My leatherwork

[DerBiermeister]

Ok for the Buckmark owners, I'm still waiting to hear back from my buddy about using his Buckmark to mold the holsters. I doubt very seriously that there will be any issue with this so if you're interested in a holster let me know via PM and we'll get the details all hammered out before I get the gun here for design phase and molding. Ok that's the old business out of the way.



Yes, I am going to be very interested. WTH, you can't take it with ya.
I am still debating with myself over whether to make the holster cover the Red-dot, or leave it out in the open. I've seen a couple of holsters on other forums for MKIII that have reflex sight that looks ok covered.

[Infidel]

Yes, I am going to be very interested. WTH, you can't take it with ya.
I am still debating with myself over whether to make the holster cover the Red-dot, or leave it out in the open. I've seen a couple of holsters on other forums for MKIII that have reflex sight that looks ok covered.

How would you feel about a flap style holster? Sort of like the old military holsters. I was thinking that might be the best way to go if you want the sight enclosed within the leather. It'll be a pretty big holster but I think it would look pretty good. The only problem I envision would be not being able to use the holster if you take that sight off, the gun will just rattle around in there. With the sight outside the holster through a slot you should still be able to use the holster if you take the sight off for some reason.

[DerBiermeister]

How would you feel about a flap style holster? Sort of like the old military holsters. I was thinking that might be the best way to go if you want the sight enclosed within the leather. It'll be a pretty big holster but I think it would look pretty good. The only problem I envision would be not being able to use the holster if you take that sight off, the gun will just rattle around in there. With the sight outside the holster through a slot you should still be able to use the holster if you take the sight off for some reason.

I have no intention of ever removing the red-dot. It's built like a tank (Aimpoint), so it should last. The flap idea is interesting. Let me get my arms around it.

[Arklatex]

I would get a Buckmark holster off of you. Although I wouldn't want a flap holster.

[Infidel]

I would get a Buckmark holster off of you. Although I wouldn't want a flap holster.

Crap you guys are gonna make me buy a buckmark, LOL. Well I suppose there's worse things that could happen to me. Not to worry Ark I can come up with something for your Buckmark too. Let me nail down my buddy's gun and then we'll work out details.

[Infidel]

Ok Buckmark owners, I heard back from my buddy and we are a go for Buckmark holsters. So here's how this will have to work unless/until I buy a Buckmark of my own (wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to me I suppose). Buckmark holsters will have to be built in batches so anyone wanting in on the first batch should PM me with specifics, Barrel Length, Handedness, Color, Style, any specific issues or desires you may have for your holster. Anything I'm unsure about or you want clarified we'll take care of via PM. Once we've worked all that out I'll give you a price which will not change unless you decide to change something on the design, I'll also give you an estimated window for completion. You will pay nothing until your holster is complete and you approve the work unless you wish to pay up front. I don't require up front payment but some prefer to do business that way which is perfectly ok with me. Once the holster is finished I'll send you a bunch of pictures for you to go over, I try to get pictures from every angle so you can see exactly what you're getting for your money. If you like the work you can make the payment either via Paypal (gift/friends & family), money order or personal check. Once I receive payment or your personal check clears I ship the next day via priority mail. My current lead time is 3-4 weeks, this fluctuates with work load and could get as long as 6-8 weeks as we get closer to deer season and Christmas.

After the first batch is done there won't be a second batch until I have at least 2 orders for them on the books. If I end up purchasing my own Buckmark then single holsters will be able to be ordered at any time. So on this first batch what say we set the opt in deadline for 2 weeks? This first batch will be built regardless of how many orders I end up with, even if it's just 1 holster I will borrow my buddy's gun to build the holster. So your deadline for ordering you very own custom 1st edition Buckmark holster will be 9/21/16. I look forward to hearing from you guys.

-Infidel

[DerBiermeister]

This all sounds good to me. A very reasonable approach. Count me in on the first order. I will give specifics after a bit more thinking.
One thing I can immediately tell you Infidel is that most Buckmarks have a 5 1/2" barrel -- and I am confident that will be the case with your buddy's gun. My Buckmark Hunter has a 7 1/4" tapered round bull barrel. Some Buckmark barrels are not round.

Find out from your friend which model he has and I can then point out any areas that you need to be careful with.

[Infidel]

This all sounds good to me. A very reasonable approach. Count me in on the first order. I will give specifics after a bit more thinking.
One thing I can immediately tell you Infidel is that most Buckmarks have a 5 1/2" barrel -- and I am confident that will be the case with your buddy's gun. My Buckmark Hunter has a 7 1/4" tapered round bull barrel. Some Buckmark barrels are not round.

Find out from your friend which model he has and I can then point out any areas that you need to be careful with.

Yep his is a 5.5", not too much of an issue there, I can always extend it using large diameter dowel. I just need barrel diameter and we should be good. The vast majority of molding would be in the frame anyway so it's more an issue of making sure the holster is long enough for the extra barrel length than a matter of molding the barrel section super tight to the gun.

[DerBiermeister]

Now that we are getting down into the weeds of this holster build, I will start PMing the details.

[DerBiermeister]

This is going to be a nice holster. Without having an exact model for Infidel to work with, these are the kinds of details we had to hash out:

Browning BuckMark Hunter – 7 ¼” barrel
Length of top – muzzle to end of charging handle = 11 ¼”
Barrel diameter muzzle end – ¾”
Muzzle end height with front sight – 1 ¼”
¾” barrel diameter extends back from muzzle 4 ¼”, then becomes 7/8”
Weaver rail tapers down and ends where barrel diameter ¾” begins (see provided photo)
Cut out for Red Dot begins at 6 ¼” back from muzzle
Cut out drops 5/16” from holster profile to clear Red Dot mounting block.
Cut out to be reinforced
Color of holster to match as close as possible the cocobolo grips on gun. Outer surface to be polished.
Belt loop to be formed by extension of leather folded back. Belt loop to accommodate a 1 ¾” belt that is ¼” thick.
Muzzle end of holster to be stitched closed as per provided photograph.
Stitching to be predominately double-stitched, double row, using black thread.
Retention strap with Sam Brown stud (nickel plated) per Infidel design
Cost proposals for 8-9 oz leather with and without 3 oz liner


Someone else expressed interest in having a BuckMark holster made - and Infidel wants to include it in the first build of two. More than likely your BuckMark will have a 5 1/2 inch barrel, so some of the specs above will not be needed. However, Infidel IS going to need to know the type barrel you have (round or oblong) and also a picture of your particular BuckMark model will help. And for your holster - you may want some different design than mine, so he will need details on that also.

[Infidel]

Ok gang, last chance to get in on this. As it stands now I have 1 taker and 1 maybe. If you haven't sent your PM saying you want one, you have until tomorrow night to let me know. If you don't make the deadline and you still want a holster shoot me a PM and I'll start the waiting list for the second batch of holsters.

