as good as any,,,
Especially if you have a local store.

They will be as cheap as anywhere else,,,
Because you can avoid those shipping charges,,,
More importantly you can select the leather you want.

When I managed a Tandy store in the mid 90's,,,
Our corporate policy was to ship the best leather we had.

For example if you mail ordered an 8-9 ounce double shoulder,,,
The official Tandy policy was to select and ship the best one in the store.

Unfortunately some store managers used this opportunity,,,
To get rid of those less desirable pieces of leather,,,
Bad business practice but usually overlooked.

My recommendation is to start by using double-shoulders,,,
There is too much unusable leather (for holsters) in a complete side.

That belly leather is just too soft for anything but craft/camp projects.

Have fun my friend,,,
Nothing like making your own.

Aarond

Scorch · June 9, 2011, 11:44 AM

Tandy is a good source for leather. Buy vegetable tanned leather to reduce corrosion issues. I typically use 4-6 ounce leather, using it back to back so I have hide against the gun (reduces wear) and on the outside (where it shows), but you can use a single layer of 8-10 oz leather if that is what you want. I put rawhide between the two layers in the cylinder area for stiffness, but you can use spring brass sheet (if you can find it any more). Dye it before you sew it together, then touch up the edges afterwards.

denster · June 9, 2011, 12:00 PM

Just a suggestion but you might want to check out the tutorials and the comments in the holstermaking subforum at www.leatheworker.net . As to Tandy you can get decent tools if you know what you are looking for. I assume you will be handstitching so at the least you will need harness needles, a good Osborne Awl (not the 4in1 Tandy sells) they have the Osborne also. A overstitch wheel. A stitching pony to hold your work. If you want to really get a leg up go to smartflix.com and rent the John Bianchi videos on western holster and belt making.

Hardcase · June 9, 2011, 01:30 PM

Thanks gents. You've come through again!

bedbugbilly · June 9, 2011, 09:38 PM

Link

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/ind...oard,57.0.html

Hardcase - here's the link to The Leather Shop over on CasCity - take a gander and you'll find many of your over there - some great tutorials and take a look at the threads at the top of the forum. I do custom leather work when I'm in AZ for the winter south of Tucson. I get leather from Tandy but remember - they aren't the only suppliers. To get started, you won't need a lot of tools - you probably have some in your shop already. There are leather "head knives" and such but I think you'll find that most of us use a good old utility knife to cut the holsters out. If you feel the need for a strap cutter - get the wood one that Tandy sells - it's cheaper and works better for cutting straps than a Osburn metal one. It is probably one of the tools I use most on my bench for straps and belts. A set of hammered hole punches can be purchased at Harbor Freight and they work just fine. The books you have are a great resource. If you are going to get in to carving and tooling, a basic set is a good place to start and you can build on that as you go. You can use commercial dyes but take a look at the natural dyes talked about on the site I gave you. "Vinegaroon" is easy to make and will give great results for dying black. Walnut dye, coffee dye, etc. are good for brown tones. Everybody is helpful over there and there is a lot of talented artisans there - everybody is welcome who works with leather for period items. Feel free to drop me a pm if I can answer any questions. Good luck - like shooting, leatherworking soon becomes addictive!

June 9, 2011, 11:16 AM	#1
Hardcase Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2009 Location: Sunny Southern Idaho Posts: 1,909	Making Holster and Belts I picked up a few of Al Stohlman's books and now I feel like I'm ready to take the plunge into making a belt and a couple of holsters. So now the questions. Where should I get the tools and leather from? Is Tandy a reasonable place? I'm not going to crank out much - just the belt and holsters for now. There's a Tandy store here in town, so I can just waltz in and buy what I need (hopefully). I just don't want to spend an arm and a leg where just an arm will do. So any suggestions and advice would be very welcome! __________________ Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop - Gus McCrae

