So I got the idea in my head last week that I would try my hand at a DIY holster for a couple guns of mine. So a couple days ago I picked up some basic tools and a few square feet of 7-9 oz leather from tandy leather. My first holster made was a owb slide holster for my ppq,while it wasn't pretty It gave me a good idea of how to cut the templates,lock stitch it up with an awl,and then wet-mold the holster to the gun. The second holster I decided would be for my sp101,and actually turned out better than expected. This is it here
The third one I made was an iwb for my PPQ,I really like this one. I got the stitching better than the other two but left the gun with little room in the holster once stitched up,and it took a lot of effort to get the gun in for wet molding and even more to get it out. I liked this one so much that I applyed some black dye thinking it would make it look like a real deal holster but guess what... I was wrong,still has a slight amatuerish look but I think its due to lack of clear coat and leather seal.
This one is quite functional and with the clip I chose has infinite cant adjustment,at first it was pulling out with the gun when drawn,but some silicone spray and about 5 minutes of reapetedly inserting and removing the gun took care of that.
Things I learned:
Be careful when cutting out the template out of the larger piece of leather,its easy to make a mistake and cut past the lines (and into your finger *ouch*)
Be even more careful when stitching with those heavy awl needles,and pre-drill your stitch holes so little effort is needed to push through the leather (and into your finger If you don't watch them)
Its easy to make a decent functional holster,but you will have a new found respect for the custom holstermakers. As getting every stitch right and getting every mold line in without hurting the leather is tedious work at best,and its hard to imagine how much care is put in their work to make their holsters so pretty and sleek.
Making something yourself with your own hands that you usually pay a premium for is a rewarding experience
So... how do y'all think I did?
DIY leather holsters
Linear Mode