-Infidel

[Infidel]

Here's a new project for you guys to check out: I had a request for a holster similar to the Simply Rugged Sourdough. The design of that holster seems solid and I know there's a bunch of guys that have them and love them so I figured I'd give it a try. I'm not ok with copying someone else's design so I tried to put my own spin on it as much as I could. For those not familiar with this type of holster, it's designed so it can be worn strong side or crossdraw. The design works pretty well and is very comfortable. The customer also wanted a matching bushcraft style sheath for his knife so here's a matched pair:


https://i.imgur.com/LV0NWLN.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/OISgw1G.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/W1UdfC6.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/M0PDueO.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/QAIbLiK.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/uGRh1SS.jpg

-Infidel

[Infidel]

I don't get the time to do many projects for myself these days but I had a break in my orders and figured it was time to make a holster for my newly acquired Sig P290RS. I added a factory laser to the gun and didn't much care for the plastic (kydex?) holster that came with the gun, leather would be much more appropriate. I also wanted a couple of open top mag pouches for the reloads as I was sick of carrying them in my pocket. The end result is exactly what I had in mind and fits perfectly. I was a bit concerned about the laser being activated in the holster but that turned out to be a non issue. Let me know what you guys think.

https://i.imgur.com/O3dSxy2.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/jHUN6y1.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/D1GdWCN.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5fl0Kw8.jpg

[Inor]

Very sharp!

[Gambit]

those are very nice
are you using saddle skirting? it looks stiff and then it looks like a soft leather that comes more for the underbelly. so I'm confused on the grade
I still have all my leather stuff here the scale brown dye and all the pins and even buckles. think maybe down the road I should try my hands at a holster.

good looking work my man hope to see more
also have you tried the oil and blow torch technique to make the fish scale look? I heard about it but never seen it done just wondering about it

[inceptor]

Looks great!

[Infidel]

those are very nice
are you using saddle skirting? it looks stiff and then it looks like a soft leather that comes more for the underbelly. so I'm confused on the grade
I still have all my leather stuff here the scale brown dye and all the pins and even buckles. think maybe down the road I should try my hands at a holster.

good looking work my man hope to see more
also have you tried the oil and blow torch technique to make the fish scale look? I heard about it but never seen it done just wondering about it

Mostly I'm using 7-9oz double shoulders, the stiffness comes from the dying and wet molding processes. If it's not wet molded it will be a bit softer but with leather that thick it'll never be truly soft. I buy economy grade stuff which usually has some blemishes in it. Those imperfections give some character to the pieces although sometimes a piece may be unusable. You definitely end up with more waste on the economy stuff but it's a whole lot cheaper too and I can usually use up about 95% of a double shoulder

No I haven't tried that. Honestly I am usually so backed up that I don't get much time to try anything new. I've done very little tooling, mostly just practice pieces other than the occasional basket weave rifle sling. I enjoy the hobby and what started out as me being too cheap to buy a holster for my Ruger Blackhawk has actually become self sustaining and pays for all of my projects and tools and even turns a little profit on occasion. I'll be eligible to retire in another 3yrs 11mos so the leather work is hopefully going to become a full time business then. I'll need to invest in a sewing machine I suppose but the plan is to pick a few popular guns and start churning out holsters for them to be sold at gun shows. I'll continue to do custom stuff as well as sheaths, slings, belts and maybe a few other items.

Thanks everyone for the kind words. I appreciate the feedback more than you know.

-Infidel

[DerBiermeister]

Nice looking rig for that SIG Stu!

That sure is a interesting little squirrel gun. I might just have to look into it to see if it would be worth carrying instead of my P238.

BTW -- as you probably know, S&W just recently introduced their first 22lr pistol called the Victory. Its direct competitor is of course the Ruger Mark IV. I guess Browning is a distant third. But anyway, with S&W in play, I expect to see a big increase in sales of this type pistol. You've already got the basic design for holsters of this type gun. As many 22lr shooters like to put optics on their guns, you also could advertise that feature.

[Baglady]

Nice work Stu!! Love the idea for the extra mag's.

[Deebo]

someday soon, my pretty, someday soon.
I will order a custom rig from you.

[Gambit]

have you tried going to the Amish for leather yet? used to get a whole side for 50 dollars roughly 10 years ago
it will have hair and some rough patches and you work harder but you got a bang for your buck with them

[Infidel]

have you tried going to the Amish for leather yet? used to get a whole side for 50 dollars roughly 10 years ago
it will have hair and some rough patches and you work harder but you got a bang for your buck with them

No, I'm pretty happy with what I'm getting now. I may eventually upgrade to a better quality of leather but prices need to go up for that to happen, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it I guess.

-Infidel

[Infidel]

someday soon, my pretty, someday soon.
I will order a custom rig from you.

Whenever you're ready Deebo just give me a shout.

[Infidel]

Nice looking rig for that SIG Stu!

That sure is a interesting little squirrel gun. I might just have to look into it to see if it would be worth carrying instead of my P238.

BTW -- as you probably know, S&W just recently introduced their first 22lr pistol called the Victory. Its direct competitor is of course the Ruger Mark IV. I guess Browning is a distant third. But anyway, with S&W in play, I expect to see a big increase in sales of this type pistol. You've already got the basic design for holsters of this type gun. As many 22lr shooters like to put optics on their guns, you also could advertise that feature.
I love it, carries like a dream. I can walk around all day with it and not even notice the weight. I won't say I forget it's there but it's definitely more comfortable to carry than my Kimber Pro CDP. I just can't haul that extra weight around anymore with my bad back. The P290 comes in .380 and 9mm, as a 9mm for me it's just about the perfect package. If money were no object I probably would have moved up to the Sig 938 or Kimber Solo both of which are just a bit smaller than my 290.

As to the S&W Victory, I've noticed them for sure and they're nifty little guns. I'll have to see how they sell before I commit to building for them. Part of the problem is blue gun availability, they just don't make blue guns for the vast majority of .22s. That means for me to build holsters I have to use the real McCoy which means I'll have to invest in one. Now I'll admit I've had worse reasons for buying a gun but it's a pretty significant investment if I only end up building a couple of holsters. Another bridge I can cross when I get there I suppose.


Nice work Stu!! Love the idea for the extra mag's.
Thank you Baglady. The mags banging around in my pocket was starting to get on my nerves and I found that if I carried them that way long enough they would shuck the top round from the mag. This was mostly caused by them thumping up against each other all the time. Magazines should be carried in a pouch not loose in a pocket where lint can get into them or bad things can happen to them.

[Baglady]

"Thank you Baglady. The mags banging around in my pocket was starting to get on my nerves and I found that if I carried them that way long enough they would shuck the top round from the mag. This was mostly caused by them thumping up against each other all the time. Magazines should be carried in a pouch not loose in a pocket where lint can get into them or bad things can happen to them."

I'll take that advice. :thumb:

[RubberDuck]

I like that design looks like it rides lower on the belt which I prefer this would be a good set for my XDS possibly minus the back strap.
The mag pouches are great I have some that I use but would be nice to have matching leather like that.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[BucketBack]

Eyeglass sleeves work well for magazines

[Infidel]

This prototype came about when a customer asked about a no drill system for his Marlin 1893. Since he wasn't quite ready for the sling yet I figured I'd start with a proof of concept piece for my Glenfield 36G. So here's how it all works, I built a lace on butt cuff for the rifle and then a forend cuff to go along with it. Attached to both pieces via copper rivets is a 1" brass square loop which will allow you to attach any standard rifle sling. The forend cuff just slips over the forend and the sling is then attached to it. The forend cuff on this particular rifle is just a hair too big so I'll probably end up making another one for it or possibly making the next one adjustable to account for the leather stretching a bit, I'll have to think about that a bit. Cartridge loops would normally be on the off side but since this one is mine I figured it would be a good time to practice my carving which still needs a lot of work as I'm sure you guys can tell. The color is saddle tan which I think looks really nice with the brass and copper hardware. When these are available they will be available with or without a sling so customers can use their own slings if they want to.

http://i.imgur.com/I7Vo9Ip.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/IwAo63b.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/s5SRPSy.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/hMY4PLK.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/70OHwkJ.jpg

-Infidel

[DerBiermeister]

That's really neat. You have great ideas.

