HOLSTER MAKING

 There is no better reference book than Al Stohlman's book on Holstermaking.

It shows you how to design your own holster and how to build various variations into your holster.

But there are a few points I want to expand on.  For example, none of Stohlman's holsters in that book were lined.  And nowadays there are many methods of wet-molding that can make a difference to the technique you follow.

First, let me suggest this sequence of making a holster:

• I would first make the paper pattern, transfer it to a piece of leather and make a prototype just to make sure the basic pattern translates to a leather holster as expected.
• Then transfer the corrected pattern to good leather.
• Now tool the leather and dye it.   Do NOT seal or condition the leather - you have to be able to get it damp for the wet-forming step.
• Now cut it out, mark the stitching lines and stitch the holster - remember that the leather will be vulnerable until conditioned.
• Get the leather damp and wet-form it by pushing your seran-wrapped gun into it.   Work careful so that your tooling is net affected - stretching tooled leather while wet-forming, can diminish the depth of your tooling.
• Let the holster dry and then apply sealer  conditioner on the outside and conditioner on the inside.

This post will be added to as I get seasoned holster makers to give me their input.

Here are useful comments I have received:

From JR Parker: 

"Holster making is one of those skills you learn by doing. The above book is a good general reference for "field" type holsters (but it is dated). It is not a reference for modern practical gun leather.

My best suggestion it to take a class or 3 from someone who is skilled at the craft. Master the basics before trying to teach others.

I'm of this opinion simply because a holster is not like a billfold, wallet or belt. If you get it wrong it may have dire results and someone cold be injured.

Think of it like saddle making. Would you buy a saddle from someone who doesn't know anything about horses or saddles?"

 

Stropping a Swivel Knife

First off, lets make a difference between a sharp blade and a polished blade:

• Almost all blades are manufactured as "sharp" blades - that is, they come with the correct angles to their blades - roughly a 48 degree combined bevel as shown in the illustration below.
• A polished blade is where those beveled edges of the blade has been stropped and polished to remove TWO things - the grinding marks from when the blade was manufactured and secondly the residue that builds up on the blade from the leather.

This means that sharpening a blade is seldom necessary.  I used my first swivel knife blade for more than twenty years before the stropping so deformed the shape that I had to put it on a grind stone and just reshape it again. 

When you buy a new blade, here is what I suggest you do:

• Spend at least half an hour stropping / polishing the blade as shown in the following video (card board with jeweler's rouge on it works just fine).
• Then you can start with it on the leather.
• Every time you pick up your swivel knife to use it, strop it for a few minutes.
• If you do a lot of work with it, strop it every five minutes.   
• After a while, you will get the feel of a blade that is gliding through the leather as if it is cutting through butter, and a blade that "stutters".  As soon as it cuts with jerky movements, you know it needs more stropping.

 

  I hope this helps - please contact me if you have any more questions.  

Published Aug 2015 

Always Test

 

One of the most important tips that can be given to any leatherworker, especially beginners, is to TEST EVERYTHING FIRST!! 

 Let me illustrate:  

For most projects I leave some extra leather around the edge - mainly to make sure that after I have tooled and the leather is dry again, I cut it out at the original project size.  

Also for small projects like this, I usually leave two on the same piece of leather so that  I have bigger leather to rest my hand on as I tool. 

 This extra leather affords me the opportunity to test various aspects of the project of the project first.   

The things I test is :

 * whether a tool is appropriate and maybe how hard to strike it; 

* whether it is actually the right tool that will achieve the effect I want;   

* how this leather will react to what I want to do; 

* how will this dye work on this leather and will the eventual color be correct;

* how is a sealer / finish / conditioner going to work with the dye I have; 

* just to get my hand and eye a little practice before I tackle the actual project.  

There are some effects I use that I do not always test, like the woodgrain effect above, because I use it so often.   

But if I wanted to try a new border for it, I might just do a mall piece of it on the side first.

 

Here are a few cut off pieces I saved over the last few days.   

You can see I also test how my boss sewing machine is going to deal with this leather thickness under its current settings.   

And there is a test for setting eyelets - I wanted to know if I had to punch a hole first if I wanted to insert the eyelets in cardboard sandwiched between to thin leathers.    

Even a test for the right slit punch when I had to duplicate a specific lacing pattern.

    

Above the most important testing was to see which gold paint would give the right effect and would look good. 

 I hope this helps!

Published April 2018

Homeschool

Homeschool Leathercraft

If you homeschool kids and would like help with leathercraft ideas, you can look in this blog under "Beginner" and also join a newly created group on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2380034165632237

Suggestions / Questions can be left as comments on this post!

