More from the brains of Beagle and Idahomike

IDAHOMIKE · March 28, 2012, 07:47 PM

So here's a lil' something else I whipped up, again at the urging of Beagle. The idea here was to make an 1860 ride as high as possible, without needing to be double jointed to clear leather. I wanted to keep a "western" flavor going, while incorporating a sort of "clamshell" holster. I rather like the way it turned out. Rides high and tight to the body, yet only takes about an inch of upward draw, before you can start the forward draw. Retention is great with the strap doohickey closed, and not to bad with said doohickey undone. Keep the comments comin', good or bad, I'd like to hear them.
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arcticap · March 29, 2012, 01:06 AM

The fastening strap is a good idea and looks like it would work better than a hammer thong.
I'm wondering if you folded up a thin skirt of leather web in the opening, even just for part of the way to protect the interior holster & gun from debris or water entering in.
Would it still draw as well?
A thin web that would still allow the holster to open up a ways, and strategically placed so as to not interfere with the holster opening up to draw the gun out.
If that would defeat the purpose of the opening in any way then disregard this idea.
The ease of draw intention seems like a really good one.
But I would not want anyone to think that the muzzle could pop out through the front opening if the holster loosens up with age or if the strap comes undone, and I'm not sure if dirt, sand or debris could enter and accumulate in the holster, or scratch the gun over time.
The leather does looks thick and very stiff though.
The holster is also a very nice color which I like a lot and it looks great.

IDAHOMIKE · March 29, 2012, 01:39 AM

articap, as I was forming this one, I was thinking how I should have left more room to make the fronts of the holster touch to minimize the debris and whatnot. Normally I leave the toes open to let the junk pass through, but could find no good way to pull that off here.

This color is my personal favorite. Of all the ones I've done for myself, all but two are this color. To me it makes then differentfromall the plain ol' brown or black ones out there.

Thank you for the kind words and feedback.

Doc Hoy · March 29, 2012, 06:16 AM

I like this'n better'n the other'n.

But that's just me.

IDAHOMIKE · March 29, 2012, 10:41 AM

Thanks Doc, truth be told this is a little moremy speed too.

Hardcase · March 29, 2012, 03:45 PM

It's just the sort of thing that I could picture some western movie character wearing - something to give a gunfighter a little edge. I like it a lot!

"What's my secret, Billy? Why, it's this special holster that I had custom made for me by an old boy down in California. Ain't nothin' faster!"

arcticap · March 29, 2012, 05:49 PM

It occured to me that rather than adding a web to close up the front of the open holster, a 2nd lower strap could be added.
Then releasing the 2nd strap would be optional.

IDAHOMIKE · March 29, 2012, 07:27 PM

Thanks Hardcase. If there's any flicks headin into production, they need a few of these. Lol, that would rocket me to fame, fortune, and no more working in CA.

Articap-Yes a second strap could certainly be added. The customeris king. Was thinkin too how I could extend the double row of stictching all the way around to the front, and maybe leave the toe open then. Hmmmm.

**4V50 Gary** · March 29, 2012, 09:39 PM

Interesting. Very much like the Bearns-Martin break front or the Hoyt holster I use to wear. I'd rather have a break snap that swings away like the Hoyt but I suspect that's too modern.

IDAHOMIKE · March 29, 2012, 11:24 PM

Gary-Yes this is sort of a take off on the Berns Martin pictured in Sixguns. The snaps available to me locally are not of the highest quality, plus maybe not too period I suppose.

Jim March · March 30, 2012, 12:24 AM

I've played around with concepts like this too, using a mix of leather and kydex. But...what I found was, I'm a modern eye-level shooter even with old-school guns. So I want to do a draw where I launch the gun up to about nipple to mid-sternum height and then start rotating outwards to fire. In this style of draw a lot of the outward motion happens as the gun is at eye level, so you're picking up the sights at the same time you're prepping for fire - and if the issue turns out to be bad-breath-range-close, great, you fire faster than that.

So I've gone to a very high-ride crossdraw setup, dancing on the edge of "shoulder holster" territory. Still pics are in the middle of the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57jf8yfPwoI

March 28, 2012, 07:47 PM	#1
IDAHOMIKE Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2007 Location: Gooding, ID Posts: 348	More from the brains of Beagle and Idahomike So here's a lil' something else I whipped up, again at the urging of Beagle. The idea here was to make an 1860 ride as high as possible, without needing to be double jointed to clear leather. I wanted to keep a "western" flavor going, while incorporating a sort of "clamshell" holster. I rather like the way it turned out. Rides high and tight to the body, yet only takes about an inch of upward draw, before you can start the forward draw. Retention is great with the strap doohickey closed, and not to bad with said doohickey undone. Keep the comments comin', good or bad, I'd like to hear them. [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] Last edited by IDAHOMIKE; March 28, 2012 at 07:58 PM.