June 9, 2011, 11:43 AM	#2
aarondhgraham Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2009 Location: Stillwater, OKlahoma Posts: 8,638	There are others,,, But Tandy is as good as any,,, Especially if you have a local store. They will be as cheap as anywhere else,,, Because you can avoid those shipping charges,,, More importantly you can select the leather you want. When I managed a Tandy store in the mid 90's,,, Our corporate policy was to ship the best leather we had. For example if you mail ordered an 8-9 ounce double shoulder,,, The official Tandy policy was to select and ship the best one in the store. Unfortunately some store managers used this opportunity,,, To get rid of those less desirable pieces of leather,,, Bad business practice but usually overlooked. My recommendation is to start by using double-shoulders,,, There is too much unusable leather (for holsters) in a complete side. That belly leather is just too soft for anything but craft/camp projects. Have fun my friend,,, Nothing like making your own. Aarond __________________ Never ever give an enemy the advantage of a verbal threat. Caje: The coward dies a thousand times, the brave only once. Kirby: That's about all it takes, ain't it? Aarond is good,,, Aarond is wise,,, Always trust Aarond! (most of the time)

June 9, 2011, 11:44 AM	#3
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	Tandy is a good source for leather. Buy vegetable tanned leather to reduce corrosion issues. I typically use 4-6 ounce leather, using it back to back so I have hide against the gun (reduces wear) and on the outside (where it shows), but you can use a single layer of 8-10 oz leather if that is what you want. I put rawhide between the two layers in the cylinder area for stiffness, but you can use spring brass sheet (if you can find it any more). Dye it before you sew it together, then touch up the edges afterwards. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

June 9, 2011, 01:30 PM	#5
Hardcase Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2009 Location: Sunny Southern Idaho Posts: 1,909	Thanks gents. You've come through again! __________________ Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop - Gus McCrae

June 9, 2011, 09:38 PM	#6
bedbugbilly Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2009 Posts: 3,287	Link http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/ind...oard,57.0.html Hardcase - here's the link to The Leather Shop over on CasCity - take a gander and you'll find many of your over there - some great tutorials and take a look at the threads at the top of the forum. I do custom leather work when I'm in AZ for the winter south of Tucson. I get leather from Tandy but remember - they aren't the only suppliers. To get started, you won't need a lot of tools - you probably have some in your shop already. There are leather "head knives" and such but I think you'll find that most of us use a good old utility knife to cut the holsters out. If you feel the need for a strap cutter - get the wood one that Tandy sells - it's cheaper and works better for cutting straps than a Osburn metal one. It is probably one of the tools I use most on my bench for straps and belts. A set of hammered hole punches can be purchased at Harbor Freight and they work just fine. The books you have are a great resource. If you are going to get in to carving and tooling, a basic set is a good place to start and you can build on that as you go. You can use commercial dyes but take a look at the natural dyes talked about on the site I gave you. "Vinegaroon" is easy to make and will give great results for dying black. Walnut dye, coffee dye, etc. are good for brown tones. Everybody is helpful over there and there is a lot of talented artisans there - everybody is welcome who works with leather for period items. Feel free to drop me a pm if I can answer any questions. Good luck - like shooting, leatherworking soon becomes addictive! __________________ If a pair of '51 Navies were good enough for Billy Hickok, then a single Navy on my right hip is good enough for me . . . besides . . . I'm probably only half as good as he was anyways. Hiram's Rangers Badge #63

June 9, 2011, 12:00 PM	#4
denster Senior Member Join Date: April 24, 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 581	Just a suggestion but you might want to check out the tutorials and the comments in the holstermaking subforum at www.leatheworker.net . As to Tandy you can get decent tools if you know what you are looking for. I assume you will be handstitching so at the least you will need harness needles, a good Osborne Awl (not the 4in1 Tandy sells) they have the Osborne also. A overstitch wheel. A stitching pony to hold your work. If you want to really get a leg up go to smartflix.com and rent the John Bianchi videos on western holster and belt making.