Starter Tooling 101

I want to do this post to help anybody that is just starting off and has limited resources.  There is much more that can by added to this, and I have some of those in the mini videos at the bottom of this blog post.  But the main focus will be on using just a swivel knife and the six stamps you see in the photo above.

You can download the pattern I am using at DOWNLOADS

First, get the leather very damp. This is called "casing the leather". The first video in this blog post deals with casing: 

Spray or sponge apply water to the surface until the water do not sink in immediately.

When the leather still has a dark color from the water, you can start doing swivel knife cuts. When the leather is almost at its natural dry color, you can do all the stamp tooling.

You keep the leather at this moisture level with an occasional light spray or wipe with a damp sponge.

 

When I want to get up for dinner or any time less than 12 hours, I have a smooth plastic/acrylic sheet I cover the leather with, and when I come back, I just update the moisture content again.

Trace the design with a permanent pen like a sharpie onto tracing film.  Then put the tracing film over the leather, making sure it does not shift and with something pointed (not piercingly sharp), trace your design down onto the leather.

With a stropped (polished) swivel knife, start cutting the traced lines.  RULES for the swivel knife:  Do not lean it sideways (it will undercut), lean it slightly forward to that the front tip of the blade does the cutting, cut towards yourself only while it is comfortable for your hand - keep turning the leather so that you can do this.

One of the first additions you should try to acquire, is jeweler's rouge, so that you can strop your swivel knife blade.  Here is a video about that:

This is what your cut lines should look like - about ⅓  into the thickness of the leather.

Look carefully - when lines touch with 90° or less, leave the smallest of space between them - a sharp tip can work itself loose and not look good.

Identify entities on the design, like a leaf, and cut them from top to bottom  (if a leaf is on top of a flower, cut the leaf first).

The first tool you start the carving with, is a pear shader. No big rules - it can be leaned in any direction.  Walk it like a beveler so that you get a smooth flowing surface. 
For the most part, do not use a pear shader close to the lines that you have cut.

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One more tool you might want to use before beveling, is a camouflage tool.  Personally I seldom use it, but here is the correct way to use it (it is not just the banging out of a few impressions on your floral carving).

Lean it over sharply and put one of the tips on the cut edge of the stem / leaf.

Later you will obliterate the marks the camo tool caused on the outside of that line, as you see indicated on this photo:

Now to bevel.  Rules for the beveler are: 

* keep it totally upright (it can NEVER lean back)

* keep the toe towards you so that you can see that you have it directly on the cut line

* move it slowly sideways while your mallet taps it numerous times jackhammer style

* rest your hand on the leather so that you have a lot of control.  After beveling ¾" or 20mm, lift your hand and do the next little piece.

Pick the item that is on top in your design, like the flower petal in this one  (#1) - bevel that first on the side of the line that I indicated with the blue lines.

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More Mini videos for this post:

Starter Tools #1

TOOLS FOR STARTING LEATHERCRAFT

 

 The above is my box of starter tools from 1978.  

It is not for sale - you don't have enough money.  

 And it is NOT the starter set of tools I am going to recommend in this blog - you will have to read further down.... 

 This post is going to be a continuous effort to advise new leather crafters.   I will first discuss the very basics, and then go on to a second tier of tools that can be expanded to.  

The tools that will work well for each person will vary a bit depending on the projects that you mostly engage in.   I am going to focus on working with vegtan, or tooling, leather.

   MARKING THE LEATHER 

 I see the surface of vegtan leather as very vulnerable, until you have it sealed or conditioned.  

So I never bring pen or even pencil close to the leather surface (not even greasy hands). Therefor all the marking I do, is done with a scratch awl.  The photo below shows a big red handled one I used until I acquired the small model, that is still available.

 
 With the scratch awl you can easily trace around templates, poke holes where your pattern indicates holes to be punched and you do not have to be scared that ink will smear in places where it can ruin your project.

 
 I seldom use the big red one any more and do most work with the smaller one.  

 CUTTING LEATHER

 There is a gazillion cutting instruments out there with a gazillion and ten opinions about what works best.  