March 29, 2012, 01:06 AM	#2
arcticap Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2005 Location: Central Connecticut Posts: 3,166	The fastening strap is a good idea and looks like it would work better than a hammer thong. I'm wondering if you folded up a thin skirt of leather web in the opening, even just for part of the way to protect the interior holster & gun from debris or water entering in. Would it still draw as well? A thin web that would still allow the holster to open up a ways, and strategically placed so as to not interfere with the holster opening up to draw the gun out. If that would defeat the purpose of the opening in any way then disregard this idea. The ease of draw intention seems like a really good one. But I would not want anyone to think that the muzzle could pop out through the front opening if the holster loosens up with age or if the strap comes undone, and I'm not sure if dirt, sand or debris could enter and accumulate in the holster, or scratch the gun over time. The leather does looks thick and very stiff though. The holster is also a very nice color which I like a lot and it looks great. Last edited by arcticap; March 29, 2012 at 02:08 AM.

March 29, 2012, 06:16 AM	#4
Doc Hoy Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Naples, Fl Posts: 5,440	Idaho I like this'n better'n the other'n. But that's just me. __________________ Seek truth. Relax. Take a breath.

March 29, 2012, 03:45 PM	#6
Hardcase Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2009 Location: Sunny Southern Idaho Posts: 1,909	It's just the sort of thing that I could picture some western movie character wearing - something to give a gunfighter a little edge. I like it a lot! "What's my secret, Billy? Why, it's this special holster that I had custom made for me by an old boy down in California. Ain't nothin' faster!" __________________ 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

March 29, 2012, 09:39 PM	#9
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,838	Interesting. Very much like the Bearns-Martin break front or the Hoyt holster I use to wear. I'd rather have a break snap that swings away like the Hoyt but I suspect that's too modern. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

March 29, 2012, 01:39 AM	#3
IDAHOMIKE Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2007 Location: Gooding, ID Posts: 348	articap, as I was forming this one, I was thinking how I should have left more room to make the fronts of the holster touch to minimize the debris and whatnot. Normally I leave the toes open to let the junk pass through, but could find no good way to pull that off here. This color is my personal favorite. Of all the ones I've done for myself, all but two are this color. To me it makes then differentfromall the plain ol' brown or black ones out there. Thank you for the kind words and feedback.

March 29, 2012, 10:41 AM	#5
IDAHOMIKE Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2007 Location: Gooding, ID Posts: 348	Thanks Doc, truth be told this is a little moremy speed too.

March 29, 2012, 05:49 PM	#7
arcticap Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2005 Location: Central Connecticut Posts: 3,166	It occured to me that rather than adding a web to close up the front of the open holster, a 2nd lower strap could be added. Then releasing the 2nd strap would be optional.

March 29, 2012, 07:27 PM	#8
IDAHOMIKE Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2007 Location: Gooding, ID Posts: 348	Thanks Hardcase. If there's any flicks headin into production, they need a few of these. Lol, that would rocket me to fame, fortune, and no more working in CA. Articap-Yes a second strap could certainly be added. The customeris king. Was thinkin too how I could extend the double row of stictching all the way around to the front, and maybe leave the toe open then. Hmmmm.

March 29, 2012, 11:24 PM	#10
IDAHOMIKE Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2007 Location: Gooding, ID Posts: 348	Gary-Yes this is sort of a take off on the Berns Martin pictured in Sixguns. The snaps available to me locally are not of the highest quality, plus maybe not too period I suppose.

March 30, 2012, 12:24 AM	#11
Jim March Senior Member Join Date: February 14, 1999 Location: Pittsburg, CA, USA Posts: 7,417	I've played around with concepts like this too, using a mix of leather and kydex. But...what I found was, I'm a modern eye-level shooter even with old-school guns. So I want to do a draw where I launch the gun up to about nipple to mid-sternum height and then start rotating outwards to fire. In this style of draw a lot of the outward motion happens as the gun is at eye level, so you're picking up the sights at the same time you're prepping for fire - and if the issue turns out to be bad-breath-range-close, great, you fire faster than that. So I've gone to a very high-ride crossdraw setup, dancing on the edge of "shoulder holster" territory. Still pics are in the middle of the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57jf8yfPwoI __________________ Jim March