[Inor]

When you start making those for sale, please let me know. That would look pretty slick on my Henry.

How does the forend cuff deal with the heat of the barrel? That is the one thing with that big heavy octagonal barrel, my Henry gets HOT and stays HOT.

[Infidel]

When you start making those for sale, please let me know. That would look pretty slick on my Henry.

How does the forend cuff deal with the heat of the barrel? That is the one thing with that big heavy octagonal barrel, my Henry gets HOT and stays HOT.

I'll have to get some ammo through it and get back to you on that. I would imagine with the leather being as heavy as it is (7-9oz) it will probably hold up just fine. In .30-30 it'll be pretty expensive to get the rifle that hot, I imagine your Henry is probably a pistol caliber carbine. I still have to figure out whether or not I can make that forend cuff adjustable and what the price will be with and without the sling. I'll post an update once I figure that stuff out.

-Infidel

[Inor]

I'll have to get some ammo through it and get back to you on that. I would imagine with the leather being as heavy as it is (7-9oz) it will probably hold up just fine. In .30-30 it'll be pretty expensive to get the rifle that hot, I imagine your Henry is probably a pistol caliber carbine. I still have to figure out whether or not I can make that forend cuff adjustable and what the price will be with and without the sling. I'll post an update once I figure that stuff out.

-Infidel

Yes - My Henry is a .357.

Even if it cannot deal with the heat, if it can be made to remove it easily when at the range, and have the sling when riding/hiking, it would definitely be a cool addition to my "cowboy garb".

[Infidel]

Had a customer contact me asking to build a carrier for an insulin pump. He had already bought a crossdraw holster for his 1911 and wanted something to match that holster. We kicked it around a bit and this is what we came up with. Basically it's a high rise pancake holster for his insulin pump. It came out great, the pictures really don't do it justice. Retention is so good I had to rub the inside of the piece down a bit with some bees' wax. This piece of leather was particularly smooth on the flesh side, much smoother than normal which created so much friction on the insulin pump that it was a chore to get in and out of the holster. A little wax on the inside and it's perfect.

http://i.imgur.com/K3Pu0gU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/licBfpE.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/BqqLo8P.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/P71Hugo.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/NL44oBK.jpg
Pay particular attention to the edges of the piece, the burnishing on this piece came out like glass. This piece of leather turned out to be a really great piece for an economy grade leather, sometimes I get good ones but this is the best I've gotten yet.

-Infidel

[hawgrider]

Great idea! Very nice!

[Talon]

I like your work!

[Inor]

I like your work!

He does very excellent work. He made a holster for Mrs Inor's S&W Shield a while back that came out great.

[Infidel]

I have some in progress build photos of a holster and speed loader pouches commissioned by our very own RubberDuck. I thought he might be interested in how it's all coming together. So here we go:
http://i.imgur.com/5nxS1pX.jpg
This is the holster body pieces all cut out before stamping and dying. Stitch lines are started on the outer piece but they won't be finished until the pieces are glued and sanded smooth on the edges, this will keep the stitch lines consistent and away from the edge where they can rip out.

http://i.imgur.com/5bmgVjH.jpg
Same picture but of the inside. The lay out lines are drawn in ink so I know where to stop dying and where the glue needs to be. This will become more obvious once dyed.

http://i.imgur.com/Kup8RlI.jpg
Here's the belt loops for the speedloader pouches being molded. I forgot to get a picture of the actual pouches being molded though.

http://i.imgur.com/v6CZp3p.jpg
Here's the inside of all the pieces after dye. You can see here why the layout lines were important, glue doesn't stick too well on a dyed surface so I try wherever possible to keep dye away from where I need to apply glue. There's always a little bleed over but it'll be under a stitch line where it's not critical.

http://i.imgur.com/BRVQfqM.jpg
Here's the outside of all but one piece I had to re-mold a belt loop so it's not present in the picture.

More pictures as the build progresses.

-Infidel

[RubberDuck]

That is very cool to see the progress.
This is going to compliment the wood and stainless nicely and look forward to the comfort of a low ride.
I have yet to find a low ride for this revolver so this will be awesome to have one custom for me.

[hawgrider]

Color looks good. Can't wait to see it in action with the wheel gun in it.

[Infidel]

Finished Rubberduck's new handgun rig and I've got some more pictures for you guys. The first couple of pictures are of the wet molding process.
http://i.imgur.com/yPfyL1i.jpg
This is a good shot of the monogram, it shows up better on the dull finish
http://i.imgur.com/d3uorjk.jpg
So the tools in this picture are my oblong punch for cutting belt slots, a stitching groover for cutting the stitch groove and the handle is great for molding the trigger guard area. The antler and sharpie are molding tools. The points on the antler work great for creasing the leather.

Here's some pictures of the finish project:
http://i.imgur.com/AyG3iSw.jpg
The interior finish looks like cracked leather in this picture but it's just the way the finish turned out, the leather is fine. I think I laid the finish on a bit too thick.
http://i.imgur.com/3VY5JVB.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Pud1KC6.jpg

To be continued....

[Infidel]

http://i.imgur.com/mrmdYPW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/34SMN5b.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/2UWaMjM.jpg

Some pictures of the edges, they burnished up really well. I like doing matched sets, it's a challenge to make everything turn out right. Rubberduck, I hope this set serves you well for a long time.

[RubberDuck]

I could not ask for a better set these look amazing and high quality.
I look forward to years of use out of these and passing them on when the time comes.
Store bought just don't have the class like this.
I will be a repeat customer for sure.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[DerBiermeister]

Nice!

[hawgrider]

Looks great!

[RubberDuck]

Got my package today looks great feels like quality and got a bonus key chain.
S&W is taking a little longer then expected to get my gun back but will post up the pair when it gets back.
The speed loader pouches fit great and look great.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170410/37eb9f733549b372649bb3dd1648bf53.jpg

[hawgrider]

Whats it look like with the hardware in it.

[hawgrider]

Got my package today looks great feels like quality and got a bonus key chain.
S&W is taking a little longer then expected to get my gun back but will post up the pair when it gets back.
The speed loader pouches fit great and look great.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170410/37eb9f733549b372649bb3dd1648bf53.jpg

Oh yeah I forgot you sent the smith back for the cosmetics issues.

[RubberDuck]

Oh I forget you sent the smith back for the cosmetics issues.
Yup and their customer service so for is a little on disappointing side.
They are not to quick to give answers or updates

[hawgrider]

Yup and their customer service so for is a little on disappointing side.
They are not to quick to give answers or updates

I'm suprised.. they were more than helpful on my M&P but they just sent me free parts. I installed them.