But let us focus on starting out. The breakoff blade knife at the top of the photo is the one I started off in 1978 - it is semi retired now and just used for the sake of sentiment.  The second white one, also with the breakoff blade is new at Tandy.  This is my absolute go-to knife for the following reasons:

• It is always sharp - you simply break off the dull tip and carry on cutting.  I do strop my blade from time to time to be a bit more frugal and give the blade a slightly longer lifespan.
• It is not very expensive.
• You have a lot of control over this tool, because you hold it like a pencil.
• You do need a cutting surface like a self-healing cutting mat, under it.  This does add to the stability with which you do cutting. TIP: do not use stone or wood as the cutting surface.  Hard plastic that does not grip the blade, seems to work the best.  

There are other breakoff blade knives available - the one I bought at a hardware store however, had a too wide opening for the blade and so the blade would "flap" from side to side and make accurate cuts difficult. 

 The third knife in the picture is a recent gift from a good friend - it is a very old knife with a removable blade.   The blade has the same shape as the other two, which makes it easy to cut with and I almost have it honed to the point where it cuts soundlessly, and as if it is going through soft butter!  It will have to be stropped regularly to stay a joy to cut with.

 

WORKING STRAIGHT

 Two tools I keep within reach, is a square and a compass.

The square is not a big one, but serves its purpose most of the time (a bigger one comes in handy, but needs a big work surface as well). 

 I don't want to say too much about how to use the tools - that is probably a few separate posts - just what they are for. The compass has two fairly sharp metal tips and is used for drawing lines parallel to edges.  This has various purposes.

 EDGES 

 On the photo and edge beveler at the bottom - used to round off the square 90 degree corners where leather was cut.

 

 The other two tools - slickers - are then used to smooth the edges of the leather.  The plastic circle has been around for a very long time, but the multi sized wooden one is the only one you need to start with.   

Edge burnishing is quite a science / religion with many leatherworkers, often with impressive results, but if you master the basics first, you will continue to get good results. 

HOLES 

 Many projects require holes - for rivets, snaps and other hardware attachments.   

To start I propose a set like the one shown here - a handle into which your screw the tip you desire, depending on the hole size. 

 The advantage of this set over a revolving head hole punch is that with this you are not limited to a throat depth (with the pliers-like tool you can only punch holes about inch and a half from the edge or less). 

It is also cheaper, because if you do want to get a revolving head hole punch, you need to buy the top end solid steel handle punch - the lower end models will only last if you do ten very careful holes a year....;   the frames of those tend to bend easily. 

 Also note the accompanying plastic cutting board to use underneath the leather when you punch holes through.  To do this on wood would dull your punches very fast.   

 And I think that concludes this post! I will start a new one looking into the starter tools for tooling and a different one for starting with lacing and stitching. 

 I hope this helps!

Color 101

[Originally published August 2008]

 This is probably the aspect of leathercraft where there are as many opinions as there are crafters, and most of them will swear by their own methods as gospel truth. 

So, I want to give you my opinion as well, but with the hope that it will clarify some of the confusion that exist around dyes, stains, finishes, dressings, conditioners and oils. 

 This whole discussion will center around vegetable-tan (treebark tanned) leather. This is the only leather to be treated with the products I will discuss.

 

The basic sequence in any project will more than likely be as follows:

1. The project is cut out and tooling / stamping is done.
2. The leather is dyed - either completely or selectively. This step can be left out if you want the natural color to remain.
3. A optional choice is made between 
1. a) not using an antique stain, 
2. b) lightly using an antique stain just to highlight tooling or 
3. c) making heavy use of an antique stain in such a way as to drastically add to the color of the leather.
4. A finish, sealer or conditioner is added to the leather to waterproof and lubricate the leather fibers. This step can NEVER EVER be left out!!!
5. The project is assembled.

Putting a dressing on leather will bring out the color of the dyes (make it glow), "waterproof" the leather (your best defense against stains) and make the leather softer (if you have not treated it for the making of armor).

TIPS: EVERGREEN ADVICE

From a flyer of the Headwaters Leather Guild - 2006:

(I will add my own personal notes in green)

TIP 1 

Always treat your newly bought veg tan leather surface with respect - even air exposure, no moisture, no oil, no fat. Wash your hands before you handle the leather - sweaty fingerprints may only become visible when you add dye or the final finish.

 

TIP 2

Roll leather up with the grain side on the inside - the other way round will cause the grain side to stretch (slightly) and when you straighten the leather, it might wrinkle.

 

TIP 3

Rolls of leather can easily be stored in PVC pipe lengths with a diameter of 8" / 20cm or more.  Another reason or rolling the leather with grain side in - the nice grain side will not scrape on the pipe edges.

 

TIP 4

When you start wetting leather for tracing and swivel knife cuts and tooling, make sure to always wet the full surface of the leather. If you do not, the water will rinse chemicals to the edge of the wet part and as it dries, that will show as the edge of a waterstain. (These stains can be treated with excessive washing with a lot of water.)

