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The Sheath/Holster Makers Forum This is the place to discuss all forms of sheath and holster making.

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  #1  
Old 07-18-2005, 02:30 PM
fishguy fishguy is offline
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fitting holsters

I have been having such a good time making sheaths I decided to take a crack at holsters. Made a couple that came out pretty good, now I would like to do a western style. One problem, I don't have a pistol of the proper type to wet form the holster. Would a wooden model, like is used for wet forming sheaths, be precise enough to work? Should it be a little undersized to make sure the sheath isn't too sloppy?
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  #2  
Old 07-18-2005, 03:03 PM
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bullsi1911 bullsi1911 is offline
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A-ha! Something I know about!

If you want to get an aluminum mold of the gun for making holsters, check with these guys:
http://www.duncansoutdoor.com/customs.html


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  #3  
Old 07-19-2005, 06:24 PM
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Chuck Burrows Chuck Burrows is offline
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Duncans is good although sometimes slow as they don't always have the model on hand....
Another option for some types of guns are the better quality "fake" pistols - these were originally made for the Japanese market where guns are pretty much a no no - the better manufacturers models are cast from molds taken from the original firearm.....


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  #4  
Old 07-19-2005, 08:08 PM
TxCop312 TxCop312 is offline
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Ring's makes a line of blue guns and ASP makes red guns. We use these at the academy. They are heavy plastic and work like a charm. Most run less than 40 bucks. Check out Gall's Inc. They are a LE supplier and have many in stock.
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Old 07-19-2005, 08:48 PM
Sandy Morrissey Sandy Morrissey is offline
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Smile Replica firearms, new to antique---

One of the best suppliers or replicas that are authentic in appearance, accurate in dimensions and reasonably priced is CAS Iberia, Inc. 650 Industrial Blvd., Sales Creek, TN 37373. Phone---1-800-635-9366. http:/www.casiberia.com Their inventory is fantastic, going from blunderbusses to modern, derringers to cannon! Their replicas of old model SAA and frontier pistols of the old west looks like a museum as does their replicas of swords, cutlasses, rapiers and knives. All revolvers are operational but not capable of firing ammo. I use them for making patterns and test fits for holsters. -------------- Mention was made of wet molding the leather for a western style holster. This was not done in that era in time! IMHO it should not be done in this day and age either as it serves no function that I have ever been able to determine. Before any flames are ignited by that statement, remember it is only one man's opinion, MINE, and I am happy with it! ---Sandy---


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Old 07-19-2005, 09:15 PM
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I don't know a thing about casiberia.com, but I do know I agree with Sandy about wet forming a western style holster, particularly the skirted buscaderos. I just finished a fairly expensive rig for a Colt 5 1/2" .45. S/A. It fits like a second skin and smooth as silk and it was not wet formed......But that is just MY opinion, and not intended to start a fire either.

Paul
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Old 07-19-2005, 10:04 PM
Sandy Morrissey Sandy Morrissey is offline
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Ha Ha, Paul---if we start a fire we can always call on my friend MikeT to extinguish same! He is a Captain in an Ontario fire department! ---Sandy---


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Old 07-19-2005, 10:31 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandy Morrissey
Ha Ha, Paul---if we start a fire we can always call on my friend MikeT to extinguish same! He is a Captain in an Ontario fire department! ---Sandy---
Good one Sandy!


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  #9  
Old 07-20-2005, 12:32 AM
fishguy fishguy is offline
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So now the question is, if not wet molded then how do you make it fit?
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  #10  
Old 07-20-2005, 10:27 AM
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This is the way I do it........

Fishguy: This method works for me. It is not the only method and may not be the best, but it works great for me. First, I line every sheath or holster I make, so traditional wet forming is an excercise in futility. When the holster is complete as far as construction, stitching etc is concerned, I dampen the interior with a spray bottle...not soaking wet ,but fairly damp. then I force the gun into the holster. This may take three or four attempts to fully seat the gun all the way into the holster. once this is done I remove the gun and dry it and oil it to be sure no rust happens. Then wrap the gun with Saran Wrap and reinsert. At this point I hand work the exterior of the sheath to get the general"soft" shape of the gun on the outside. This has the effect of wet forming the interior to a pretty good degree. I then fan dry the sheath for a couple of hours and remove the gun carefully. Fan dry some more until completely dry. The leather has now hardened some and is ready for Neatsfoot oil and top finishes of choice. Most of mine fit very well and will"snap" when gun is inserted. The exterior has the soft shape of the gun and looks more like the traditional period pieces. I forgot to mention that 99.9% of my holsters are either carved or stamped which is another reason not to bone or stretch the exterior. Now, let's see what Sandy, Mike, Dave, Chuck and others have to share, because if there's a better way, I want to learn it too.

PS: Edited to add: At the point that I'm ready to reinsert the Saran wrapped gun, I spray the exterior completely to dampen it,wait a couple of minutes and then hand massage it.

Paul

Last edited by sheathmaker; 07-20-2005 at 10:33 AM.
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  #11  
Old 07-20-2005, 09:48 PM
Mike T. Mike T. is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandy Morrissey
Ha Ha, Paul---if we start a fire we can always call on my friend MikeT to extinguish same! He is a Captain in an Ontario fire department! ---Sandy---
Hey leave me out of this!


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  #12  
Old 07-20-2005, 10:29 PM
Mike T. Mike T. is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sheathmaker
First, I line every sheath or holster I make, so traditional wet forming is an excercise in futility.
I line almost all my sheaths (unless paid not to line one!) with thin suede and I wetform them. I'll add here that as handguns are very hard to own up here in Canada I've never made a handgun holster.

I soak both the sheath body and separate liner in hot water then I loosely insert the liner into the rough sheath body and wet mold hard around the knife. The two are allowed to dry overnight then the beltloop is sewn on and the liner glued in place.


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