[RubberDuck]

Got it back today from Smith they refinished it looks way better I still see 2 stain spots that I can't explain maybe it is in the metal and will buff out later.
So finally here it is in the holster looks great and feels great rides in a nice position for me.
Looking forward to wearing this often.
Won't be my work week edc but definitely any day I'm off.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170508/1598787e9bcf33cfab8f9f5b54ab0565.jpg

[hawgrider]

Looks good in the holster. I'm disappointed that the pricks didn't get it back to you in time for our spring bugout trip. I was looking forward to shooting it.

[Infidel]

Got it back today from Smith they refinished it looks way better I still see 2 stain spots that I can't explain maybe it is in the metal and will buff out later.
So finally here it is in the holster looks great and feels great rides in a nice position for me.
Looking forward to wearing this often.
Won't be my work week edc but definitely any day I'm off.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170508/1598787e9bcf33cfab8f9f5b54ab0565.jpg

Looks like a pretty good fit. Nice gun too.

-Infidel

[Infidel]

Ok so the thread has been edited, 26 total pages of pictures and all of the pictures I posted are operational again. New stuff will be showing up here soon so keep an eye out for it. I'll start posting that stuff in the next couple of days as I get the pictures edited and uploaded to imgur.

-Infidel

[Infidel]

My first update in a long, long time. The updates will be in no particular order other than what I feel like working on at the time. This project was a big deal for me, awhile back I offered to build a couple of timber framing chisel sheaths for the Wranglerstar YouTube channel. Cody and his helper Brian were commenting that they needed a couple of sheaths in a video so I decided I would offer to build them. I wasn't looking for anything in return, just felt like I needed to make them as kind of a thank you for all the content that Cody provides. He accepted the offer and that was pretty much the last contact I had with him. I set out to build the sheaths with no real info on the chisel they were using other than it was 1 3/4" wide. I did some research and deduced that it was most likely a Robert Sorby chisel. I built the sheaths and then realized that I had no contact information for Cody so I had nowhere to ship it to. I emailed Cody and even tried contacting him through Facebook but never received an answer. I was half tempted to just drop the matter altogether but would then have 2 chisel sheaths that I had no use for and wouldn't be able to sell since I had customized them specifically for Cody and Brian. After some time I finally was able to come up with an address to ship them to but had no verification of the address, I finally just said to hell with it and shipped them hoping they would get to where they were supposed to be. After a few weeks I emailed Cody again to see if he had received them and got no response again. I don't even know if he ever received the sheaths or not, maybe one day I'll spot them when he's making a timber framing video. Anyway the sheaths are a new color for me, this was my first project using a Mahogany dye. I thought the color came out pretty well and I double stitched both sheaths for a little extra flair.

https://i.imgur.com/dG0gne7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/31Rpb0r.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Rk4sVAo.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/XQtIgIp.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Ef46fbR.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/rXD4Bw2.jpg

-Infidel

[DerBiermeister]

Stu, I guess I need to get out more, but can you explain better what exactly these chisels are used for?

[Infidel]

Stu, I guess I need to get out more, but can you explain better what exactly these chisels are used for?

They're for post and beam timber framing. Most people would use them for cutting mortises in the timbers although cleaning up the tenons is another use as is cleaning up the beams.

[BucketBack]

I call them Paring chisels. A leather sheath wood have been great during my Model Maker days at GM/ Chrysler

[Infidel]

Back in the spring a guy on the Marlin Forum mentioned in a thread that he wanted a Cavalry Style Flap holster and gun belt for a Ruger Vaquero that he bought and had embellished as a memento of his service in an Air Cav unit. He mentioned that he was broke and I thought it was a worthy cause so I offered to build it for him at a significant discount with the caveat that my tooling skills are not what I would call good. He was thrilled with the deal and accepted happily. I ended up making him a holster, gun belt and an ammo pouch for a .357 Magnum Ruger Vaquero. The belt is 2 layers of 7-9oz leather and 1 1/2" wide, all hand stitched as usual. Stitching that belt was the worst part of the whole project and took me the better part of a day. The tooling still looks kind of crappy to me but he was thrilled with it so who am I to judge I guess. I really need to get some practice time in on my tooling but most times I'm just too busy to do it.

https://i.imgur.com/jVFZbc6.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/8RAejdE.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/AFu3Mm0.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/uyIUBwL.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/nkK5NG8.jpg

Continued...

[Infidel]

https://i.imgur.com/Edv6Tak.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/E0Mzje7.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/HZgwiOA.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/kNtgQeU.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/iDltXBD.jpg?1

I'm very happy with the pieces even with the cartoonish tooling. The belt came out awesome, so much so that I'll be making a similar belt for myself soon. Mine will be 1 3/4" instead of 1 1/2" and probably brown rather than black but I haven't decided on a color yet.

-Infidel

[swamp frog]

hooty

[Ricekila]

I just noticed none of your old timey revolver holsters - don't have a hole at the barrel end for a thigh tie loop ?

[Infidel]

I just noticed none of your old timey revolver holsters - don't have a hole at the barrel end for a thigh tie loop ?

It hasn't been requested by the customer. I'll gladly put tie downs on holsters if the customer wants them but so far I haven't seen much interest in it. My personal holsters I don't see much need for a tie down, I suppose if I were to build a cowboy style rig I would add one just for the historical significance, but I haven't built any of those yet. Maybe soon, who knows.

-Infidel

[Ricekila]

At some point -- we'll talk -- I'll be looking into some Cowboy action competition up here ---- yea I was surprised too -- LOL

[Infidel]

At some point -- we'll talk -- I'll be looking into some Cowboy action competition up here ---- yea I was surprised too -- LOL

I'm only a couple hours north of you so let me know when you're ready and we'll work out the details.

[Ricekila]

Deff-en-net-lee --

[Infidel]

Here's an Inside the Waistband holster for a Colt Mustang XSP. Dark brown with black stitching. Finding the blue (white) gun for it was the worst part of this holster. I suspect this would also fit a Sig 938 but haven't tried one in it to say definitively.

https://i.imgur.com/AjFQtb8.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5BjsodB.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/GVRLTeo.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/rIwHpj7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/lbmr7pc.jpg

-Infidel

[Ricekila]

Have you ever done bolt holsters ?

https://www.google.com/search?q=rifle+bolt+holster&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjWvv6diIHZAhUDrFMKHcqmDIgQsAQILg&biw=1366&bih=637

[Infidel]

Cant say I have but doesn't look like it would be a whole lot different than building a holster or knife sheath (depending on the design). The hardest part will be that I don't have the bolt to work from so fit might be an issue unless I get the bolt to work from. Honestly I didn't know such a thing even existed and never would have guessed there would be a market for it.

-Infidel

[Ricekila]

As I understand it -- its kind of an Olympic shooter thing -- when I be ready -- I'll send you a bolt before I tune & polish it ?

Get everyone to send you their bolts -- build to a varied stock or at least patterns --

This could be that new cottage industry you'd be looking for ?

Or a waste of leather --

[Infidel]

As I understand it -- its kind of an Olympic shooter thing -- when I be ready -- I'll send you a bolt before I tune & polish it ?

Get everyone to send you their bolts -- build to a varied stock or at least patterns --

This could be that new cottage industry you'd be looking for ?

