A Simple Holster
By Orion
This is my second attempt at making a holster. The first was for my Ruger Blackhawk. It turned out successfully so I decided to make one for my High Standard .22 auto.
I decided to build this in two pieces with a backing instead of simply folding over a single piece of 8oz. leather as I did with the western style holster I built for the Blackhawk..
All
tools used were included with the Tandy basic leathercrafting kit that I
purchased. It also came with a basic how-to book.
I ended up using 10oz. leather for
the backing and 8oz. for the front side, belt loop and strap.
Pistol and magazine shown with the
leather pieces.
I placed the 10oz. leather on a
board grain side up. I oiled the pistol and wrapped it in plastic wrap and laid
it on the piece of backing leather. I then moistened the 8oz. piece to make it
pliable and carefully massaged it in place over the gun with my thumbs until it
took the shape of the gun. Then the leather was nailed in place on the plywood
work surface to ready it for rough cutting.
Originally I’d intended to
incorporate a magazine pouch onto the holster but decided to make one separately
because of my limited skills.
Leather formed, nailed in place and
rough cut.
The leather was then trimmed and the belt loop and retaining strap were cut to shape. I left the strap longer than I’d need, planning on trimming to length after the holster was completed with the pistol in the holster.
The four pieces ready for dyeing.
The leather was then dyed a chocolate brown. It actually looks more black then brown.
The
first coat of dye.
I dyed the leather twice to obtain a uniform colour. After it dried I glued the top of the belt loop to the back of the holster to keep it in position while it was being sewn. The belt loop was held in position with a hammer for weight while the glue dried.
The stitch line was marked out with a 5 stitch per inch wheel and a diamond awl was used to pierce the leather along the stitch line.
The loop was sewn with waxed black thread using a double (saddle) stitch with two needles, one on either end of the thread.. Basically with this type of stitch you double the needle through the holes from each side creating a double stitch.
After the top of the loop was sewn the bottom was glued into position and sewn.
I placed the pistol into position over the backing piece and marked the position of the retaining strap, which was then glued and sewn.
Then the holster half of the retaining strap’s snap was installed.
The stitch line was marked 5 stitches per inch onto the top piece of leather and the two pieces were glued and clamped into position.
Note the two field expedient clamps in the following picture.
Glued
in position and drying.
In the following photo of the Blackhawk’s holster you can get a better idea of the stitch.
Saddle
stitch shown.
After sewing, the excess leather was trimmed with a craft knife and the edges beveled slightly. Then the pistol was placed in the holster and retaining strap trimmed and the other half of the snap installed.
The
finished project.
Back
side of the holster.
If I can do this, anyone can!.