If I work on a very large piece, I wet the part I am working on with a sponge and then now and again just keep the rest damp with water from a spray bottle.

 

TIP 5

OIL and WATER do NOT mix.

During the following steps in your project, no oily of fatty substances or containers with finishes in or hands with all of the above on, should be allowed close to your workbench: Cutting, Tracing, Swivel Knife Work, Tooling, Dyeing.

After doing these, you treat the leather with a conditioner / sealer / finish and now you cannot use water on the leather again easily - the leather finish you use should protect the leather against water and against the rougher treatment of construction.

 

TIP 6

Wet leather and Ferrous Metals Do Not Mix

 

These metals will stain leather black when it touches even just damp leather. That means that you .......

 

a) cannot weigh down leather with metal weights, without first covering them in leather or plastic.

b) cannot have metal filings on your workbench - so be careful after you have sharpened knives where you will later work with damp leather (it takes seconds for the stains to be caused).   The stains of fine metal dust will appear to look like mold spots on the leather.  So also wash your hands after sharpening knives and before you work with wet veg tan leather.

c) cannot casually let metal tools lie on damp leather.

d) cannot use metal clamps to hold leather in position while drying - glue some small pieces of leather on the inside of clamps you want to use on leather.

 

TIP 7 

When you spill coffee or Coke on a project, immediately take it to a basin and empty the rest of the offending liquid over the the project to cover it completely (and therefor stain it completely and seamlessly and uniformly).  Then rinse it off with clean running water.

[Do not follow this tip when you spill blood on your project    -     😀 ]

 

TIP 8

Always use the cut off pieces of leather to test water absorption, tooling softness, color effect of dyes and the effect of finishes you want to use. Also test out stamping patterns you might consider or any new tools you buy.

I wrote more about it here:

ALWAYS TEST

Remember that tools with a large footprint, will take a lot of force from your mallet to make an impression, while a small surfaced tool like a seeder, will only require a light tap.

 

TIP 9

To test the effect of a certain finish you want to put on leather, use it on a little cut off piece that was stamped/carved and dyed the same as your project and then carry it with you all the time in your pocket (with your keys).   Ladies can do the same in a bag or wherever it will receive rough treatment.

This will give you a good idea of how the leather will keep, and how the finish will protect it.

I hope this helped!

Leatherwork and your Perception

Have you ever finished a project and thought to yourself :  "This is not too well done - shoot!     So many mistakes...."? 

Don't beat yourself up! Your work is beautiful! Even if you are a beginner!

It is just a fact that before you start a project, you have an idea and image in your mind as to how it will turn out, a VERY idealistic idea.   

Then you see the finished project and it differs from that image in your mind - your mind turns that into mistakes / short-falls.

YES, there is ALWAYS room to learn and improve - after 42 years I still learn to do things better / different / in new ways.   

Don't be phased by criticism by leatherworking veterans - they are probably only trying to help.   

More important is that you do not get phased by your own criticism!

Almost all leatherwork looks good to non-leatherworkers.  Keep that in mind.

Many years ago, when I was still a beginner, I made my cousin a handbag  -  I thought the work was mediocre.  

After about four years I saw the bag again for the first time, and my words were:  "Wow!  who made that for you - it is beautiful!"

She looked at me funny and said "You did!"   Then I realized, your work is better than you think.

While you work on your project, you notice every small little imperfection in your work.   In your mind these grow very big, because you are busy with the project close-up.

Teach yourself to put the project down at the end of the day and clear your brain.  Then the next morning, look at it as if someone else did it.   You will slowly develop the ability to look at your work more subjectively.

I hope that helps!

[Updated October 2020]

Making a KnifeSheath

This post shows some basic steps in producing a simple project.

..and here is the second video - it is long but shows the full basket weave stamping and border stamping.

The first basket weave shows Chan Geer's method of getting the basketweave perfect every time!

If you want to see this method of doing basket weave in print, contact the 

Leather Crafters and Saddler's Journal.   

They can help you with back issues that the articles about basketweave was printed.

Video number five shows the saddle stitch by hand, using two needles and an awl in hand.

Neck Purses

With Christmas around the corner, you may want to make a few quick gifts for the young kids in your family:

A small coin pocket that hangs from a lace around the neck. 

Their shape is not very crucial, so you can just draw up your own pattern from looking at these pictures. Even the construction of these are not complicated, so just study the pictures and let me know if you have a question.