Or a waste of leather --
If you're willing to send me a bolt I'm sure building the holster for it won't be a problem.

It's never a waste of leather if the customer is happy with the product. I've built quite a few pieces that I personally didn't see much use in but the customers were happy so that's really all I care about. Whether or not the piece is functional is a question only the customer can answer, I'll build whatever they're willing to pay for (within reason).

[Infidel]

I Have a buddy who's got a couple of competition M1A rifles that he wanted new slings for. He wanted the M1907 style sling which is a military style sling. He wanted them both black and I built one in an oil finish (natural) for me. These are 1 1/4" slings so they fit both the M1 Garand and M1A (they would probably fit the 1903 Springfield also). The natural one has different claws on it because once I put the slings together I realized that they weren't going to work since the claws wouldn't fit through the fixed sling loop on the butt of my Garand. All the slings now have the same hardware the black ones have.

https://i.imgur.com/gZtThrS.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/kD1vlVk.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/iCytuqN.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/qamcNgd.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/sqOebfW.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/lL84gWU.jpg

continued...

[Infidel]

https://i.imgur.com/al7WbxD.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/BZSDvUb.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/zGsPmLq.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/dEqUz8N.jpg

The black is kind of hard to see on that piece of granite since it's so dark. I have to work out a better method for pictures I guess

-Infidel

[Ricekila]

Angle of incidence = angle of reflection ---

If you have the camera right above it -- have a light source at least 30° to the side --

And / or find something translucent to cover the flash with -- cellophane tape - Tupperware lid edge --

Also -- get away from the high-hat lights in the ceiling --

[Infidel]

Finished these 2 projects up yesterday. A left handed IWB holster for a Smith & Wesson Shield in basic black and my standard issue glove pouch for latex gloves.

https://i.imgur.com/hbxsoMG.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/TzXB6rl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/jwy8zC6.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/8zFROFR.jpg


Stu

[Infidel]

I guess it's time for another update. I finished this holster a little over a week ago but wanted the owner to get a chance to see it in person before I posted pictures anywhere. This is a saddle tan pancake style belt holster with white stitching for a Smith & Wesson J-Frame size revolver (this one was built for a Taurus but same difference size wise). This hide has kind of "grainy" for lack of a better term which gives the piece a bit of character. There's a few small scars and places where the pores are visible. I like the look it gives, kind of a weathered look along with the darker color of the saddle tan from oiling prior to finish coat. Not a whole lot more to say so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

https://i.imgur.com/74GWyLQ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/PTb2hKi.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/FWT2jPo.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/exl6iT9.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/xXW2Lhz.jpg

This last picture is so you can see the cant of the holster in relation to the belt. I've pretty much settled on a 20º cant for my standard cant. It's easy to draw from and allows you to get a good grip. Of course I'll put whatever cant the customer wants on the holster but this is my default. More pics below...

[Infidel]

https://i.imgur.com/SHBFblX.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/zY3hY1v.jpg

Unfortunately I forgot to get pictures of the edges on the sides of the holster so these 2 pictures are it for edges. Burnished edges are what I feel set custom leather apart from the mass produced stuff. A lot of time goes into the edges and they seem to hold up really well.

-Infidel

[RubberDuck]

Had Infidel do some leather work for my Bad boy 44mag and Henry Big boy and could not have asked for better results these turned out great and will get many years of use.

Thank you Sir another fine job and will return for future work.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181104/9b4d5ad697d68a6f36cbcfb27634821a.jpg

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[hawgrider]

A match made in heaven. Nice set!

[Infidel]

You beat me to it, I'll get some close up pictures posted tomorrow, have another holster I need to post pictures of too.

-Infidel

[Slippy]

You beat me to it, I'll get some close up pictures posted tomorrow, have another holster I need to post pictures of too.

-Infidel

Infidel,

Have you ever made a holster out of an old baseball glove? I've got a couple of gloves from a period of my life long gone that I would like to have someone with skills make a holster out of.

What you think, Sir?

[Infidel]

So I guess I owe you guys some pictures. This is a crossdraw rig for his Cimarron Bad Boy and sling for a Henry Big Boy. Color is dark brown with white stitching. The holster can be worn either crossdraw on the bandoleer or strong side on the hip as a normal holster. The cartridge loops are a new design for me and are on a removable holder that can also be worn on a belt. The loops are not stitched and are held in place via friction and 2 simple copper rivets, it worked out so well that I have no intention of ever stitching another cartridge loop unless it's requested. Here's a bunch of close ups of the rig.
https://i.imgur.com/zh356Qe.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/qw31dNP.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/hNS9pu2.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/jHATXSA.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/u6IK8EP.jpg

-Infidel

https://i.imgur.com/HPOF3ow.jpg

[Infidel]

Had a customer contact me awhile back and asked if I could build a Matt Dillon style gunbelt and holster. Seems he's a bit of a Gunsmoke fanatic and wanted the rig for a 7.5" Ruger Bisley Blackhawk Hunter. So we talked a lot about what exactly he was looking for and how close of a replica he wanted his holster to be and I eventually ended up building a rig that is very close to the original but not an exact replica. The holster is lined but the belt isn't, this is really the only area where I wish we had done things different. I would have lined the belt and left the holster a single layer if it were up to me but I'm sure you all know the old saying about the customer always being right... Color is light brown with artificial sinew for stitching and no top coat finish, just neatsfoot oil followed by some mink oil. There's a matching EDC belt in there too. Here's some pictures:

https://i.imgur.com/7YevEmp.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/3UBIFFo.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/rhpHgna.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/agqdVm5.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/AoOHDor.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/59V5be0.jpg

-Infidel

[Infidel]

I had an old friend and talented bass player contact me awhile back about making her a strap for one of her many bass guitars. We kicked it around a bit and she finally settled on a black strap with silver star and her name carved in in purple letters. She wanted it suede lined so it wouldn't slide around on her shoulder. I ended up doing the stitching in purple also but the thread is only .5mm so it doesn't show up very well in the pictures. Unfortunately it was all I could get locally and have decided the next one gets 1mm Ritza Tiger thread. Not sure how I managed to not get a picture of the suede lining on the back, that was not one of my more brilliant moves.

https://i.imgur.com/LrYSqTf.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ILv0F1K.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/hYNg5c3.jpg

The strap came out great, even the paint looks good to me. She was thrilled with it.

-Infidel

[Infidel]

Another guitar strap, no real backstory on this one, just a simple black strap with "Ronni" carved and painted a bright red. Love the red on this one, the pictures really don't do it justice. This strap is unlined with no stitching, I had to guess at the length for this one, the customer was buying it as a gift and didn't know how long he likes his straps. Told her not to worry I could always make a longer tail piece for it so he could have it any length he wants. By the way the main body of these straps is 3" wide.

https://i.imgur.com/tk0HI6g.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/A332dER.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/RY0aVpi.jpg

Trying to get pictures of color to show up as it actually appears is the bane of my existence. It's compounded by different displays showing it different also, some are warmer, some are cooler. Is there someway to make colors appear as they actually are????

-Infidel

[Infidel]

As you can see I've been quite busy lately but managed to squeeze in a couple of prototype/one off jobs while I was at it. First one was a project for my wife, she wanted a leather "bowl" to keep her daily stuff in (I'd call it EDC but she wouldn't) basically just an organizer for her stuff. So I made her a Valet tray. It has a monogrammed removable mat on the bottom and is a dark mahogany (finally got rid of the last bit of that color). I can make these any size and they go together pretty quick, might make a great Christmas gift for someone. They can also be made with snaps so they flatten out for travelling. Perfect for those who spend a lot of time in hotels, it gives you a place to put all the stuff from your pockets wherever you go.

https://i.imgur.com/sRznohC.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/d3hGetT.jpg

The carving is ok but the beveling is a bit rough, that still needs more practice. Speaking of practice, a friend suggest I try carving a Celtic Trinity Knot. I figured with Celtic and Viking stuff being so popular right now I should give it a shot so I did a practice piece that I liked well enough to turn into a Christmas tree ornament.

https://i.imgur.com/KPS5Wjb.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/7fhfGXw.jpg

I like this beveler much more than the smooth one and the US Stamps beveler is absolute crap (more of a stippled surface).

-Infidel

[Infidel]

I haven't posted anything in awhile, have a few things I've done but just haven't gotten to posting them yet, I'll get to those soon. I did however really want to share this one. I have a buddy who carries a Ruger Super Redhawk in .454 Casull while he's hunting. I've watched him fight with the Uncle Mike's nylon shoulder holster for a few years. Mostly it's the snaps on the belt loops that give him grief as they keep unsnapping every time he moves. He finally got fed up and asked me to build him a proper shoulder holster for that behemoth, naturally I told him I would. Since he's an old friend I wanted to build something a little extra nice for him and this was the result. Honestly I think this is probably my best work to date and while I know there's a couple of issues here and there (especially getting the border stamping even) most likely I'm the only one who will ever notice them. Just about every piece of this holster has a border and some stamping on it. I also carved his name on the main body in a Gaelic type font. The whole system is completely modular so any piece of it can be swapped out if he decides later on he want to change things around. The main portion of the holster is a light brown with the stiffener being left natural. All pieces were antiqued with a dark brown to high light the stamping. The snaps on the belt loops are Pull The Dot one way snaps so they won't come unsnapped unless he wants the to be. There's a lot of pictures so I'll have to break them up into multiple post so scroll on to see them all.

-Infidel
https://i.imgur.com/kBC9ACs.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ZxTOA83.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/jidutCz.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/mDzcqft.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Tlf2cMT.jpg

[Infidel]

https://i.imgur.com/vG3B976.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/dwhNwhO.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/CFdF00E.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ENfqjKh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/7jNwPsg.jpg

[Infidel]

https://i.imgur.com/RfNWWah.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ykV2w4e.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/bIchDj0.jpg


He seems very happy with it and his wife raved about it so I guess I got it right.

-Infidel

[StratBastard]

I do so very much admire your craftwork... THANX for posting all of these lovely pix! Awesome!

[Infidel]

I finally found some time to do a little carving practice this week. I'm pleased enough with the piece that I felt like sharing it. The original artwork is not mine, it's by an artist named Derek Riggs who used to do all the artwork for the band Iron Maiden back in the day. So without further adieu I give you Eddie from the World Slavery Tour:
https://i.imgur.com/dXREpwr.jpg

I was going to paint it up like the original artwork but decided to just antique it and see what happens. I'm super happy with the way this turned out, if it had been on a nicer piece of leather I would have used it for something but instead I'll just hang it on the wall. This is probably my best piece of tooling so far although I think I still have a ways to go. This is the type of stuff that appeals to me, the Sheridan style tooling bores me to tears even though it's much more traditional.

-Infidel

[Infidel]

I finished this project a couple months ago and am just getting around to posting it. I posted a strap before for this customer, she liked it so much she ordered another one for one of her other bass guitars. This one is like the other one but we changed a couple things around on it. The other one was black with purple and silver metallic paint. This one is stained a dark purple and painted silver metallic to help it stand out a bit. I used silver thread and lined the back with black suede, I think it looks pretty good and shes happy with it. Now I just need to find time to go see her band and get a picture of her playing with the strap on.

https://i.imgur.com/SnQpafi.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/a7QfkQW.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/tTRPMRX.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/T7HL9EC.jpg

-Infidel

[hawgrider]

Nice!

[Infidel]

I've had some inquiries about wallets lately so I decided it was about time I tried my hand at them again. I gave this a shot when I first got started with leather and it was a disaster never to be repeated or so I thought. I did some research and settled on a design that I liked then worked out the dimensions. I built 2 prototypes but it seems my sons have laid claims to them both. I did manage to get pictures of the latest prototype before my oldest absconded with it. It's a very basic Bi-Fold wallet with 6 card slots. Made from 2-3oz Veg tan leather and lined with a tan glazed pig skin. There's some issues with the prototype: the basket weave washed out, the thread is too heavy for the project and for whatever reason the dye color is not consistent at all. The design however is solid and I like the overall look of it. It's a bit thicker than your average mass production wallet but should last a good many years longer than the typical department store wallet. If anyone's looking for a handmade wallet, shoot me a PM and we'll discuss it.

https://i.imgur.com/JLqyWzk.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/i88TORn.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/GRj2HrF.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/wuXUhp4.jpg

-Infidel

[hawgrider]

Looks great! Inconsistent color doesn't bother me at alI I kinda like that look.

Yes I have been avoiding wallets like the plague.:p

[Infidel]

Looks great! Inconsistent color doesn't bother me at alI I kinda like that look.

Yes I have been avoiding wallets like the plague.:p

I did for almost 5 years after the first attempt at a prototype but I finally got to the point where I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try something different or at least different for me. I'm still working on a template for a messenger bag type briefcase which is way out of my comfort zone and may never actually get built. The project is pretty daunting just due to the sheer amount of leather required for that build but I'm trying to challenge myself which really is why I decided to attempt the wallet. The first wallet build was hard to commit to, but after that I found what didn't work for me in the original template and moved on to 2.0 which was a much easier build. Honestly I thought it was going to be a whole lot more work but it's a pretty straight forward build.

-Infidel

[Infidel]

I have decided that my bad lower back is no excuse to leave my commander style 1911 in the safe. I love that gun (Kimber Pro CDP) and it shoots better than any other handgun I own so it was time to figure out a way to start carrying it again that won't send me to the chiropractor. I've used vertical shoulder holsters in the past and didn't care for them, too bulky and uncomfortable. I decided that I'd build a horizontal shoulder holster and see how that works for me. The result is a holster that is comfortable, doesn't need to be anchored to the belt and gives me easy access to the firearm even when driving. I left this one all natural, I just gave it a coat of neatsfoot oil and rubbed it in by hand. It'll develop it's own patina over time and will probably end up somewhere in the light brown or russet color range but each piece of leather will age a little differently. As a bonus the system is completely modular so I can swap out holsters and mag pouches if I decide to start carrying something else. My model is a bit shorter than me so the holster doesn't sit quite right on him since it's adjusted for me but I'm sure you'll get the idea. Let me know your thoughts on the work and shoulder holsters in general, I'm interested to know if anyone else carries in one.

-Infidel
https://i.imgur.com/hUitr4A.jpg?2

https://i.imgur.com/FnQtK0j.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/VoGsAc7.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/mGBKMGJ.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/Yn8LZ0U.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/ajusP3F.jpg?1

[hawgrider]

Nice looking rig right there!

[Innkeeper]

That is a beautiful piece of work, your making my own Kimber jealous lol

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[Infidel]

Nice looking rig right there!


That is a beautiful piece of work, your making my own Kimber jealous lol

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Thank you both I appreciate it. I'm fairly happy with the way it turned out, there's a couple of small things I'd change if I were to do it again but nothing that's a deal breaker. This was the first time I've used an actual thumb break on one of my holsters and I have to say it worked out pretty well. I need to look for another supplier for those parts though, Tandy only has them in a bright stainless finish and they're a bit too long for my taste.

[hnk4life]

How’s it going sir. I’m new here Hawgrider gave me some info on you and sent me your way for a product if there is a way we can link up so I can let you know what I’m interested in thank you so much look forward to hearing from you.

Ricky

[hawgrider]

How’s it going sir. I’m new here Hawgrider gave me some info on you and sent me your way for a product if there is a way we can link up so I can let you know what I’m interested in thank you so much look forward to hearing from you.

Ricky

Look thru his thread and you can see his latest work hes posted. Dwight55 may also be able to help you.

Guys see if you can help this Mi. Guy from MGO (Michigan gun owners forum) out. He's looking for a rifle sling I believe.

[StratBastard]

Nice leather git-fiddle strap, very sharp! They last too... I still use my leather strap, which I bought over 40 years ago.

[Infidel]

How’s it going sir. I’m new here Hawgrider gave me some info on you and sent me your way for a product if there is a way we can link up so I can let you know what I’m interested in thank you so much look forward to hearing from you.

Ricky

Sent you a PM about this, appreciate the interest.

[hawgrider]

Sent you a PM about this, appreciate the interest.

Looks like he was here early this morn before 7 am. I expect he will check back at some point today.

[Infidel]

Built these for a guy over at the Marlin Owners forum. The initial request was for 3 ammo carriers in 3 distinct colors so he wouldn't grab the wrong ammo by mistake. So we decided on Saddle Tan, Dark Brown and Black. I dip dyed the saddle tan and dark brown which makes for a nice consistent color. Simple build but I really like them. I have plans for a 10 round version that will take up almost the same real estate on the belt, that build will be loosely based on this one,

http://i.imgur.com/UmVbwVK.jpg (https://imgur.com/UmVbwVK)

http://i.imgur.com/hJOXflV.jpg (https://imgur.com/hJOXflV)

http://i.imgur.com/FgXK8kR.jpg (https://imgur.com/FgXK8kR)

http://i.imgur.com/Qk1GBem.jpg (https://imgur.com/Qk1GBem)

http://i.imgur.com/9jwiVAZ.jpg (https://imgur.com/9jwiVAZ)

[hawgrider]

Built these for a guy over at the Marlin Owners forum. The initial request was for 3 ammo carriers in 3 distinct colors so he wouldn't grab the wrong ammo by mistake. So we decided on Saddle Tan, Dark Brown and Black. I dip dyed the saddle tan and dark brown which makes for a nice consistent color. Simple build but I really like them. I have plans for a 10 round version that will take up almost the same real estate on the belt, that build will be loosely based on this one,

http://i.imgur.com/UmVbwVK.jpg (https://imgur.com/UmVbwVK)

http://i.imgur.com/hJOXflV.jpg (https://imgur.com/hJOXflV)

http://i.imgur.com/FgXK8kR.jpg (https://imgur.com/FgXK8kR)

http://i.imgur.com/Qk1GBem.jpg (https://imgur.com/Qk1GBem)

http://i.imgur.com/9jwiVAZ.jpg (https://imgur.com/9jwiVAZ)

I like those a lot!

[RubberDuck]

Those are really cool I have calibers that would great for

[hag]

Very nice infidel!

[Infidel]

Thanks gang, I wasn't sure I'd like them when he requested them but once they started to come together I really started to dig them.

[hawgrider]

Thanks gang, I wasn't sure I'd like them when he requested them but once they started to come together I really started to dig them.

Did that guy from MGO work out?

[Infidel]

Did that guy from MGO work out?

He emailed me and I emailed him back, haven't heard from him since. Maybe my prices scared him off or maybe too many options, who knows?

[Infidel]

I've been pretty busy lately so I figured I'd post an update. First up is a couple of personal projects. I've had the whitetail rack kicking around for a few years trying to decide how I wanted to mount it. I had a big chunk of black walnut kicking around and decided it would make a good plate to mount the rack too and that if I covered the skull plate with black suede it might look pretty good. So.....

http://i.imgur.com/YOruNXO.jpg (https://imgur.com/YOruNXO)

Next up I decided to make myself a small edc fixed blade to use as a neck knife, so after the blade was done in a fairly rough grind (approx 120 grit) I went ahead and made the sheath.

http://i.imgur.com/ywqSS5y.jpg (https://imgur.com/ywqSS5y)

http://i.imgur.com/lBUEY7R.jpg (https://imgur.com/lBUEY7R)

Started on a new IWB holster design, basically inspired by the Desantis cozy partner. This one is for my Sig 290 RS with factory laser.

http://i.imgur.com/DzSiO5G.jpg (https://imgur.com/DzSiO5G)

http://i.imgur.com/jiIJhHJ.jpg (https://imgur.com/jiIJhHJ)

http://i.imgur.com/AYJpHc7.jpg (https://imgur.com/AYJpHc7)

I like this one, it's very comfortable to carry and once I figured out the design it can be adapted to almost any handgun. More to come.....

[Infidel]

Had a friend at work ask for some knife sheaths. He originally told me he had a few knives that needed sheaths so when he showed up with 7 of them I was a little overwhelmed. He told me there was no hurry so I set about making the sheaths. When asked if he had particular colors in mind for the sheaths he said browns and black so he kind of left it up to me. I gave him 2 saddle tan, 2 light brown, 2 dark brown and a black. The tooled sheaths are for knives his father made, I figured they needed something a little special to differentiate them from the rest.

http://i.imgur.com/CWjTSHj.jpg (https://imgur.com/CWjTSHj)

http://i.imgur.com/7s4v8Y1.jpg (https://imgur.com/7s4v8Y1)

Another customer ordered a rifle sling, dark brown with a basketweave pattern.

http://i.imgur.com/5kbIcBW.jpg (https://imgur.com/5kbIcBW)

http://i.imgur.com/7RGPHOZ.jpg (https://imgur.com/7RGPHOZ)

http://i.imgur.com/ZMIIIEq.jpg (https://imgur.com/ZMIIIEq)

It looks black in the pic but it really is brown. As you can tell from looking at the back I hammer kind of heavy when I do basketweave, you can see the pattern on the back.

[hawgrider]

Looking great Infidel!

[Infidel]

I ended up making 2 IWB for Glock 19's for guys at work. This design is heavily influenced by Dwight who gave me a lot of help when I was getting started in leather. Thanks again Dwight.

http://i.imgur.com/53eMDFD.jpg?1 (https://imgur.com/53eMDFD)

http://i.imgur.com/vlDzRhL.jpg (https://imgur.com/vlDzRhL)

http://i.imgur.com/yFs6bWX.jpg (https://imgur.com/yFs6bWX)

Lastly (for now) a guitar strap for myself. Bought my son a bass last year and have been playing a little bit here and there myself again. I've always hated playing sitting down but without a strap I didn't have much choice. I cut the strap and stared at it for quite a while trying to decide what shout be on it. Sketched out a bunch of stuff and nothing seemed right. Got tinkering with the axe and shield design and kind of liked it but realized it wouldn't fill the space so decided to try some celtic knot work to go with it and Voila!...a design I'm happy with. My tooling is still pretty rough, I can see tool marks in the beveling and even a few in the backgrounding but I'm still very pleased with how it turned out. Left this one natural Veg Tan with just an antique to highlight the tooling, should look great when it develops it's own patina. This is also the first time I've used Fiebing's Saddle Lac on a project, Works awesome as a resist for antiquing but it's a bit on the glossy side, I would have preferred a flatter finish.

http://i.imgur.com/Ov3tAu5.jpg?1 (https://imgur.com/Ov3tAu5)

http://i.imgur.com/9iPapQy.jpg (https://imgur.com/9iPapQy)

http://i.imgur.com/QdrE53l.jpg (https://imgur.com/QdrE53l)

[MountainGirl]

Next up I decided to make myself a small edc fixed blade to use as a neck knife, so after the blade was done in a fairly rough grind (approx 120 grit) I went ahead and made the sheath.

http://i.imgur.com/ywqSS5y.jpg (https://imgur.com/ywqSS5y)

http://i.imgur.com/lBUEY7R.jpg (https://imgur.com/lBUEY7R)

.
Beautiful work, Infidel!!
On the neck knife, what's the bottom thong all about?

[Infidel]

Beautiful work, Infidel!!
On the neck knife, what's the bottom thong all about?

Thank you. The grip on the knife is pretty small I can only really get 3 fingers on it so the thong allows me to wrap my fingers in it so the knife can't come out of my hand under use. It also allows me to get my hands on the knife quickly if needed.

[Infidel]

I've been away too long again, I plan to be better about that. Anyway I've been hitting it pretty hard lately and have a bunch of stuff to show off. The big news is I opened an Etsy shop (http://StuMillerLeather.Etsy.Com) a few days ago so if you're looking for something you don't have to wait for, that's the place to go. I'm still building custom orders and one offs so no worries if you can't find what you want just message me and I'm happy to help you get exactly the piece you want. Anyway, enough shop talk, let's see some pictures right?

OWB holster for Glock 43/43x

http://i.imgur.com/vpZ6hiv.jpg (https://imgur.com/vpZ6hiv)

http://i.imgur.com/W5vZ80R.jpg (https://imgur.com/W5vZ80R)

http://i.imgur.com/ZTPaAzm.jpg (https://imgur.com/ZTPaAzm)

http://i.imgur.com/nTXVKlP.jpg (https://imgur.com/nTXVKlP)

http://i.imgur.com/3sq2wKc.jpg (https://imgur.com/3sq2wKc)

[Infidel]

Had a custom stamp made for myself. Took forever to get here but it was worth it.
http://i.imgur.com/4zlw5F2.jpg (https://imgur.com/4zlw5F2)

Got myself a new iPhone 12 Pro so I needed a way to carry it around (I hate having a phone in my pocket).
http://i.imgur.com/ZTrG8DY.jpg (https://imgur.com/ZTrG8DY)

http://i.imgur.com/GCSxv5u.jpg (https://imgur.com/GCSxv5u)

The snaps make it super easy to put on and take off the belt.


Behind the back holster for an FNX 40. Customer wanted a different clip on this one, it actually hooks over the waistband and runs behind the belt and hooks under the belt. Very secure, no chance the holster is coming out on the draw.

http://i.imgur.com/vYLZVn2.jpg (https://imgur.com/vYLZVn2)

http://i.imgur.com/SR8bT0C.jpg (https://imgur.com/SR8bT0C)

[stevekozak]

Nice!

[hawgrider]

The basket weave looks great!

[Infidel]

Tonight's share is the first paying project completed after my retirement. Also the first paying customer from a Facebook ad. He wanted a custom guitar strap, suede lined and fully tooled with traditional Polynesian tattoo art to match the sleeve tattoo he has on his arm. We decided on Natural leather with a black antique to compliment the black and gray tattoos. This is without question the most tooling I've done to date and I was very pleased with the way it turned out. He was very excited when he got the strap.

http://i.imgur.com/L8kEEaR.jpg (https://imgur.com/L8kEEaR)
http://i.imgur.com/zNyWqRP.jpg (https://imgur.com/zNyWqRP)
http://i.imgur.com/i3asI0J.jpg (https://imgur.com/i3asI0J)
http://i.imgur.com/s5BOlBS.jpg (https://imgur.com/s5BOlBS)

Last but not least I have the customer's permission to use photos of his tattoo for comparison:
http://i.imgur.com/H2jFTyA.jpg (https://imgur.com/H2jFTyA)
http://i.imgur.com/QKGBC0N.jpg (https://imgur.com/QKGBC0N)

[StratBastard]

Tonight's share is the first paying project completed after my retirement. Also the first paying customer from a Facebook ad. He wanted a custom guitar strap, suede lined and fully tooled with traditional Polynesian tattoo art to match the sleeve tattoo he has on his arm. We decided on Natural leather with a black antique to compliment the black and gray tattoos. This is without question the most tooling I've done to date and I was very pleased with the way it turned out. He was very excited when he got the strap.

http://i.imgur.com/L8kEEaR.jpg (https://imgur.com/L8kEEaR)

That's a beauty!!! And they LAST. I bought a wide leather guitar strap when I was 17... never used another one ever.

[stevekozak]

Nice!

[Infidel]

Had a guy contact me through Facebook looking for an electrician's Pouch. He wanted it tooled with sugar skulls and any other art I could fit on it. So....

http://i.imgur.com/BXuQd7g.jpg (https://imgur.com/BXuQd7g)
http://i.imgur.com/aEn4w89.jpg (https://imgur.com/aEn4w89)
http://i.imgur.com/MXTBsEC.jpg (https://imgur.com/MXTBsEC)
http://i.imgur.com/VXw5NIN.jpg (https://imgur.com/VXw5NIN)
http://i.imgur.com/bp5g0bw.jpg (https://imgur.com/bp5g0bw)

Sugar skulls aren't really my thing but it came out pretty well anyway. Color is saddle tan with a dark brown antique.

-Infidel

P.S. I can't figure out how to edit the picture size, I know they're huge but since they're already posted to imgur and apparently I made them public pics I can't edit them.

[Infidel]

Time for another update. Perfect for the handyman. Holds a pair of 8" slip joint pliers, a 6" adjustable wrench and a Klein 11 in 1 screwdriver.
http://i.imgur.com/KatyiWc.jpg (https://imgur.com/KatyiWc)

http://i.imgur.com/Dd1Djk3.jpg (https://imgur.com/Dd1Djk3)

All 4 went to the same customer.

-Infidel

[bigwheel]

Good work. Must confess I aint a big fan of leather. Color me toting my big boy in my Crotch Possum under the hot weather gym shorts. It dont interfere with any bodily functions and can be brought into play quckly. Not sure how they could get improved on too much.

https://www.amazon.com/Large-Denim-Possum-Crotch-Holster/dp/B00ATTSCN4